Keeneland Closes Fall Meet With Record Attendance

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Keeneland closed its 2016 Fall Meet, which celebrated the 80^th anniversary of racing at the world-famous track, on Saturday with record total on-track attendance of 276,543 and substantial gains in on-track and all-sources wagering.

This year’s attendance was up nearly 15% from last year’s Fall Meet number of 240,709, and beat out the previous record of 266,466 set during the Fall Meet of 2013.

“The Fall Meet was simply spectacular,” Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said. “The world-class racing, idyllic weather and colorful fall landscape, wonderful food and fun-filled special events all combined to make this a very special race meet. I often saw fans linger until well after the last race to savor every minute of an afternoon spent in this extraordinary setting.”

Wagering was also up at the track, with total on-track wagering at $17,793,419, outpacing last fall’s $15,813,986 by 12.5 percent. Average daily on-track handle rose 12.5 percent from $930,234 to $1,046,672.

All-sources wagering on the Fall Meet, including wagering at Keeneland on simulcast signals, totaled $136,024,267, up 11 percent when compared to last fall’s $122,469,056. Average daily all-sources handle of $8,001,427 also increased 11 percent versus $7,204,062 in the fall of 2015.

Officials at the track credit the quality of racing, which featured nine graded stakes just during the opening weekend, and a meet-long showcase of the sport’s most talented human and equine athletes, and stables.

“We enjoyed championship-caliber racing throughout the Fall Meet, and we thank our horsemen for their strong support of Keeneland,” Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. “The quality and size of our race fields made Keeneland a popular racing product and drove increases in handle both at the track and nationwide.”