Keeneland fall meet ends with record attendance and increased handle

Keeneland’s fall meet, which celebrated the 80th anniversary of racing at the picturesque Lexington track, concluded Saturday with record meet attendance and gains in handle.

Total on-track attendance for the fall meet was 276,543, surpassing the previous meet record of 266,466 set in 2013; the average daily attendance was a record 16,276, again besting a prior mark established in 2013 of 15,674. The total and average attendance marks were both gains of 15 percent from 240,709 and 14,159, respectively, at the 2015 fall meet, which was concluded by the Breeders’ Cup but plagued by rainy weather.

Fueled by sizeable crowds and big fields – with an average of 9.1 runners per race – total on-track wagering rose to $17,793,419, outpacing last fall’s $15,813,986 by 13 percent. Average daily on-track handle also rose 13 percent, from $930,234 to $1,046,672.

All-sources wagering on Keeneland racing totaled $132,937,720, up 12 percent when compared to last fall’s $119,051,901. Average daily all-sources handle of $7,819,866 also increased 12 percent versus $7,003,053 in the fall of 2015.

The strong handle figures were fueled by two milestone numbers. All-sources handle on the 10-race card on Saturday, Oct. 8 – when Keeneland carded five graded stakes, including three Grade 1 events, as the centerpiece of its ‘FallStars’ opening weekend – totaled $15,926,396 to set a single-day record for the fall meet, surpassing the mark of $14,135,204 set on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007.

On Thursday, Oct. 20, bettors chasing a multi-day $329,321 carryover in the pick 6 wagered $1,145,677 into that pool to set a record fall meet single-day pick 6 handle record, shattering the mark of $629,310 in the fall of 2003. It was the second-largest single-day pick 6 handle in the track’s history. Sixty-one winning tickets, each worth $16,690 for $1, were sold that day.

Familiar names ranked atop the meet leaderboards, with owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey, trainer Mark Casse, and jockey Julien Leparoux taking their respective categories.

The Ramseys, based out of their Ramsey Farm in nearby Nicholasville, Ky., won nine races to secure their record 18th leading owner title at Keeneland.

Casse edged Mike Maker with 13 wins to 10 to capture his third leading trainer title at Keeneland. Casse and Graham Motion each won four stakes during the meet to join an elite group of trainers, tying Ben Jones (1948 fall), Wayne Lukas (1994 fall, 1995 fall), and Todd Pletcher (2011 spring) for the most stakes victories by a trainer at the meet. Casse won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity with Classic Empire, Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes with Keep Quiet, Grade 3 Jessamine Stakes with La Coronel, and the Grade 2 Fayette Stakes on closing day with Noble Bird.

Motion saddled Miss Temple City to win the Shadwell Mile and Dancing Rags to win the Alcibiades, both Grade 1 events; he also won the Grade 3 Franklin County with Miss Ella, and the Grade 3 Valley View with Quidura.

Leparoux bested Florent Geroux, 21-17, for his 11th rider title at Keeneland, and moved into sole possession of third place in total meet titles behind Pat Day (22) and Don Brumfield (16).