Keeneland: Few changes to spring stakes schedule

The stakes schedule for the 2013 spring meet at Keeneland Race Course was released Thursday with very minimal change from what has traditionally been offered at the Lexington, Ky., track.

As usual, the Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes will anchor the spring meet, which runs April 5-26 on a Wednesday-to-Sunday basis. The Blue Grass occupies its usual spot on the meet on the second Saturday of the month, April 13.

Other major events include the Grade 1, $500,000 Ashland Stakes on April 6; the Grade 1, $300,000 Madison on April 11; the Grade 1, $300,000 Maker’s 46 on April 12; the Grade 1, $300,000 Jenny Wiley on April 13; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Lexington Stakes on April 20.

In all, 16 stakes will be run at the 16-day meet, with 15 of those races graded. Stakes purses are expected to total $3,625,000.

The only change of note is a downgrading of the traditional Blue Grass supporting feature, the $175,000 Commonwealth Stakes, which goes from a Grade 2 to a Grade 3.