LEXINGTON, Ky. ⁠— After receiving approval from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Race Dates Comittee, Keeneland will have a spectator-free Summer Meet Wednesday, July 8 through Sunday, July 12. 

What You Need To Know


  • Keeneland will host a Summer Meet in July

  • The meet will be five days long and spectator-free

  • The race track previously canceled its Spring Meet

“Keeneland appreciates the quick response of the Commission to our request, and we applaud all their work on behalf of Kentucky racing during these unprecedented times,” Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said. “We also thank Ellis Park for their cooperation in this process and for making these non-traditional dates available to Keeneland. We look forward to sharing more details about the Summer Meet in the coming weeks.”

“We are all in this together, and Ellis Park is pleased to work with Keeneland on a plan that benefits our horsemen and Kentucky racing,” said Ellis Park General Manager Jeffrey Inman. 

Keeneland will host 9 to 10 races each day of the meet and feature 10 graded stakes traditionally run during the track’s Spring Meet, anchored by the $600,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2) and $400,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1), preps for the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1), respectively.

This announcement comes after Keeneland canceled its Spring Meet for the first time since 1941, causing the track to lose $100 million. The track opened back up May 11 after closing due to COVID-19. 

Horse Racing in Kentucky