Keeneland unveiled a fall meet schedule Thursday that will include 19 stakes races, one new sponsor and enhanced status for three graded races.
It also announced a reduction in purses for the second consecutive meet.
Keeneland's fall meet includes 17 days of racing from Oct. 9-31.
The 19 stakes races, including 16 graded stakes, are worth $5.125 million.
That represents a reduction of $275,000 in purses from last fall. In the spring, Keeneland reduced purses by $600,000 over the previous year and dropped two stakes races.
"Keeneland's stakes purses continue to rank among the highest in North America," said Rogers Beasley, Keeneland's director of racing. "The reduction in stakes purses is a result of the economic climate, which has led to declines in both live and simulcast wagering revenues."
Purses were reduced for seven fall stakes races: the Thoroughbred Club of America (by $50,000), Woodford ($25,000), Bourbon ($75,000), Perryville ($50,000), Bryan Station ($25,000), Sycamore ($25,000), and Rood and Riddle Dowager ($25,000).
Graded status was elevated for three of Keeneland's fall stakes races. The Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes and the Fayette Stakes were promoted from Grade III to Grade II. The Woodford Stakes rose from listed status to Grade III.
Keeneland will host nine Breeders' Cup Challenge races, a series of automatic qualifiers for the Breeders' Cup World Championships in November.
