Keeneland fall and spring meets: dates, tickets, parking

Keeneland's fall meet closed Oct. 24, 2026; the Breeders' Cup is Oct. 30-31 and the spring meet is April 2-23, 2027. Tickets are sold in advance only.

Last checked Oct. 24, 2026. Facts come from Keeneland’s fall meet page, race day planner, ticket office and parking and tailgating rules. This page is updated for every meet at the same address.

Updated Oct. 24: the 2026 Fall Meet ended Saturday, Oct. 24. Keeneland’s next racing is the Breeders’ Cup on Oct. 30-31; fall 2027 dates are not posted yet.

Keeneland races twice a year: three weeks in October and three weeks in April. The 2026 Fall Meet closed Saturday, Oct. 24, and the 2027 Spring Meet opens Friday, April 2. In between, Keeneland hosts the Breeders’ Cup on Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31. There is no racing on Mondays or Tuesdays. Gates open at 11 a.m. and first post is 1 p.m. Every ticket must be bought in advance at tickets.keeneland.com or by phone at 859-288-4299.

Know before you go

Fall Meet 2026: Friday, Oct. 2, to Saturday, Oct. 24; racing Wednesday through Sunday

Spring Meet 2027: Friday, April 2, to Friday, April 23

Times: gates 11 a.m., first post 1 p.m.

Where: Keeneland, 4201 Versailles Road. Main office 859-254-3412.

Tickets: in advance only, from $7 general admission; no cash at the gates

Parking: free on The Hill and in The Meadow, through Gate 1 at Man o’ War Boulevard and Versailles Road

When the meets are

Meet	Dates	Racing days	First post
Fall Meet 2026	Friday, Oct. 2, to Saturday, Oct. 24	Wednesday to Sunday	1 p.m.
Spring Meet 2027	Friday, April 2, to Friday, April 23	Wednesday to Sunday	1 p.m.

The 2026 Fall Meet carries 22 stakes worth a total of $10.7 million, including eight Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” races. The last racing days were Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24. The 2027 Spring Meet runs Friday, April 2, through Friday, April 23, with post time at 1 p.m. daily, Keeneland says.

This fall Keeneland also hosts the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30-31, the fourth time the championships have been held there. That is a separate event with its own tickets.

The grounds open for morning workouts from 7 to 10 a.m. on race days. Everyone attending morning activities is asked to leave at 10 a.m.; ticket holders can come back in through security when the gates reopen at 11 a.m.

Tickets and prices

Keeneland says all tickets must be bought in advance and attendance is capped. Tickets are emailed or texted to your phone, and you scan the barcode at the gate. If a day sells out, check back: inventory updates as people cancel. You can cancel up to 48 hours before you arrive for a full refund.

Fall Meet 2026 prices, as Keeneland publishes them:

Ticket	Wednesday, Thursday	Friday to Sunday	Opening weekend
General admission	$7	$10	$15
Reserved grandstand seat	$15	$25	$30
Loge box	$15	$25	$30
Equestrian Room (casual dining)	$30	$40	$50

Dining rooms with business casual or business formal dress codes, such as the Phoenix Room and the Lexington/Kentucky Room, run from $100 to $200 a seat; see the ticket office for each room.

General admission is a walk-around ticket with no reserved seat. It covers the general areas on the first three floors, with limited first-come seating. Enter through the North, South or East entrance.
Limits: up to eight general admission tickets an order on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and 12 on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Resale: Keeneland sells only through tickets.keeneland.com and Etix and will not honor tickets bought elsewhere at a markup.

Parking, tailgating and getting there

From Keeneland’s parking and tailgating rules:

The Hill (free): the official tailgate area, through Gate 1 at Man o’ War Boulevard and Versailles Road. Open from 8 a.m. to an hour after the last race, with food trucks, live music, a big screen and betting on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Cars must be gone by 10 a.m. the next day.
The Meadow (free): also through Gate 1, same hours.
Green Lot: paved spaces sold in advance to ticket holders, through Gate 2. Keeneland expects them to sell out.
Accessible parking: free, no reservation, in rows 17 to 21, with a free shuttle to the South Entrance.
Rideshare and taxis: drop off and pick up next to the Shuttle Depot through Gate 1. Cars cannot pull up at the North or South entrances.
Lextran and private buses drop off at the Shuttle Depot.

Tailgaters may bring tables, chairs, contained gas grills and 10-by-10 pop-up tents on The Hill and in The Meadow. Charcoal and wood fires, kegs, open bars, balloons and live music are not allowed. Lexington police patrol the lots on race days.

Keeneland books live music on The Hill on fall meet weekends; the 2026 meet closed with Moonlight Mile on Saturday, Oct. 24.

What to know

What not to bring inside: outside food and drink, backpacks and large bags, tents, grills, balloons, large cameras, weapons and animals other than trained service animals, under the ticketing policy.
Dress: no official dress code with a general admission, grandstand or loge ticket; Keeneland suggests smart casual and denim is fine. The dining rooms have dress codes.
Dogs: the ticketing policy bars animals other than trained service animals. In the tailgate lots, animals must be leashed and never left alone.
Weather: bad weather can affect The Hill and the parking lots. Keeneland posts updates on its Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Directions: Keeneland is on Versailles Road (US 60) on the west side of Lexington; Keeneland’s visitor page has directions.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Keeneland fall meet in 2026? Friday, Oct. 2, through Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, with no racing on Mondays or Tuesdays. Gates open at 11 a.m. and first post is 1 p.m.

When is the Keeneland spring meet in 2027? Friday, April 2, through Friday, April 23, 2027, with no racing on Mondays or Tuesdays and post time at 1 p.m., according to Keeneland.

How much is general admission at Keeneland? For the 2026 fall meet, general admission is $7 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, $10 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and $15 on opening weekend. All tickets must be bought in advance.

Is parking free at Keeneland? Yes, on The Hill and in The Meadow, both reached through Gate 1 at Man o’ War Boulevard and Versailles Road. Accessible parking is also free. Paved Green Lot spaces are sold in advance to ticket holders.

Can you buy Keeneland tickets at the gate? No. Keeneland says all tickets must be bought in advance, there are no cash transactions at the gates and you scan the barcode on your phone to get in.

What this means for you

Buy before you drive out: there is no ticket window at the gate.
Weekday racing is the cheapest: $7 general admission on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Park free on The Hill if you want to tailgate, and come in through Gate 1.