Milestones 2019 Keeneland Media Guide | Introduction 2019 Keeneland April 25: Keeneland Holds Its First Auction of Thoroughbreds in the Paddock
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Milestones INTRODUCTION –––––––––––– 1933-34 –––––––––––– allowance race for 2-year-old fillies going $802.74. The $3,500 sale topper, purchased The Kentucky Association track – the six furlongs. Finishing sixth is Wise Dart, by E.E. Woodward, is Marmitina, a mare oldest race track in North America – holds trained by Racing Hall of Famer Woody by Light Brigade with a suckling colt by its final season of racing in the spring Stephens. … In the fifth race, Racing Hall of *Cohort at her side. of 1933, leaving Lexington without a Famer Myrtlewood wins the inaugural Keen Thoroughbred race track for the first time in Handicap, first of four stakes of the season. April 28: Bull Lea, who will become a 107 years. Members of the Central Kentucky … Attendance is about 8,000 people, who foundation sire for Calumet Farm, wins the Thoroughbred industry and others, led by wager $74,639. second Blue Grass at Keeneland. Hal Price Headley and Maj. Louie A. Beard, begin meeting in 1934 with the goal of Oct. 17: Racing Hall of Famer Eddie Arcaro Oct. 22: Racing Hall of Famer Johnstown bringing racing back to Lexington. rides for the only time during the inaugural wins the first Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland season, finishing eighth aboard Greedy in and the next year wins the Kentucky Derby. This is the impetus for the Keeneland the fourth race. … Myrtlewood wins the (The Breeders’ Futurity was inaugurated at Association, which is founded during the Ashland by 12 lengths. the Kentucky Association track in 1910.) dark years of the Great Depression to “create a model race track to perpetuate and Oct. 21: Memory Book wins the Breeders’ ––––––––––––– 1939 ––––––––––––– improve the sport and to provide a course Stakes. The $5,000-added race is the richest April 1: A new 32-stall barn increases the that is intended to serve as a symbol of the event of the season. track’s capacity to approximately 530 stalls. fine traditions of Thoroughbred racing.” Oct. 24: On closing day, White Tie wins the Oct. 10: Racing Hall of Famer Challedon ––––––––––––––1935 ––––––––––––– Lexington Stakes three days after winning a wins the Trantor in his lone Keeneland April 17: Articles of incorporation are filed Keeneland allowance race. … In the next appearance and sets the 1 3/16-mile world for the Keeneland Association. … Hal Price race, Myrtlewood defeats Miss Merriment in record of 1:54 3/5. Headley is elected President. Other officers a match race in the final race of her career. are Jack Young, First Vice President; A.B. … For the season, total attendance is 25,337 Keeneland Association Director W. Arnold Gay, Second Vice President; Brownell and total handle is $534,497. Hanger donates a 2,300-volume Library of Combs, Secretary; and W.H. Courtney, rare books on Thoroughbreds to establish Treasurer. Headley will serve as Keeneland Dec. 31: Keeneland’s financial statement for the Keeneland Library. Amelia King Buckley Association President from 1935-1951. the year reveals a net loss of $3.47. is Keeneland’s first librarian. Aug. 29: Keeneland Association purchases ––––––––––––– 1940 ––––––––––––– 147 1/2 acres of Keeneland Stud, Fayette March 12: Louis Lee Haggin II is elected County sportsman John Oliver “Jack” Keeneland Race Course President, a position Keene’s property on Versailles Pike, for he holds until 1956. $130,000 in cash and $10,000 in preferred stock at par value. Property includes a April 11: Opening day of the Spring Meet 1 1/16-mile track and a nearly completed during which Keeneland introduces the stone building adaptable for a Clubhouse electric starting gate. and other uses. Oct. 19: Racing Hall of Famer Whirlaway wins the Breeders’ Futurity, one of six ––––––––––––– 1937 ––––––––––––– Keeneland races he will contest during his April 17: Opening day of Keeneland’s first career. Spring Meet of 11 days. Four stakes will be run: Ben Ali, Blue Grass, Lafayette and ––––––––––––– ––––––––––––– Phoenix. 1941 April 18: Racing Hall of Famer Alsab scores his second career win as a 2-year-old in his April 20: Keeneland stages a showing of lone Keeneland appearance. seven outstanding, retired geldings: Cherry Pie, Kentucky Derby winner Clyde Van April 24: Closing day of the Spring Dusen, Jolly Roger, Merrick (34 years old), Meet on which champion Our Boots Mike Hall, Osmand and Sarazen. ––––––––––––– 1936 ––––––––––––– defeats Whirlaway by six lengths in the Oct. 11: More than 15,000 people attend an $10,000-added Blue Grass. Whirlaway April 29: Fencing wins the first Blue Grass at open house at Keeneland held primarily to returns to win the Triple Crown. … Calumet Keeneland. The $5,000-added race was held introduce the public to the new totalizator, Farm wins 12 races during the 11-day at the Kentucky Association track in 1911-14 the first to be installed in Kentucky. season, setting a record for the Spring Meet and 1919-26. that will stand until 2013, when horses Oct. 14: An agreement is ratified with owned by Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey Dec. 31: Keeneland has a net profit of Turf Catering Company of Chicago for the win 25 races during 16 days of racing. operation of all concessions. $8,286.41 for the year. Oct. 18: Racing Hall of Famer Devil Oct. 15: Keeneland opens its inaugural race ––––––––––––– 1938 ––––––––––––– Diver wins the Breeders’ Futurity over meet of nine days. The first day features April 25: Keeneland holds its first auction Myrtlewood’s daughter Miss Dogwood. seven races worth a total of $7,380. Royal of Thoroughbreds in the Paddock. A total Raiment wins the first race, a $1,000 of 31 lots bring $24,885 for an average of Rev. 2/28/19 2019 Keeneland Media Guide | Introduction 11 ® Milestones Dec. 4: Contributions made by the W. Hooper pays $10,200 for the yearling Oct. 14-25: The 10-day Fall Meet sets Keeneland Association Board of Directors Hoop, Jr., who will win the Kentucky Derby records, with 65,217 in total attendance and include a grant to the University of Kentucky two years later. $2,829,700 in handle. to supplement salaries of the UK president and other employees. Nov. 13: The Breeders’ Sales Company, a ––––––––––––– 1948 ––––––––––––– cooperative association for the purpose of April 8: Opening day of the 11-day Spring ––––––––––––– 1942 ––––––––––––– marketing Thoroughbreds, is organized. Meet during which an afternoon windstorm INTRODUCTION April 9: Devil Diver defeats Whirlaway in the causes considerable damage in Central Phoenix (run in the Spring prior to 1989). ––––––––––––– 1944 ––––––––––––– Kentucky. At Keeneland, the storm leads to April 26: Skytracer wins the Blue Grass held the death of a groom, injures three others April 23: Shut Out wins the Blue Grass at Churchill Downs. and heavily damages two barns. and returns to win the Kentucky Derby, becoming the first winner of the Blue Grass June 13: Keeneland Association leases April 10: Racing Hall of Famer Bewitch wins at Keeneland to win the Kentucky Derby. grounds and facilities to the Breeders’ Sales the Ashland by a nose. Company. A sales arena, built in 1929, is World War II calls away many racing fans dismantled and moved to Keeneland from Oct. 14: Olympia becomes the first horse and track employees, including W.T. its Paris Pike location. flown to Keeneland to race, arriving at Bishop, Keeneland’s General Manager. Lexington’s Blue Grass Field. He will win July 31-Aug. 3: The Breeders’ Sales Company the Breeders’ Futurity nine days later. Oct. 13: Opening day of the 10-day Fall conducts its first summer yearling sale (later Meet during which Keeneland patrons buy called the July Selected Yearling Sale), with Keeneland purchases additional land to $27,944 in war bonds and stamps to support 437 horses sold for $2,286,000, establishing accommodate a seven-furlong chute, an war efforts. Keeneland turns in 37,140 a record total for a yearling sale. extension to the Headley Course and pounds of scrap iron and donates $35,000 in additional parking. profits from the season to the Lexington War Dec. 1: The Keeneland Foundation Chest. The Thoroughbred Club of America is organized and incorporated for the auction at Keeneland raises $340,500 in purpose of promoting scientific research. bonds and $7,382 in direct contributions. … The Foundation receives an initial grant of The Fall Meet is the last held at Keeneland $47,500 from the Keeneland Association. until 1946. ––––––––––––– 1945 ––––––––––––– ––––––––––––– 1943 ––––––––––––– June 2: Darby Dieppe wins the Blue Grass March 1: With Keeneland deemed a held at Churchill Downs. “suburban” plant and placed in the classification of tracks that are asked not July: Jet Pilot, who will win the 1947 to operate during World War II because Kentucky Derby, sells for $41,000 as a of shortages in rubber, the Keeneland yearling at the July Sale. ––––––––––––– 1949 ––––––––––––– Association leases the Churchill Downs April 14: The 11-day Spring Meet opens with facilities and holds three Spring Meets there a new inside aluminum rail, which replaces from 1943-1945. No Fall Meets are held. ––––––––––––– 1946 ––––––––––––– the conventional wooden rail. The new rail, April 11: With World War II over, racing which cost approximately $5,000, is the first April 21: Ocean Wave wins the Blue Grass returns to Keeneland for an 11-day Spring of its kind at an American race track. held at Churchill Downs. season that features photo-finish equipment for the first time. Spring records are set for ––––––––––––– 1950 ––––––––––––– May 27: J.O. “Jack” Keene dies of a heart attendance (79,521) and mutuel handle ($3,369,253). April 13: Opening day of the 11-day Spring attack at the Fair Grounds in Detroit. Meet, which features a new box seat area.