The Spring Meet at Keeneland is back. Here’s what you need to know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The 2026 Spring Meet at Keeneland will run from April 3 until April 24.
- The Spring Meet is highlighted by the Grade 1, $1.25 million Toyota Blue Grass.
- Keeneland’s new Paddock Building will be open to the public during the Spring Meet.
Racing returns this week to Keeneland, and there are plenty of changes at the Lexington track.
The 15-day Keeneland Spring Meet begins Friday and runs through April 24.
Per usual, there’s big money on offer during the Spring Meet: A total of 19 stakes races are scheduled for the meet, and they’re worth a meet record $9.55 million.
Off the track, Keeneland’s new Paddock Building is open to the public for the Spring Meet. This is the first race meet in which tickets will be sold for the Paddock Building, which features new dining rooms, including a rooftop dining space and bar.
Ahead of the action returning to Keeneland on Friday, here’s what you need to know to get ready for this year’s Spring Meet.
Keeneland’s Spring Meet to feature prep races for Derby, Oaks
Headlining the on-track action during the Spring Meet will be Saturday’s 11-race card. This includes five stakes races worth a combined $3.15 million.
The most notable race Saturday — and of the Spring Meet overall — is the 102nd edition of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Toyota Blue Grass, a key qualifying race ahead of the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby in May. The Blue Grass will be broadcast live on NBCSN and Peacock.
The Blue Grass provides 200 qualifying points toward the Derby, awarded on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale to the top five finishers.
Further Ado is the favorite for this year’s Blue Grass. The Brad Cox trainee was given 8-5 odds on the morning line and previously scored his first career win at Keeneland in October. Since that triumph, Further Ado has won the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs and run second in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby.
Currently, Further Ado has 35 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby. That puts him on the cusp of making the Derby starting gate.
The second choice on the morning line for the Blue Grass is Reagan’s Honor, listed at 5-2 odds for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Reagan’s Honor has won his past two races at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
Class President — who is 10th on the Derby qualifying points leaderboard — is also in the Blue Grass field. The Todd Pletcher trainee has morning-line odds of 3-1.
Nine horses are entered in the Blue Grass. Post time for the race is 6:22 p.m. Saturday.
In addition to the Blue Grass, four other stakes races will be run Saturday. They are the Grade 1, $650,000 Resolute Racing Madison for fillies and mares, the Grade 2, $500,000 Appalachian presented by Japan Racing Association for 3-year-old fillies, the Grade 2, $400,000 Valvoline Global Shakertown and the Grade 3, $350,000 Commonwealth.
Friday’s opening-day card will feature the 89th running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Central Bank Ashland, which is a top qualifying race for fillies ahead of next month’s Grade 1, $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks. The Ashland offers qualifying points toward the Oaks on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale to the top five finishers.
The Ashland features a field of seven 3-year-old fillies led by Zany, who is undefeated in three career starts. Zany is trained by Todd Pletcher, who has won the Ashland three times in the past six years with Malathaat (2021), Nest (2022) and Leslie’s Rose (2024).
Post time for the Ashland is 5:16 p.m. Friday.
The Ashland is one of four stakes races that will be run Friday. The other stakes races to be contested on the opening day of the Spring Meet are the Grade 2, $400,000 MiddleGround Capital Beaumont for fillies, the Grade 3, $600,000 UK HealthCare Transylvania and the Listed, $400,000 Lafayette.
In total, this year’s Spring Meet will feature five Grade 1 stakes. Three of them will be run during opening weekend: The Ashland, the Blue Grass and the Madison. On April 10, Keeneland will host the Grade 1, $650,000 Maker’s Mark Mile. On April 11, the Grade 1, $650,000 Jenny Wiley will be contested.
Keeneland will also host the Grade 3, $400,000 Stonestreet Lexington on April 11. That’s the final qualifying race for the Kentucky Derby.
Racing will be held Wednesday through Sunday during the Spring Meet. Post time for the first race each day will be 1 p.m. There will be no racing at Keeneland on Easter Sunday.
Tickets for the Spring Meet can be purchased at tickets.keeneland.com.
New Paddock Building at Keeneland now open to public
A new addition to the Keeneland campus is making its public debut this week.
Starting Friday, Keeneland’s new Paddock Building will be open for business. The venue will allow for more than 1,000 dining tickets, but not seats, each race day. Several distinct hospitality options are available in the Paddock Building, which is located between the saddling paddock and the sales pavilion.
The Paddock Building — which offers views of the horses in the saddling paddock, but not direct views of the races — was part of a $93 million expansion project at Keeneland that began in 2024. This is the largest capital project undertaken since Keeneland opened in 1936.
While the exterior of the Paddock Building was completed ahead of the 2025 Fall Meet, the interior of the building wasn’t opened to the public.
The 2025 Fall Meet featured several notable changes to Keeneland’s layout, which remain in place for this year’s Spring Meet. These include centrally-located saddling stalls on the East side of the saddling paddock, a new jockeys quarters beneath the Paddock Building and a new stakes winner’s circle in the area that previously housed the walking ring.
Keeneland plans to use the Paddock Building year-round, including use during sales and private events.
