Keeneland Boosts Fall Stakes for 2024 Season
(Lexington, Kentucky)
In an exciting development for horse racing enthusiasts, Keeneland has announced significant purse increases for its 2024 fall meet stakes races. The renowned racecourse will add a total of $550,000 to the purses of four stakes events, setting a new season record of $9.6 million in stakes prize money across 22 races during the 17-day fall meet from October 4 to 26.
The most notable increase is a $300,000 boost to the Grade 3 Bryan Station Stakes, doubling the race’s value to $600,000. This event for 3-year-olds at 1 mile on the turf will now serve as a lucrative finale to the fall meet on October 26.
Additionally, the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) has received a $150,000 increase, now worth $750,000, solidifying its status as a premier invitational for 3-year-old fillies racing 1 1/8 miles on the turf on October 12. The Valley View (G2) and Perryville (G3) stakes have also been upgraded, with purse increases of $50,000 each.
“The Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana and the Bryan Station are receiving purse increases as part of Keeneland’s working relationship with Kentucky Downs, with the goal being to bolster the overall purse structure in Kentucky and specifically to strengthen the turf program for 3-year-olds.”
- Gatewood Bell, Keeneland’s vice president of racing
The Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund is contributing $1.35 million to Keeneland’s fall meet stakes purses, pending approval from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.
Looking ahead, Keeneland has also announced plans to increase the purses of the Appalachian (G2) for sophomore fillies and the Transylvania (G3) for 3-year-old males during the 2025 spring meet, further solidifying the racecourse’s commitment to providing a robust schedule of turf races for up-and-coming talent.
The Keeneland fall meet will kick off with a star-studded “Fall Stars Weekend” from October 4-5, featuring eight Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races with automatic berths to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on November 1-2 at Del Mar.
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