Even coming out of a mild winter with minimal snow and ice, Central Kentucky is abuzz with anticipation as spring arrives, and as usual, front and center among many people’s minds is an unofficial hallmark of the season of renewal: the Spring Meet at Keeneland Race Course. The meet kicks off Friday, April 5 and lasts for 16 days on a Wednesday-through-Sunday schedule ending Friday, April 26. 

Nineteen stakes races are on tap, topped by the 100^th running of the $1 million, Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday, April 6, a key prep race for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

Enjoy ABR’s guide to the Keeneland Spring Meet, with recommendations for visiting the track and the Lexington area during springtime.

Get Your Tickets Early, and Prepare for Construction

Enjoying the heart of horse country. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Continuing a policy started in spring 2021, Keeneland admission and dining tickets must be purchased in advance via the online ticket office or through the Keeneland RaceDay app. The track offers a 48-hour in advance return policy. Grandstand tickets are already sold out for the majority of days, but as of March 30, $7 general admission tickets are still on sale for all days aside from the three Saturdays of the meet, April 6, 13, and 20. You can also sign up for a waiting list to take advantage of cancellations if your original date is sold out. General Admission season passes are still available ahead of the Spring Meet and can be purchased online at tickets.keeneland.com.

Visitors to Keeneland this spring will come face to face with a massive construction project designed to upgrade the paddock and surrounding buildings. The revamp started after last fall’s meet concluded and will continue into next year, with completion scheduled in time for the fall 2025 meet.  New this Spring, all paved parking rows will be for permit parking and free handicap parking only. No reservation is required for handicap parking. Permit parking must be purchased in advance: purchase here. Free public parking is still available every day at The Hill and Meadow lots, and shuttle service is, as always, provided.

Due to construction, fans will enter through the South or North Gates. The North Gate walking path will feature a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the Keeneland barns with surprises and giveaways for fans during opening weekend.

Climb The Hill, and Enjoy ABR’s Friday Livestreams

Click to tune in!

Tailgating is allowed in several areas throughout Keeneland, some of them limited by ongoing construction, but ground zero for prerace fun and camaraderie is up on “The Hill,” a designated spot open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Jumbo TVs and betting kiosks are available for watching and wagering on the races, and food trucks and live music from The Burl venue will also be featured as part of the overall experience. Premium tailgating packages are also offered – click here for details.

On Fridays this spring, America’s Best Racing will grab the mic at The Hill, so to speak, and conduct a livestream on-site featuring an exciting and eclectic mix of guests. “Keeneland Weekend Kickoff LIVE!” will be hosted by ABR’s Rachel Miller, racing analyst Ren Carothers, and handicapper Alexa Zepp from Daily Racing Form. The show starts every Friday (April 5, 12, 19, 26) at 4 p.m. ET and streams on ABR’s Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram channels. Don’t miss it!

Betting Options Aplenty

BetOlogists, at your service. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Laying down a bet on-site at Keeneland is easy and the track has BETologists on-site at its Wagering Central hub (located under the grandstand near the finish line) to help fans new to the game become acquainted with the basics of handicapping and money management. Keeneland’s drive-thru betting has been discontinued, but advance-deposit wagering is of course offered through the Keeneland Select site and app. Positive news for horseplayers: starting this spring, Keeneland will reduce the takeout (money from a wagering pool allocated to purses, operations, taxes, and other expenses) on its Daily Double bet from 22 percent to 15 percent. 

Three handicapping contests are also on the schedule: a WINS-Day Challenge Presented by Malone’s $10 entry contest designed for beginners each Wednesday of the meet (April 10, 17, and 24) and held at Wagering Central; the Spring Handicapping Challenge on Friday, April 12 (register here) offering as many as four berths to the 2025 National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas; and the Grade 1 Gamble on Saturday, April 13, which offers a first-place prize estimated at $75,000 and as many as 10 berths to the 2025 NHC (register here).

Special Events for One and All

Spring morning scenic. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Keeneland’s family-friendly Sunrise Trackside program will be held on the three Saturdays during the live meet: April 6, 13, and 20. It’s located at the first floor grandstand area and offers a meet-and-greet with the track’s mascot, face painting games, coffee and donuts, and a chance to watch horses train on the track. An equine meet-and-greet will also be held at 8:30 a.m. ET.

On opening-day Friday, April 5, Keeneland will hold a jockey autograph signing event located in the North Terrace from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Retired and currently active jockeys will participate. Proceeds from the signing benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

And be sure to check out Keeneland’s exhibit “A Rite of Spring: The 100^th Running of the Blue Grass Stakes,” presented at the Keeneland Library east of the track. The exhibit, which opens April 1 and runs through Aug. 16, celebrates the historic race with photographs from the library’s vast collection plus memorabilia from Hall of Fame riders such as Bill Shoemaker and equipment from legendary horses such as Whirlaway and Spectacular Bid. The Keeneland Library is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.

Unparalleled Food and Drink

Keeneland is renowned among racetrack aficionados for having some of the best food offerings at all price points. As noted above, dining tickets can only be purchased in advance, but fortunately, there are many options for reserved seat and general admission attendees at stands around the facility (and whatever you do, make sure you visit the Track Kitchen for breakfast at least once during the meet).

Check out ABR’s guide to Keeneland’s food here, and be sure to try the Keeneland Spring Lager, sold in cans and on draft as part of a partnership between the track and Country Boy Brewing of Lexington. Sales for the lager will benefit Blue Grass Farms Charities.

What to Do in Lexington: A Bountiful April Calendar

Tandy Park and the Fifth Third Pavilion in Lexington. (Wikimedia Commons)

While COVID-19 cases are still occurring and suitable protection is always a good idea for those at high risk, the restrictions imposed by the 2020-22 pandemic are fading into memory, and Lexington is back in full swing. As such, there’s no shortage of food, drink, and entertainment opportunities for locals and out-of-town visitors to enjoy after the races.

The popular Central Bank Lexington Thursday Night Live weekly series of free concerts kicks off April 4, opening day eve for Keeneland. It’s an outdoor event held under the Fifth Third Pavilion in Tandy Park, located in the heart of downtown Lexington, right next to the old courthouse that has been turned into the Lexington Visitor’s Center housing the headquarters of the Breeders’ Cup, Visit Lex, and several other businesses, as well as one of renowned restauranteur Ouita Michel’s eateries, Zim’s Café. Food trucks, information tents, and an outdoor bar are all part of the experience, and the concerts usually feature some of the most popular local and regional cover bands around.

As part of the April 4 Thursday Night Live opener, representatives from Keeneland will be on hand hosting a promotion for the 100^th Blue Grass Stakes held two days later. The concert series runs all summer long and does not conclude until mid-October during Keeneland’s Fall Meet. Check out the schedule here.

Lexington’s concert calendar during the month is dominated by country music and bluegrass acts, befitting the commonwealth’s history as the home of bluegrass founder Bill Monroe and dozens of country stars through the years that found fame a few hours away on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Highlights include banjo virtuosos Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn on April 14 and contemporary Christian/country music singer Anne Wilson on April 21, both at the Lexington Opera House; Bluegrass Hall of Famer Del McCoury and his band at the Manchester Music Hall on April 24; and a two-day stint from Grammy Award-winning bluegrass master Billy Strings at Rupp Arena on April 26-27.

Lexington’s restaurant and bar scene is always changing, and right now its epicenter is squarely in the Manchester St. Distillery District just west of downtown. Last summer, a new boutique hotel, appropriately named The Manchester, opened in the district featuring the Granddam restaurant on the ground floor serving “elevated Appalachian specialties” and a swank rooftop bar, the Lost Palm, that pays homage to 1960s Miami. Initial reviews are good and this place should really hit its stride in its first full spring and summer of operation.

Last but not least, horse lovers in town for Keeneland later in April can wrap up their stay by attending the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event at the Kentucky Horse Park. The equestrian competition for dressage, stadium jumping, and cross-country will be held April 25-28. Click here for more information and tickets.