The Annual Release Coincides with the 250th Anniversary of the City of Lexington; Proceeds will Support Kentucky Nonprofits
LEXINGTON, KY – Wednesday, April 2025 – Keeneland Race Course and Maker’s Mark, the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon, today announced the second bottle in the “Greats of the Gate” 10-year commemorative bottle series celebrating Thoroughbred racing’s most iconic horses. Proceeds from each year’s limited-edition bottle benefit nonprofits that support Kentucky’s horse racing industry and vibrant culture of hospitality and the arts.
The limited-edition bottle will arrive on shelves on April 11th – the same day as the prestigious $650,000 Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) during Keeneland’s Spring Meet. The bottle will be available exclusively at select Kentucky retailers that sell Maker’s Mark with a suggested retail price of $179.99. The 2025 “Greats of the Gate” bottle will honor the legendary racehorse Lexington, who competed from 1853 to 1855, winning six of seven races, and was famously sold to stud for the highest price ever paid for an American racehorse at the time.
“The ‘Greats of the Gate’ series is a unique opportunity to honor the legendary horses who shaped the sport while also supporting the organizations that allow Kentucky’s culture to thrive,” said Rob Samuels, eighth-generation whisky maker and Managing Director, Maker’s Mark. “We’re incredibly proud to continue our longstanding partnership with Keeneland, which has deep roots in Kentucky’s horse racing heritage and whose patrons enjoyed the very first Maker’s Mark cocktails in the 1950s.”
The bottle features an illustration by Kentucky artist Tyler Robertson with artwork wrapping around the bottle in orange and black – the racing silks colors of Lexington. The bottle’s crown will be dipped in bright orange wax and topped with a white silk ribbon. Every bottle will include a certificate of authenticity signed by Maker’s Mark Managing Director Rob Samuels; Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin; renowned artist Tyler Robertson; and Bret Jones, President of Airdrie Stud, and a descendant of the horse’s owners.
“Keeneland and Maker’s Mark share a mission of service and philanthropy that benefits both the horse industry and our community,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We are proud the commemorative bottles continue to be both a prized collectors’ item for our fans and a successful fundraiser for so many worthwhile organizations.”
Proceeds from the commemorative bottle will benefit the nonprofits Kentucky Classic Arts by providing support for musical theatre performance opportunities for Central Kentucky; Kentucky Harvest by expanding their food rescue and donation efforts across the Commonwealth; Kentucky Arts Center of the Bluegrass providing free entry to guests for the museum along with arts programming; and Blue Grass Farms Charities through building a new pantry opening this summer at The Thoroughbred Center.
Over the course of the 10 years, Keeneland and Maker’s Mark are committed to raising $4 million for various Kentucky nonprofit organizations through this bottle series.
For more information, please visit www.makersmark.com and www.keeneland.com.
About Keeneland Race Course
Since its first race meet 89 years ago, the Keeneland Association has devoted itself to the health and vibrancy of the Thoroughbred industry. The world’s largest Thoroughbred auction house, Keeneland conducts five on-site sales a year, in January, April, September and November. Graduates of Keeneland sales dominate racing across the globe at every level. In April and October, Keeneland offers some of the highest-caliber and richest Thoroughbred racing in the world. Keeneland hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in 2015, 2020 and 2022. Uniquely structured, Keeneland is a privately held company with a not-for-profit mission that returns its earnings to the industry and the community in the form of higher purses and millions of dollars donated in support of horse industry initiatives and charitable contributions for education, research and health and human services throughout Central Kentucky. Keeneland also maintains Keeneland Library, a world-renowned public research institution with the mission of preserving information about the Thoroughbred industry. To learn more, visit Keeneland.com.
About Maker’s Mark
Maker’s Mark® is the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon driven by a vision for better flavor and a better world. Maker’s Mark began with the innovative spirit of Margie and Bill Samuels, Sr., who in 1953, fulfilled their dream to create a delicious bourbon without the bite, using soft red winter wheat instead of rye to enhance the softness, sweetness and signature creaminess. Highly desired around the world, Maker’s Mark is handmade, hand-dipped in our signature red wax, and every barrel continues to be rotated by hand and is aged to taste not time.
Always true to the founders’ vision, Maker’s Mark continues to shape the brand’s future through purposeful, flavor-driven innovation. In recent years, the brand has introduced thoughtful, super-premium expressions to its portfolio, including Maker’s Mark 46, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, and Maker’s Mark Cellar-Aged, all Double Gold winners of the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as well as Maker’s Mark Private Selection: the brand’s custom barrel program.
Advancing its mission to cultivate bourbon that betters the world, while crafting the most flavorful product possible for consumers, Maker’s Mark is the largest bourbon distillery in the world to achieve B Corp Certification and the first distillery to achieve Regenified Certification, a reflection of the brand’s dedication to sustainable agriculture practices at Star Hill Farm, home to the Maker’s Mark Distillery. For more information, visit www.makersmark.com.
