Standout Moments of Keeneland Spring Meet

Opening weekend April 3-4 saw all-sources wagering of $42.1 million. Opening Saturday’s 11-race card, featuring five graded stakes, drew $25.5 million in wagering. 

Strong wagering performance highlights successful season

Other wagering high points achieved during the Spring Meet include: 

• All-sources wagering for opening Saturday, April 4, which featured five graded stakes, reached $25,530,134 to rank as the eighth highest single-day all-sources handle in track history.
• On April 4, a Pick 3 record of $599,724.64 was set in Race 9, the Resolute Racing Madison (G1). 

Spring Meet horses point to Triple Crown season

The Spring Meet featured total purses of $21.8 million including 19 stakes races worth a record $9.55 million. Anchoring opening weekend were the 102nd running of the Toyota Blue Grass (G1) and the 89th running of the Central Bank Ashland (G1), two premier spring tests for 3-year-olds on dirt. Each race offered 200 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Road to the Kentucky Oaks, respectively, with 100 qualifying points awarded to the winners toward their respective classics.

Hat Creek Racing’s Percy’s Bar made an immediate statement on opening day April 3 with a decisive 2¼-length score in the Central Bank Ashland, positioning herself second on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) leaderboard for trainer Ben Colebrook.

Further Ado delivered one of the meet’s most dominant performances, drawing off to an emphatic 11-length victory in the Toyota Blue Grass on April 4. Trained by Brad Cox and owned by Spendthrift Farm, the colt scored his first career win at Keeneland in October, trouncing the field in the 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight by an attention-grabbing 20 lengths. He exits the meet ranked second on the Kentucky Derby (G1) points leaderboard.

Additional racing highlights from the Spring Meet included: 

• Zulu Kingdom (IRE) captured the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) on April 10, earning a Keeneland Milestone Tray for co-owner Michael Dubb while also delivering a landmark 3,000th career victory for trainer Chad Brown.
• The Jenny Wiley (G1) on April 11 produced one of the meet’s most memorable finishes, as Expensive Queen (IRE) and Segesta hit the finish together in a thrilling dead heat to mark the first dead heat in a Keeneland Grade 1 race since 2014 and just the sixth dead heat in stakes company in track history.
• Whitham Thoroughbreds’ homebred Burnham Square, winner of last year’s Toyota Blue Grass on dirt, turned in a commanding performance on April 18, surging to a 9¾-length victory in the VisitLEX Elkhorn (G2) on turf.
• Midway Racing’s Trendsetter added to the  momentum with a win in the Stonestreet Lexington (G3) on April 11. He was later supplemented to the Keeneland April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale on closing day, April 24. 
• Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners each earned a Milestone Tray, with Barber’s My Boy Prince capturing the Valvoline Global Shakertown (G2) on April 4 and Eclipse Thoroughbred’s Speed Shopper taking the Bewitch (G3) Presented by Keeneland Sales April 24.

Full list of stakes winners from the Keeneland Spring Meet: 

Grade 1: Central Bank Ashland winner Percy’s Bar; Toyota Blue Grass winner Further Ado; Resolute Racing Madison winner Eclatant; Maker’s Mark Mile winner Zulu Kingdom (IRE); Jenny Wiley (G1) winners Expensive Queen (IRE) and Segesta. 

Grade 2: MiddleGround Capital Beaumont winner A Fine Chardonnay; Appalachian Presented by Japan Racing Association winner Storm’s Wake; Valvoline Global Shakertown winner My Boy Prince; Giant’s Causeway Presented by Keeneland Select winner In Our Time; Baird Doubledogdare winner Alpine Princess; VisitLEX Elkhorn winner Burnham Square.

Grade 3: UK Healthcare Transylvania winner Remember Mamba; Commonwealth winner Saudi Crown; FanDuel Limestone winner Slay the Day; Stonestreet Lexington winner Trendsetter; Ben Ali winner Stars and Stripes; Bewitch winner Speed Shopper.

Listed: Lafayette winner Trouble Calling; Palisades winner Reb Five.

Spring Meet Leaders

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., trainer Brad Cox and owner Godolphin topped their respective categories by victories.

Ortiz successfully defended his 2025 Fall Meet title, earning leading rider honors at Keeneland for the third time with 22 wins, including one four-win day and three additional days with three wins apiece. He captured three stakes: the Toyota Blue Grass (G1) on Further Ado, the Resolute Racing Madison (G1) on Eclatant; and the Baird Doubledogdare (G2) on Alpine Princess. All were trained by Brad Cox.  

Ortiz had five more wins than Flavien Prat (17) in second. They were followed by Luis Saez (15) and Ortiz’s brother Jose Ortiz (15 wins), who tied for third. 

The leading trainer title went to Cox, who recorded 17 wins from 43 starts, securing his ninth title as leading trainer. 

Wesley Ward notched his 300th Keeneland victory late on the card on closing day, April 24, when Three Chimneys Farms’ Gun Range captured the ninth race. With the milestone, Ward moves into third place all-time in Keeneland wins behind Rusty Arnold (315) and Bill Mott (314). Ward ranked second for the meet overall with 10 victories from 38 starters. 

Godolphin secured their seventh owner title, notching four wins to outpace owners. Juddmonte, 

C R K Stable, Calumet Farm, David Jacobson, Three Diamonds Farm, Novogratz Racing Stables, Baron Racing Stables, Chiefswood Stables, Flying Dutchmen, Ten Broeck Farm and Blue Bird Stables all registered two wins.