One year ago, the kickoff to Keeneland Race Course’s highly-anticipated Spring meet was delayed by two days due to torrential rain and flooding throughout Kentucky. Instead of its traditional Friday-Saturday-Sunday opening weekend, the track held its first day of racing on a Sunday, with the signature Toyota Blue Grass Stakes held on a Tuesday.

A year has passed, and thankfully that bizarro-world scenario won’t be repeated. Although there are showers in the forecast this week in Lexington, nothing comparable with 2025 is expected. Rain or shine, Keeneland is set to start its Spring meet with an opening weekend featuring the usual jam-packed slate of stakes races but also an extra dose of fanfare as the picturesque track unveils a renovation costing nearly $100 million.

Keeneland will host live racing from April 3-24, with racecards held Wednesdays through Sundays except for Easter Sunday, April 5. Nineteen stakes races are on tap, topped by the 102^nd running of the $1.25 million, Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes April 4, 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. 

Ticket Information and a State-of-the-Art Upgrade

The new Paddock Building at Keeneland (Keeneland photo)

Keeneland’s multi-year renovation project is complete, and the track will open a new Paddock Building this spring with several dining and social areas for patrons. The building, which also houses Keeneland’s jockeys’ quarters underneath, combines historical architectural elements with modern amenities including a rooftop bar. Five distinct areas are available for ticketed seating – explore them here.

Continuing a policy started in spring 2021, Keeneland grandstand admission and dining tickets (including in the new Paddock Building) must be purchased in advance via the online ticket office or through the Keeneland RaceDay app. The track offers a 48-hour in advance cancel and refund policy. General admission tickets must also be purchased in advance, and as of this writing they are available for all days except for the three Saturdays during the meet, which are sold out. Patrons can sign up for a waiting list to take advantage of cancellations if their 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.

Parking is free at Keeneland on The Hill and The Meadow, both east of the track. Parking passes are required for the Green Lot paved parking rows closer to the track – buy them here. Accessible parking is available in Rows 21-25 with complimentary golf shuttles to the track. Shuttle and ride share drop-offs are located next to the accessible parking area.

Climb The Hill

Chilling on The Hill. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Tailgating is allowed in several areas throughout Keeneland, and ground zero for pre-race fun and camaraderie is up on The Hill, a designated spot open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during the meet. Jumbo TVs and betting kiosks are available for watching and wagering on the races, with food trucks and live music from The Burl venue also featured as part of the overall experience. Keeneland’s premium tailgating package offers a VIP experience (couches under a covered tent, catered lunch, and more) partnered with premium tailgating service Revelxp. 

Betting Options Aplenty

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. Advance-deposit wagering is offered through the Keeneland Select site and app, which is advertising a special new customer bonus between March 30-April 24. Enrollees that wager $200 during the spring meet will receive $100 deposited in their accounts, on top of the regular $100 rebate after $300 is wagered via the account on any track.

Keeneland has made several adjustments to its wagering menu, including increasing the minimum superfecta bet from 10 cents to 50 cents and boosting the late Pick 3 minimum to $3. Read more about the changes in our comprehensive betting guide to Keeneland’s spring meet.    

Each Wednesday (April 8, 15, and 22), Keeneland offers a WINS-Day Challenge Presented by Malone’s, the popular Lexington steakhouse. With a $10 entry fee, players make mythical $2 win and place wagers on each of the last six races of the day. Prizes include a percentage of the betting pool and Malone’s gift cards.

Two larger handicapping contests are also on the schedule: the $400 Spring Challenge on Friday, April 10 (register here) offering a berth to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and as many as four berths to the 2027 National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas; and the Grade One Gamble on Saturday, April 11, which offers a first-place prize estimated at $70,000, as many as six berths to the BCBC, and as many as 10 berths to the 2027 NHC (register here).

Special Events for One and All

New fans created. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Keeneland’s family-friendly Sunrise Trackside program will be held on the three Saturdays during the live meet: April 4, 11, and 18. 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, and on April 4, a special Easter Trackside will include a visit from the Easter Bunny. Another popular family-oriented event is Kids Club Family Day Presented by Golisano Children’s at UK scheduled for Sunday, April 19. It’s open to Keeneland Kids Club members (ages 12 and under). Members get free admission and can participate in activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Keeneland will also hold a College Scholarship Day Presented by Lane’s End on Friday, April 10, offering the chance to win two $10,000 scholarships to coeds (must be present to win). Students can also register to win one of 10 $2,000 scholarships and do not have to be present for those awards. And Keeneland’s popular Heroes Day on Sunday, April 12 offers up to four complimentary admission tickets to members of the military (active duty and veterans), first responders, healthcare workers and their families.

On Saturday, April 18, Keeneland will host a jockey autograph signing at the North Terrace from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fans will meet active and retired Keeneland jockeys and can buy items to be autographed or present their own with a donation to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). Also that day, Keeneland hosts its eighth annual telethon fundraiser for PDJF with a call center located at the Sales Pavilion.

Great 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. 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)

Visitors to Lexington this spring have no shortage of entertainment options. Lexington celebrated its 250^th anniversary in 2025, and late last summer city and business leaders unveiled a new Gatton Park on the Town Branch. The park, downtown just west of Rupp Arena, figures to be very popular during its first spring season of operation, featuring a concert stage, art installations, a dog park, and playgrounds for kids.

Lexington’s popular Central Bank Thursday Night Live weekly series of free concerts kicks off April 2, the day before Keeneland’s opener. It’s an outdoor event held under the Fifth Third Pavilion in Tandy Park, located in the heart of downtown, 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. 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. The concert series runs all summer long and does not conclude until October during Keeneland’s Fall Meet. Check out the schedule here.

Lexington’s live performance calendar during the month is very active. Popular venue The Burl in Lexington’s hip Manchester Street Distillery District has an April calendar filled with plenty of rock and country acts, including Dogpark (indie rock) April 15, Penelope Road (soul-funk) April 22, and two shows from alt-country band 49 Winchester April 24-25, both outdoors. Country music takes the stage right down the street at Manchester Music Hall, with shows from Warren Zeider (April 9) and Walker Montgomery (April 11), followed later in the month by rock courtesy of Clutch (April 15) and Sevendust (April 21).

The biggest concert draw of the month, however, is at the aforementioned Gatton Park on April 19, as two iconic artists – Kentucky’s own Dwight Yoakam and Texas boogie masters ZZ Top – will perform an outdoor evening show on their Dos Amigos Tour. Check ticket availability here.

Lexington’s restaurant and bar scene continues to thrive. A new branch of Mirror Twin Brewing (mentioned in an earlier Keeneland guide) opened for south Lexington folks March 28 – it’s on Harrodsburg Road about 10 miles from the racetrack. Coles on Main is a prime post-race gathering spot with great food and drinks, a relaxing indoor atmosphere and patio seating for good weather. And those attending the races on weekdays can’t go wrong stopping by Dad’s Favorites on Lane Allen Road for one of their many signature sandwiches before heading to the track. The family enterprise (open for lunch and during the week only) launched in 2008, and it is consistently one of the highest-rated eateries in the city, for good reason.

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 23-26. Click here for more information and tickets.