Keeneland fall meet sets handle, purse-payout records
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Handle and purse payouts established all-time track records at Keeneland as the 17-day fall meet came to an end Saturday.
All-sources handle was $181,009,626, easily surpassing the overall record set at the spring meet in April ($164.7 million) and the former fall-meet record set in 2019 ($160.2 million).
Horsemen received nearly $15 million in purses with a per-card average of $880,511. The stakes program was expanded to 22 races, with purses of about $6 million. Purses at Keeneland and other Kentucky tracks have been increased substantially in recent times with the proliferation of slots-like historical horse-racing machines at track-owned facilities.
“We are so appreciative of the tremendous support from our fans, our horsemen, the Central Kentucky community, our horseplayers and our corporate partners,” Keeneland president Shannon Arvin said in a release.
On the racetrack, Tyler Gaffalione was the leading jockey with 29 wins, marking the fourth time he has won a Keeneland meet title. Brad Cox had the winner of the meet’s final race to edge Wesley Ward for the training title by a 14-13 margin. Calumet Farm and Godolphin tied for leading owner with four wins each.
Field size averaged 8.65 starters per race, with favorites winning at a 37 percent clip (60 of 161 races).