Keeneland Purses Nearly $10 Million for 17-Day Fall Meeting
January 20th, 2002by Jude T. Feld
2001 Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity winner Siphonic
Benoit Photo
Keeneland’s 2002 fall race meeting is fast approaching. It will begin on Friday, October 4 and conclude on Saturday, October 26, with no racing on Mondays or Tuesdays. Over the course of the 17-day meeting, nearly $10 million in purses will be distributed.
With the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships set for Keeneland’s closing day, October 26 at Arlington Park, and horsemen preferring three weeks between races, Keeneland scheduled six graded stakes races during the three-day, opening weekend.
Each of six races is an important stepping stone to the Breeders’ Cup and with purses of over $3 million offered for the first three days of racing, Keeneland is world’s most lucrative place to prep.
Opening day features the $500,000-added, WinStar Galaxy Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares on the turf and the $400,000-added, Walmac Int’l Alcibiades (G2) for two-year-old fillies.
On Saturday, October 5, Keeneland will run the $400,000-added, Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (G2) for two-year-olds and the $250,000-guaranteed, Phoenix Breeders’ Cup (G3) for sprinters, three-year-olds and up.
The Breeders’ Futurity is part of the “Bessemer Trust Two-Year-Old Challenge,” a seven-race series for juveniles. It will be televised live on CNBC at 5 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, October 6 will feature the $500,000-added, Overbrook Spinster Stakes (G1) for fillies and mares and the $600,000-guaranteed, Shadwell Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) for three-year-olds and up. Both races will be shown on espn2 from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. (ET).
Outstanding races will not be limited to opening weekend. The $500,000, Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) for three-year-old fillies on the turf will be run on Saturday, October 12. lt will be televised live on ESPN from 4-5 p.m. (ET).
The $100,000-added, Valley View Stakes (G3) for three-year-old fillies on the turf, is set for Saturday, October 19 followed by the $125,000, Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G3), a sprint for fillies and mares, on Sunday, October 20.
On closing day, Keeneland will run seven live races, including the $150,000-added, Fayette Stakes (G3). First post time on closing day is 12:30 p.m. Each post time will be coordinated with the Breeders’ Cup races.
