Keeneland attendance off slightly for spring meet

Keeneland Race Course realized total attendance of 240,755 -- the

third-highest in track history -- for its 2009 spring meet, which concluded

Friday. Total attendance for the 15-day meet was off just 1.1 percent from last

year's total of 243,606 for the 16-day meeting. The Keeneland record of 244,145

was set during the 2006 spring meet. Average daily attendance of 16,050 was the

second-highest in Keeneland history, up 5.4 percent from the 15,225 recorded

during the 2008 spring meet. This year's average was just slightly below the

2006 spring record of 16,276.

A crowd of 33,680 -- the second-largest in Keeneland history -- turned out

April 18 Lexington Stakes Day. It was one of two days during the meeting that

Keeneland topped the 30,000-person threshold, the other being April 4, when

30,550 attended.

"We are very gratified by the great turnout from our fans," Keeneland

President and CEO Nick Nicholson said. "Three of the past four spring meets have

been the best in Keeneland history, so this is a trend and not an aberration Our

fan base is growing, and we are seeing great loyalty from our new fans. We

appreciate their enthusiastic support."

Though final handle figures are not yet confirmed, total all-sources wagering

(on-track and off-track wagering) on this year's 15-day spring meeting will

exceed $117 million compared to $145 million wagered on last year's 16-day

spring meeting.

On-track wagering on live racing totaled $19,243,914 compared to $21,329,702

for the 2008 spring meet. Average daily on-track wagering was $1,282,928, down

slightly from last year's $1,333,106.

"Keeneland in the spring is so competitive because it brings together the

best in the country," said Rogers Beasley, Keeneland's director of racing. "The

top trainers and jockeys converge here; many of them don't get a chance to race

against each other any other time. We've had a very safe meet, filled with some

spectacular racing." 

Jockey Julien Leparoux outdistanced his peers in the race for leading rider,

capturing his fourth Keeneland title (2006 spring [tie] and fall, 2007 spring).

His 27 meet wins included victories in four stakes -- the opening-day

Transylvania S. (G3) with Stormalory (Storm Cat); the Beaumont S. (G2) with War

Kill (War Chant); the Jenny Wiley S. (G2) with champion Forever Together (Belong

to Me); and the Bewitch S. (G3) with Winter View (Thunder Gulch).

Bill Mott earned his fifth leading trainer title with seven wins and

victories in the Transylvania, Maker's Mark Mile (G1) with Mr. Sidney (Storm

Cat) and Doubledogdare S. (G3) with Indescribable (Pleasant Tap). He previously

won leading trainer honors at Keeneland in the spring of 1995 and 2001, and in

the fall 1986 and 2007.

George Strawbridge's Augustin Stable clinched the leading owner title with

Winter View's victory in the Bewitch. It is the third spring meet title for

Augustin (2001 and 2005 [tie]), which also won the Madison S. (G1) with Informed

Decision (A.P. Indy) in addition to the Jenny Wiley.