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Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its reference library.
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. All sites have been in the United States, except in 1996, when the races were at the Woodbine Racetrack in Canada.
The Breeders' Futurity Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Currently offering a purse of $500,000, the race is open to two-year-old horses and is run at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. From 1997 to 2008, the race was sponsored by Lane's End Farm. From 2009 to 2013 it was sponsored by Dixiana Farm. It is now sponsored by Claiborne Farm.
The Alcibiades Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. A Grade I race, it is open to two-year-old fillies willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. Sponsored by Darley Racing since 2003, the Alcibiades Stakes was named for Hal Price Headley's great foundation mare Alcibiades.
The Maker's Mark Mile Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses age four years old and older over a distance of one mile on the turf held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky during the spring meeting.
A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level is then assigned to the race, based on statistical analysis of the quality of the field in previous years, provided the race meets the minimum purse criteria for the grade in question. In Canada, a similar grading system is maintained by the Jockey Club of Canada. Graded stakes races are similar to Group races in Europe but the grading is more dynamic in North America.
The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is a 1-mile (1.6 km) Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up. As its name implies, it is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the de facto year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing, and is run on a dirt course. This contrasts with the similar Breeders' Cup Mile, run on grass. All Breeders' Cups to date have been conducted in the United States, with the exception of the 1996 event in Canada.
The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes, is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and up, and contested on dirt at usually at a distance of 1+5⁄8 miles. The race has a purse of US$250,000. It is run as part of the undercard on either the Friday card or Saturday card of the Breeders' Cup.
Dallas Stewart trains a string of thoroughbred horses in Kentucky from bases at Churchill Downs, Turfway Park, Keeneland Race Course, Fair Grounds Race Course, Arlington Park and Saratoga Race Course. Before venturing out on his own, he spent 12 years working under the tutelage of leading trainer D. Wayne Lukas. There, he oversaw such horses as Lady's Secret, Thunder Gulch, Serena's Song, Timber Country, Tabasco Cat, and many other Grade I winners.
The Tokyo City Cup Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the beginning of April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade III event raced on dirt at a distance of 1+1⁄2 miles, it is open to horses aged four and older.
The Fayette Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during the fall meeting. It currently offers a purse of $350,000.
The Valedictory Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late November or early December at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Open to horses age three and older, the Grade III stakes is contested on a synthetic "all weather" dirt surface over a distance of 1+1⁄2 miles.
Opening Verse (1986–2002) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in England and the United States.
Wise Dan is a champion American Hall of Fame and Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. He is the first horse to win the same three Eclipse Awards in consecutive years, having been named American Horse of the Year, Champion Older Male and Champion Male Turf Horse in 2012 and 2013.
Palace Malice is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2013 Belmont Stakes. After winning one minor race as a two-year-old he made steady improvement in the early part of 2013, being placed in the Risen Star Stakes and Blue Grass Stakes and running prominently in the Kentucky Derby before winning the Belmont Stakes, and the 2014 Metropolitan Handicap. He went on to win the Jim Dandy Stakes and finish second against older horses in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. As a four-year-old in 2014 he won his first four races including the Gulfstream Park Handicap, New Orleans Handicap and Metropolitan Handicap. After two races in 2015, he was retired as a five-year-old and sent to stand at stud at Three Chimneys Farm.
The 2015 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 32nd edition of the thoroughbred horse racing season-ending premier event held on October 30 and 31 at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. The race series, held for the first time at Keeneland, required a significant amount of preparation to transform the small, historic track into a venue capable of handling large crowds, comprising 13 championship races held over a two-day period.
Big Blue Kitten is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who specialises in turf races. Unraced as a juvenile, he finished third on his debut in 2011 and then went on a five race winning streak, culminating in a victory in the Grade II National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes. After winning one minor race as a four-year-old he emerged as a top-class turf performer in 2013 when his wins included the United Nations Stakes and the Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes. His only win of consequence in 2014 came in the Lure Stakes but he returned to his best as a seven-year-old in 2015 winning the Fort Marcy Handicap, a second United Nations Stakes and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes. Apart from his victories he finished second in the Arlington Million and third in the Breeders' Cup Turf. His performances earned him the title of American Champion Male Turf Horse for 2015.
The 2015 Breeders' Cup Classic was the 32nd running of the Breeders' Cup Classic, part of the 2015 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships program. It was run on October 31, 2015, at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.
Afleet Again was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2011 Breeders' Cup Marathon Stakes as a 41–1 upset.
Knicks Go is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 2021 American Horse of the Year after winning five of seven starts, including the Breeders' Cup Classic, Whitney Stakes and Pegasus World Cup. The year before he won the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He is the sixth horse to win two different Breeders' Cup races.