New-look Keeneland to open for Fall Meet after major construction project
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- The Fall Meet at Keeneland Race Course will feature enhancements to the Lexington track.
- This includes repositioned saddling stalls and a new East Gate entrance.
- These amenities are the result of a major construction project.
When patrons arrive at Keeneland on Friday morning for the start of this year’s Fall Meet, there will be plenty of new amenities and areas to explore.
The Lexington racetrack is set to debut a number of new features during the Fall Meet — which runs from Friday through Oct. 25 — following one of the biggest construction projects in Keeneland history.
Among these new features are a reimagined saddling paddock with centralized saddling stalls, a new jockey quarters and a new ceremonial winner’s circle for stakes races. Patrons will also be able to enter the track via a new East Gate entrance.
These enhancements at Keeneland, which opened in 1936, are the result of the initial phase of the track’s largest-ever capital project. Other elements of the project — such as ticketed dining at a newly-built Paddock Building — will be available to patrons at a later date.
In an interview with FanDuel Racing that was posted to social media, Keeneland’s Vice President of Racing, Gatewood Bell, said the dining options in the Paddock Building would be open to patrons in the spring.
The new three-level Paddock Building is the most striking feature of the construction project, as it now wraps around the previous Paddock and walking ring.
The upcoming Fall Meet will offer patrons 17 race days to check out these new features. According to a Keeneland news release, the changes were designed to provide a closer view of the action for horse racing fans while also “improving the overall flow and functionality of the race-day experience.”
“At Keeneland, we approach each project deliberately, always striving to create meaningful experiences for our fans and horsemen,” Keeneland CEO and President Shannon Arvin said in an August news release. “We are excited to welcome guests for 17 incredible days of racing and to debut the thoughtful first phase of our facility enhancements.”
What changes are coming to Keeneland for the 2025 Fall Meet?
Race-day patrons will notice several major changes when they arrive at Keeneland this month, with most of them tied to the new Paddock Building and East Gate entrance that aligns with Keeneland Boulevard.
These changes include:
- Saddling stalls that have been repositioned along the East side of the Paddock on the ground level of the new Paddock Building to provide more space for horses and their connections.
- A new jockey quarters that’s located beneath the Paddock Building with amenities such as modernized locker rooms and a fitness area.
- A new East Gate entrance and plaza that will increase pedestrian space.
- Widened patron walkways at both the East Gate and South Gate entrances.
- A dedicated winner’s circle for graded stakes races that’s located where the walking ring previously was. This replaces the use of Keeneland’s turf course for graded stakes trophy presentations. The winner’s circle also features a pair of bronze statues that previously were located on limestone piers inside Keeneland’s old East Gate entrance.
It’s the result of Keeneland’s first major construction event since the Keeneland Library was built in 2002.
When going through the construction and design process, Arvin told the Herald-Leader last year that Keeneland took inspiration from notable horse racing venues worldwide, such as Belmont Park in New York, Churchill Downs in Louisville and Ascot Racecourse in England.
Keeneland also took measures to ensure that the new features at the track would be architecturally consistent with the existing structures on its campus.
“If this project is successful, that (new) building would look like it’s always been there,” Arvin previously said.
In addition to practical benefits from these enhancements — such as giving patrons more space to maneuver around the saddling paddock — there will also be new Keeneland traditions born.
For example, jockeys will now enter the saddling paddock via a centralized location from the new Paddock Building, a route that’s designed to create a picturesque pre-race moment for fans to observe.
These changes at Keeneland arrive as the track is set to host another Fall Meet full of big-money races. The 22 stakes races held at Keeneland this month will be worth a total of $10.85 million, headlined by Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile. On opening weekend alone, Keeneland will have 11 stakes races worth a combined $6.3 million.
Headlining the racing action at Keeneland this weekend will be Thorpedo Anna, the reigning Horse of the Year and one of five runners set to contest the Grade 1, $650,000 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes on Sunday evening.
This year’s Fall Meet also marks the 40th anniversary of Keeneland’s turf course. In October 1985, Keeneland became the first Kentucky track to offer turf racing.
Timeline of events for major construction project at Keeneland
In October 2023, Keeneland announced plans for a significant expansion project that included upgrades such as the new Paddock Building. Construction on the project began in January 2024 and was noticeable for the past three race meets at the track.
Global design firm Populous has overseen the project for Keeneland, which is riding a wave of momentum after its September Yearling Sale sold nearly 3,100 horses for more than $530 million. This marked the highest gross sale ever realized at a Thoroughbred auction. Next month, Keeneland will hold its 82nd November Breeding Stock Sale and its November Horses of Racing Age Sale.
Racing and sales activities at Keeneland have continued at full capacity while construction has been ongoing. Keeneland often hosts more than 20,000 fans on race days, but the track no longer keeps a daily attendance count.
Next year, Keeneland will get the chance to show off its upgraded facilities to an even bigger audience.
The 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held at Keeneland on Oct. 30 and 31. Keeneland previously hosted the Breeders’ Cup in 2015, 2020 and 2022, although the 2020 event was staged with limited attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This story was originally published October 2, 2025 at 7:30 AM.
