Keeneland’s second race meet in 2020 gets underway Friday at the historic Lexington horse track. The first meet took place in the non-traditional July timeframe after spring racing was canceled due to coronavirus.
Keeneland Chief Marketing Officer Christa Marillia says October racing leads right up to the world championships among Thoroughbreds. “A number of these races are Breeders’ Cup win and you’re in challenge races. So, the winners of these races will go on to compete in the Breeders’ Cup, which is also taking place at Keeneland here in just a few weeks,” said Marillia.
The Breeders’ Cup is set to run over two days November sixth and seventh.
Although the number of spectators will be very limited in October at Keeneland and for the Breeders’ Cup, Marillia said horse racing has been a sport able to continue during the pandemic. And the Keeneland spokeswoman noted the industry depends on racing continuity. Marillia said a very limited number of sponsors, club members, and box holders will be in attendance. “We can’t responsibly open the flood gates and so this was a small finite group that we could scale and hopefully continue to scale for our spring meeting,” explained Marillia.
Marillia said Keeneland is offering suggestions for businesses like restaurants, bars, and hotels for socially responsible watch parties.
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