Keeneland sets attendance records

All-time total and average daily attendance records were set during

Keeneland's 2006 spring meet, which ended Friday.

Attendance for the 15-day meet totaled 244,145, surpassing the previous

record of 235,220 set during last year's 16-day spring meet. The average daily

attendance came to 16,276, while the previous record average of 15,522 came

during the 2004 15-day spring meet.

The total attendance included a single-day attendance record for a Friday of

23,882 set on April 14. The previous single-day Friday attendance record came on

April 9, 2004. Only twice during this meet did attendance fall below

10,000.

The final day of the meet decided top trainer and jockey honors.

Nick Zito captured his fifth Keeneland training title with 12 wins.

Among those were victories in the Commonwealth Breeders' Cup S. (G2), courtesy

of Sun King (Charismatic), and the Ben Ali S. (G3), won by Wanderin Boy (Seeking

the Gold) on the penultimate day of the meet. Todd Pletcher was second in the

trainers' race with 11 wins.

Apprentice Julien Leparoux and Rafael Bejarano tied for leading jockey honors

with 17 wins apiece. In the process, Leparoux became the first apprentice jockey

to win a riding title at Keeneland. Earlie Fires, who won the Keeneland

riding title in 1966, began the meet as an apprentice but had lost that status

before it ended. Bejarano adds this title to ones from the 2004 and 2005

Keeneland fall meets. Shaun Bridgmohan came in second by riding 15 winners.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey were honored as the meet's leading owners with six wins,

while Overbrook Farm was second with five victories.