Keeneland president Nick Nicholson
Fan-friendly Keeneland opens spring meet today
Group named it No. 1 racetrack
By Jennie Rees
jrees@courier-journal.com
Keeneland has a powerful endorsement as its spring meet begins today: It was voted the country's No. 1 racetrack by the Horseplayers Association of North America.
The fan-advocacy group's computerized track-rating system that factors in takeout, average field size, affordability of wagers and customer-friendly innovation and use of technology.
"More than any other track in North America, they made the effort to deliver what the player wants," HANA president Jeff Platt said in a news release announcing the inaugural rankings earlier this year.
Keeneland president Nick Nicholson said he was particularly excited about the objectivity of the ranking system.
"It's quite an honor," he said. "We've thrown a lot at horseplayers the last few years, like the new (synthetic) track. Keeneland used to have six-, seven-horse races. Now we have the largest field size of major tracks in North America. We were virtually tied with Evangeline Downs last year for the largest field size."
Keeneland averaged 10.12 horses per race last fall and 9.01 last spring, according the track's Web site. Evangeline Downs' Web site said the track averaged 10.19 horses for its 2008 meet, which runs most of the spring and all summer.
Keeneland has raised general admission from $3 to $5 this meet. But the track also is offering a season pass for the first time. Cost: $10.
Keeneland now has agreements that allow the four major account-wagering companies show its races live on the Internet, though TVG has exclusive rights for live television.
The economy has created challenging conditions for any racetrack. Keeneland had near-record attendance last fall, but on-track betting dropped almost 8 percent, with all-sources betting down 17 percent.
"These are uncertain times, so what we've tried to do is concentrate on what we can do something about," Nicholson said. " … I just met with some of our new staff. I told them, this has been such a long winter and I'm sick of bad news, and everybody else is sick of bad news, that I'm ready to have some fun. I hope everybody else is, too."
Average daily purses have dipped from $636,000 a day to $600,000 -- still among the highest in the country. The cuts were made by trimming some stakes purses.
Tomorrow's Grade I Ashland Stakes was reduced from $500,000 to $400,000, and the steeplechase stakes was canceled. Many allowance races will continue to have stakes-caliber fields.
With the addition of slot machines at Indiana Downs, Keeneland has added competition this spring for the cheaper horses necessary to fill out cards. For instance, today's card has a six-horse field for $25,000 claimers.
Today's feature is the Grade III Transylvania for 3-year-olds on grass; Darley Stable has the two favorites, Stormalory (2-1) and Florentino (3-1).
Stardom Bound, the 2-year-old filly champion who has won five straight Grade I stakes, headlines the Ashland as the 6-5 morning-line favorite.
The field of nine includes the top four finishers of the Santa Anita Oaks, which Third Dawn lost by a nose, Hooh Why by a head and Nan by a half-length to Stardom Bound.
Also entered is Dream Empress, winner of Keeneland's Alcibiades last fall and second to Stardom Bound in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. What A Pear brings her 4-for-4 mark into the 11/16-mile race, a major Kentucky Oaks prep.
The $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass on April 11 has an interesting cast with Charitable Man, Hold Me Back, Terrain, General Quarters, Patena, Cliffy's Future, Mafaaz and maybe Take the Points.
Comments and faves
Spiritwoman1 (20 months ago | reply)
Went to the Horse Park today, wow!