Milestone Trophy Program celebrates Keeneland’s rich 80-year history of racing

LEXINGTON, KY (Oct. 5, 2016) – In conjunction with Keeneland’s 80th anniversary of racing this fall, officials today debuted the Keeneland Vase as the next Milestone Trophy in a unique owner recognition program that has been part of track history for more than 60 years.

Inaugurated during the 1952 Fall Meet, the prestigious Milestone Trophy Program commemorates owners whose horses win graded stakes at Keeneland. When an owner wins a graded stakes, he or she is presented with a Keeneland Trophy Cup.  Accumulation of eight Trophy Cups earns the owner a Keeneland Tray; eight more wins and the owner receives a Keeneland Pitcher; eight additional wins and the owner is awarded a Keeneland Bowl.

The Keeneland Trophy Cup, Tray, Bowl, Pitcher and now Vase are individually handcrafted by Tiffany & Co. The vermeil pieces are made of sterling silver and hand-engraved before being dipped in 24K gold and hand-polished.

The Hancock family’s Claiborne Farm, Keeneland’s leading owner by stakes wins with 26 victories, is the only owner to earn a Bowl, having achieved that milestone in the Fall 2003. Claiborne currently has two Trophy Cups toward the newly created Vase.

Only three owners have received the Pitcher, including Claiborne (Fall 1968), Millard Waldheim’s Bwamazon Farm (Spring 1983) and William S. Farish (Spring 2003). Farish stands one graded stakes win away from earning the Bowl.

The list of owners who have won Milestone Trophies reads like a “Who’s Who” of Thoroughbred racing history. Among them are such luminaries as Hasty House Farm, C.V. Whitney, Golden Chance Farm, Darby Dan Farm, Allen Paulson, Overbrook Farm, Juddmonte Farms, Michael Tabor, Augustin Stable, Dogwood Stable and Ken and Sarah Ramsey