{"id":9596,"date":"2026-04-25T02:58:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T02:58:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdeckerphotoblog.com\/?p=9596"},"modified":"2026-04-25T02:59:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T02:59:02","slug":"kentucky-2026-keeneland-racing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sdeckerphotoblog.com\/?p=9596","title":{"rendered":"Kentucky 2026: Keeneland Racing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Earlier this month, I enjoyed a week in the Bluegrass State, seeing and photographing horses of all ages. In this post I’ll share my favorite racing photos from Keeneland. Click here<\/a><\/strong> to read my other posts about Keeneland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left to right: Trouble Calling, Oscar’s Hope and Carson Street battle down the stretch in the Lafayette Stakes, with the former prevailing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Trouble Calling pulls ahead to win the Lafayette with Luis S\u00e1ez onboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Bourbon For Toby, named for Steve Asmussen’s late assistant trainer Toby Sheets, wins an allowance race with Ricardo Santana, Jr. onboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grade III Beaumont Stakes winner A Fine Chardonnay is walked around the paddock before the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Fine Chardonnay takes the Beaumont with Brian Hernandez, Jr. onboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grade III Transylvania Stakes winner Remember Mamba, with Jos\u00e9 Ortiz onboard, heads out to the track, with trainer Cherie DeVaux at right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Remember Mamba heads to the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The field heads around the backstretch in the Transylvania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Remember Mamba crosses the wire first in the Transylvania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grade I Ashland Stakes winner Percy’s Bar is led into the paddock before the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The field breaks from the gate in the Ashland. Winner Percy’s Bar breaks from post 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The field heads past the wire in the Ashland. By the time they reach this wire again, the race will be over, as it ends at the sixteenth pole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Percy’s Bar punches her ticket to the Kentucky Oaks on May 1 with her decisive win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Runner-up Zany, who galloped out ahead of the winner, is also headed to the Oaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Percy’s Bar heads to the test barn following her win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Buttercream Babe wins an allowance race with John Vel\u00e1zquez onboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grade III Commonwealth Stakes winner Saudi Crown is led into the paddock before the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Saudi Crown adds to his already impressive resume with a win in the Commonwealth with Flavien Prat onboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Saudi Crown returns with the pony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grade II Appalachian Stakes winner Storm’s Wake heads out to the track with Joel Rosario onboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The field heads around the first turn in the Appalachian, with winner Storm’s Wake seen at back center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Storm’s Wake bests the field of 10 in the Appalachian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grade I Madison Stakes winner Eclatant is led into the paddock before the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eclatant heads out to the track with Irad Ortiz, Jr. onboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The field turns for home in the Madison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eclatant (outside) gets the better of Grand Job in the Madison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grade II Shakertown Stakes winner My Boy Prince gets saddled for the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The field breaks from the gate in the Shakertown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My Boy Prince notches his first graded victory in the Shakertown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My Boy Prince returns with the pony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grade I Blue Grass Stakes winner Further Ado is led around the paddock before the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Further Ado heads out to the track with Irad Ortiz, Jr. onboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The field heads to the post for the Blue Grass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The field breaks from the gate in the Blue Grass. Winner Further Ado breaks from post 6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The field heads down the stretch for the first time in the Blue Grass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Further Ado managed to capture the Blue Grass by 11 lengths, the largest winning margin in 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Further Ado is all alone at the wire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Further Ado heads to the test barn following his win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Breeders’ Cup winner Cy Fair gets a pet from her exercise rider Emma Nordin in the paddock before the Grade III Limestone Stakes, where she would finish third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Slay the Day takes the Grade III Limestone Stakes with John Vel\u00e1zquez onboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The bulk of the Limestone field gallops back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Slay the Day heads to the test barn following her win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The field whizzes by in an allowance race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Breeders’ Cup winner and champion Modern Games gets a pet in the paddock before the Grade I Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes, where he would finish fourth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Maker’s Mark Mile winner Zulu Kingdom is walked around the paddock before the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Zulu Kingdom heads out to the track with Flavien Prat onboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Flavien Prat has a huge grin on his face as he crosses the wire first on Zulu Kingdom, giving trainer Chad Brown his milestone 3,000th win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The field gallops out after the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Zulu Kingdom returns with the pony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Zulu Kingdom heads to the test barn after the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To see more of my equine photography be sure to follow me on X<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Facebook<\/a>. All photos in this post \u00a9 Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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