The racing spotlight will soon shine on Keeneland, where many of the world’s finest horses and jockeys will display their talent from Oct. 2-24 as part of a boutique meet highlighted by 22 stakes races worth $10.7 million.
The upcoming weekend in horse racing is easily one of the three or four most active each year, covering a slew of marquee stakes races here in North America and internationally. That’s especially so in 2026, as the postponement of last weekend’s racing at the new Belmont Park due to weather has added even more big-ticket contests to the early-October stakes calendar.
For more than half a century, the University of Arizona’s Global Symposium on Racing has operated on a relatively simple premise: Horse racing works better when the people shaping its future talk to one another.
That may sound obvious. In practice though, it’s not always easy in an industry with as many moving parts and micro-economies as Thoroughbred racing.
One of the most important questions for racing to answer as it looks toward the future is how to get the younger generation interested and involved in the sport. While many different ideas and theories are coming out of that question, the good news is that racing's youngest fanbase carries a lot of excitement to be part of it.
Thoroughbred racing is nearing its peak fall season, as Belmont Park re-opened with a new facility last weekend, Santa Anita Park starts its fall meet on Friday, Sept. 25, and Keeneland Race Course begins its Fall Stars meet one week later.
