As Keeneland’s popular Spring Meet opens Friday, fans will notice something new in the works at the Lexington racetrack.
In January, Keeneland began construction of a three-level paddock building that will expand ticketed experiences for fans and include a reimagined saddling paddock.
Construction on the paddock building is set to be completed by the fall of 2025. The structure will offer approximately 1,400 additional tickets for fans.
The construction will alter parking operations for the Spring Meet that begins Friday with a first post of 1 p.m.
Free parking will be available in The Hill and The Meadow (Gate 1) with no reservation required. Fans who have purchased race-day tickets are able to pre-purchase a parking space in the Green Lot (Gate 2). These parking spaces are limited each day and are expected to sell out.
Here’s a glance at the meet:
Schedule: 16 days from Friday-April 26. No racing Mondays and Tuesdays.
Gates open: 11 a.m.
First race: 1 p.m. except for April 26 (12:30 p.m.).
Livestream/TV: All races can be watched for free at Keeneland.com, the Keeneland Race Day App, Keeneland Select and Keeneland’s YouTube channel. FanDuel TV will have live TV coverage.
Tickets: All general admission ($7-$15), reserved seat ($15-$25) and dining tickets ($30 and up) must be purchased in advance at tickets.Keeneland.com or on the Keeneland Race Day App.
Here’s what else to know about the Spring Meet:
Tailgating on The Hill
Tailgating on The Hill will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, weather permitting.
No ticket or reservation is required for The Hill, located adjacent to the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center and accessible via Gate 1 (at Man o’ War Boulevard) or Gate 4 (off Van Meter Road on the east side of Keeneland).
Fans on The Hill can watch the racing action via a jumbo TV and place their bets in a wagering tent while they enjoy live music presented by The Burl and food trucks. Complimentary shuttles to the track are offered.
Visit Keeneland.com/tailgating for more details.
Lower takeout on Daily Double
Keeneland is reducing the takeout on a Daily Double wager from 22% to 15%. The wager, which requires a handicapper to select the winners of two consecutive races, is offered on all but the final race each race day.
“This pricing is advantageous to our core horseplayers but also is a great opportunity for emerging bettors to try horse racing’s equivalent of a ‘two-game parlay,’” Keeneland Director of Wagering Development Jim Goodman said.
On Saturday, the all-stakes Pick 4 and all-stakes Pick 5 will conclude with the $1 million, Grade 1 Blue Grass, a key prep race for the Kentucky Derby.
Handicapping challenge April 12
Available only at the track, the Spring Handicapping Challenge on April 12 will offer one berth to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) in November at Del Mar and as many as four spots to the 2025 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) in Las Vegas
