Awards and Recognition

education, philanthropy and community engagement.

Oct. 13: The Secretariat Bronze Monument – created by Jocelyn Russell and now located in the traffic circle at Old Frankfort Pike and Alexandria Drive in Lexington – is unveiled outside the Keeneland Sales Pavilion during the two-day Secretariat Festival, an annual event to celebrate the beloved Triple Crown winner.

Nov. 19: A press conference at the Keeneland Library announces the formation of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, an industry-led effort to unify and enhance existing protections and work together to develop new reforms to ensure the safety of the sport’s equine and human athletes. Founding members are Breeders’ Cup, Churchill Downs, Del Mar, Keeneland, New York Racing Association and The Stronach Group.

––––––––––––– 2020 –––––––––––––

Jan. 15: During the third session of the January Horses of All Ages Sale, Gabby Gaudet takes the auctioneer’s stand to become the first female to announce at a major Thoroughbred sale in North America. A TVG racing analyst and Keeneland expert commentator, Gaudet joins Kurt Becker, Scott Hazelton and John Henderson as Keeneland sales announcers. She and Hazelton cohost Keeneland’s race-day preview show, “Today at Keeneland,” and are Paddock commentators. Gaudet also serves as a U.S. representative for Keeneland sales.

March 12: Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, Keeneland announces the April 2-24 Spring Meet will be held without spectators and cancels the April 7 April Sale.

March 16: Keeneland cancels the Spring Meet.

April 1: Several Central Kentucky community organizations announce the creation of Nourish Lexington, an initiative to use hospitality workers unemployed due to the COVID-19 closings and other community food assets to provide prepared meals to those who need immediate access to food. To help provide relief, Keeneland donates 1,500 pounds of food to the program and contributes 100% of the proceeds from online sales from The Keeneland Shop and Keeneland Mercantile during April to the effort.

May 5: Keeneland announces Nourish the Backstretch, powered by Keeneland, Nourish Lexington and Blue Grass Farms Charities, to provide weekly meals and groceries to stable area workers at Keeneland and The Thoroughbred Center. Proceeds from wagers placed through Keeneland Select in May are donated to Nourish the Backstretch.

May 15: Keeneland auctioneer Cris Caldwell, who continued the legacy of his late father, Tom Caldwell, and served as a member of Keeneland’s auction team from 1975 through the 2020 January Horses of All Ages Sale, dies at 63.

May 29: Keeneland launches the Digital Sales Ring, a stand-alone online auction platform accessible to buyers and sellers around the world at Keenelanddigital.com.

June 24: Internationally respected veterinarian Dr. Stuart E. Brown II joins Keeneland as Equine Safety Director. Dr. George Mundy becomes the track’s Racing Safety Officer.

July 2: Bill Thomason announces his retirement as Keeneland President and CEO. Keeneland Trustees name Shannon Bishop Arvin – who as a partner with the Lexington firm Stoll Keenon Ogden, served as corporate counsel to Keeneland since 2008 and as secretary and advisory member of Keeneland’s Board of Directors since 2015 – to succeed Thomason.

July 8-12: Keeneland conducts a five-day Summer Meet, the first in track history, to accommodate a portion of the canceled Spring Meet. Because of strict health and safety protocols resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Summer Meet is held without fans, who watch and wager remotely via the track’s Keeneland at Home Presented by Central Bank campaign. The season features 10 graded stakes worth $2,575,000, including the $600,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2), won by Art Collector, and $400,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1), won by Speech. Fans wager more than $63 million on the meet.

Aug. 31: At a press conference in the Keeneland Sales Pavilion, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky announces plans to introduce legislation in the U.S. Senate to help set national standards to promote fairness, increase safety and help preserve Thoroughbred racing. Titled the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA),

Through the years, Keeneland has been recognized for its commitment to outstanding customer service and its efforts to preserve and promote the Thoroughbred industry:

1986: Keeneland is named a National Historic Landmark.

2002: The Keeneland Library receives a Special Eclipse Award for its efforts to preserve racing’s storied past.

2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014: Keeneland wins the Thoroughbred Racing Associations’ International Simulcast Award, which honors racing’s best simulcast production.

2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014:

Horseplayers Association of North America (HANA) ranks Keeneland first among North America’s top tracks in its Track Rating System.

2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021:

Keeneland earns accreditation from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Safety and Integrity Alliance.

2015: Keeneland inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame.

2016, 2020: Keeneland Association Inc. is named a winner of the Best Places to Work in Kentucky by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management in the category of medium companies defined as 150499 employees.