Thoroughbred racing in Kentucky continues to hum along at peak levels in 2025, and with the start of fall, all eyes in the commonwealth turn to Lexington, where Keeneland Race Course begins its month-long meet.  

The meet kicks off at its apex, with a three-day Fall Stars weekend Oct. 3-5 featuring 11 stakes races, eight of which are “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series qualifiers for specific Breeders’ Cup races Oct.31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

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

Ticketing Information, and a New and Improved Paddock

Enjoying the heart of horse country. (Penelope P. Miller/America's Best Racing)

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. As of Sept. 28, general admission tickets were still available for all days save Oct. 3, 11, 18, and 25 (the four Saturdays of the meet). 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 Fall Meet and can be purchased online through Oct. 2. Check ticket availability here.

Progress has been made on a large reconstruction project involving the paddock area at Keeneland and several surrounding buildings. The paddock itself is new and improved for the fall 2025 meet, with saddling stalls repositioned from the north end of the paddock to the east side, with more space between each individual stall. Sight lines for fans will be much improved and the expansion will also enhance safety, according to a Keeneland press release. (Construction/renovation continues on what will be a new paddock building along the east side of the track, which will, once completed, add more seating and dining options for fans. Keeneland is set to host the 43^rd Breeders’ Cup World Championships a little over a year from now.)

This fall meet, all paved parking rows will be for permit parking and free handicap parking only. No reservation is required for handicap parking. Passes to the first-come, first-serve Green Lot east of the track parking must be purchased in advance: buy them here. Free public parking is still available every day at “The Hill” and “The Meadow” lots east of the racetrack (see below), and shuttle service is, as always, provided, with a shuttle depot area plus a ride-share drop-off and pick-up conveniently located just east of the sales pavilion not far from the South gate to the racetrack. 

Climb The Hill, or Frolic in The Meadow

Tailgating is allowed up on “The Hill,” ground zero for prerace fun and camaraderie. Jumbo TVs and betting kiosks are available for watching and wagering on the races, and food trucks and live music from The Burl venue Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays will also be featured as part of the overall experience. Premium tailgating packages are also offered – click here for details.

Just west of “The Hill” lies “The Meadow,” another free parking spot a smidge closer to the track. Tailgating is also permitted in this area, and both “The Hill” and “The Meadow” are accessible through Gate 1 at the intersection of U.S. 60 (Versailles Rd.) and Man o’ War Blvd.

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. 

This fall, Keeneland unveils a new attractive betting option for on-track fans that are just getting involved in watching and wagering on horse racing (there are plenty of those at Keeneland every meet). The track will offer a Show Bet Bonus for those attending the races where the takeout rate on show bets (betting a horse to finish third) is lowered to 10 percent vs. 16 percent off-track, thereby returning more winnings to the bettor.

Two handicapping contests are on Keeneland’s Fall schedule: a $400 Fall Challenge, an on-track only contest held Friday, Oct. 10, that offers one berth to the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and as many as four berths to the 2026 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC); and then a Keeneland BCBC-NHC Fall Handicapping Challenge held Oct. 11, where entrants wager either on-site at Keeneland or through the following ADW companies: XpressBet, NYRA Bets, 4NJ Bets, TVG, TwinSpires, and HPI. Based on the number of entries, as many as six BCBC and as many as 10 NHC berths could be up for grabs.

In addition to the above big-player matches, Keeneland offers a WINS-Day Challenge Presented by Malone’s handicapping contest each Wednesday of the meet, Oct. 8, 15, and 22. The entry fee is only $10 and is therefore appealing to those just getting into handicapping, and the contest requires contestants to place a mythical $2 win and place wager on a horse in each of Keeneland’s final six races. The first 200 participants will receive a free Daily Racing Form and an appetizer card from Malone’s, the popular Lexington-based steakhouse chain.

Special Events for One and All

All ages enjoy the Keeneland experience. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Keeneland’s family-friendly Sunrise Trackside program will be held on the four Saturdays during the live meet: Oct. 4, 11, 18, and 25. It’s located at the first floor grandstand area and offers a meet-and-greet with “Buckles,” the track’s mascot, face painting games, 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 in the new Stakes Winner’s Circle (formerly the walking paddock).

Thursday, Oct. 9 is Keeneland’s 18^th Make-a-Wish Day. Local Thoroughbred farms and organizations team up with the track to grant wishes for 10 children along with their families, including awarding VIP trophies and meeting jockeys. It’s a special day for everyone involved, and it can lead to incredibly uplifting stories that reach far beyond the world of racing – such as back in 2018, when Cody Dorman met and bonded with a racehorse eventually named Cody’s Wish, the 2023 Horse of the Year.

On Saturday, Oct. 11, Keeneland will host a jockey autograph signing at the North Terrace from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. featuring members of Keeneland’s world-class jockey colony as well as some retirees, including Hall of Fame members. Proceeds benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF).

Keeneland will also host a College Scholarship Day (Friday, Oct. 10, presented by Lane’s End), a Heroes Day honoring members of the military, first responders, and health care workers (Sunday, Oct. 19), and a Teacher Appreciation Day (Saturday, Oct. 25). And the track will go all out in rousing the spirit of University of Kentucky fans on Friday, Oct. 17, when Big Blue Day is held featuring a pep rally and several UK legends. One of the most cherished Keeneland fall traditions involves doubling up on Saturday horse racing and a home UK football game, and fans should have two opportunities during the meet, on Oct. 18 and Oct. 25, when Texas and longtime rival Tennessee visit (kickoff times for those games TBD).

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 Fall Ale, sold in cans and on draft as part of a partnership between the track and Country Boy Brewing of Lexington. Sales for the ale will benefit Blue Grass Farms Charities.

What to Do in Lexington: Fall Festivities Aplenty

Downtown Lexington. (W. Lemay/Wikimedia Commons)

Lexington’s popular and free Central Bank Lexington Thursday Night Live downtown concert series, which starts during Keeneland’s spring meet, will wind down its weekly run soon, with the last event set for Oct. 16. But the Horse Capital of the World will still be buzzing all month long … and on any day where the weather cooperates, it’s a good bet that both locals and visitors to Lexington will gather at the new Gatton Park on the Town Branch, which opened just a few weeks ago in late August.

The new park, just west of the renovated and revitalized Lexington Center and Rupp Arena, covers 12 acres encompassing part of the Town Branch creek, Lexington’s original water source. The state-of-the-art park features, among other amenities, a concert stage and Great Lawn outdoor amphitheater with space for 4,500 attendees, a recreation lawn, dog park, adventure playground and water play area for kids, and the Bassett Path of Service walking area named in honor of former Keeneland President and Chairman James E. “Ted” Bassett III, who died last January at age 103.

Music-wise, both The Burl and Manchester Music Hall have with full concert calendars in October. Both venues are located in in the hip Manchester St. Distillery District just west of downtown. Highlights include country/R&B brother duo The Kentucky Gentlemen (Oct. 7) and country singer-songwriter Cole Chaney (Oct. 17), both at The Burl.

Over at the Lexington Opera House downtown, comedy and spoken word shows blanket the month, including an appearance by America’s Best Racing's “A Stake in Stardom” participant Heather McMahan on Friday, Oct. 24. Comedy is also on the calendar at Rupp Arena during the month, highlighted by a Thursday, Oct. 16, concert from hugely popular Adam Sandler (with acoustic guitar, no doubt) on his “You’re My Best Friend” tour. And on Keeneland’s opening day, Friday, Oct. 3, Rupp hosts country music superstar Eric Church on his “Free the Machine” tour, with Marcus King Band opening.

Lexington’s restaurant and bar scene is booming, and spots such as the Granddam restaurant and Lost Palm rooftop bar at The Manchester hotel continue to thrive a couple of years after opening. A personal recommendation is Burl Brew, which opened adjacent to the aforementioned The Burl music venue a while back and features a variety of beer, plenty of TVs, and food available from local-owned Lucy’s Kitchen. Across town, another happening district off of Winchester Rd. is where you’ll find Mirror Twin Brewing on National Ave. Mirror Twin is a standout in the local brewery scene, with a diverse list of hops and two spacious taprooms plus a patio. What’s more, the Rolling Oven Pizzeria is located inside Mirror Twin, offering delicious wood-fired pies to accompany the beer quaffing. Try the pepperoni.

Last but certainly not least, horse lovers from around the country will be at the Kentucky Horse Park from Oct. 8-11 for the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium. The Makeover, first held in 2013 and moved to the Horse Park just north of Lexington in 2015, is the world’s largest retraining competition for recently retired racehorses, offering 10 competitive disciplines including Barrel Racing, Field Hunter, and Dressage. Check out recent stories from trainers and OTTBs (off-the-track Thoroughbreds) targeting the 2025 makeover on ABR’s Aftercare site.