Keeneland Launches Blockbuster Year with Friday, April 3 Start of Spring Meet

Keeneland kicks off a blockbuster 2026 on Friday, April 3 with the opening of the Spring Meet, 15 days of spectacular Thoroughbred racing featuring the public opening of the Paddock Building along with an offering of popular special events and exciting wagering action. The first Saturday of the meet is Toyota Blue Grass Day, an 11-race card featuring five stakes worth a combined $3.15 million and led by the 102nd running of the $1.25 million Toyota Blue Grass (G1) — which will be broadcast live on NBCSN and Peacock. The entire season will present 19 stakes worth a Spring Meet record $9.55 million.

“Keeneland is incredibly excited to kick off what is sure to be a landmark year,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “The Spring Meet is just the start of the excitement, which will carry through the Fall with more world-class racing and the return of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, framed by our banner September and November Sales that have launched so many of racing’s biggest stars.”

The Toyota Blue Grass and the 89th running of the opening-day Central Bank Ashland, the year’s first Grade 1 event for fillies, are key springtime races on the dirt for 3-year-olds. Both stakes are worth 200 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Road to the Kentucky Oaks, respectively, with the winners of each stakes earning 100 qualifying points to the respective classic.

Racing during the Spring Meet will be conducted Wednesdays through Sundays with post time for the first race at 1 p.m. each day. Keeneland will be closed for racing on Easter Sunday, April 5. Closing day, April 24, will feature 10 races followed by the April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale, scheduled to begin at approximately 6:30 p.m.