| Class | Grade I |
|---|---|
| Location | Churchill Downs Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
| Inaugurated | 1987 (as Brown and Williamson Handicap) |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Sponsor | Kendall-Jackson Winery (2021) |
| Website | Churchill Downs |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 7 furlongs |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Fillies & Mares, four-years-old and older |
| Weight | 123 lbs with allowances |
| Purse | US$1,000,000 (2024) |
The Derby City Distaff Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged three and older over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held annually in early May on the Kentucky Derby day meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky during the spring meeting. The current purse is US$1,000,000.
The event was inaugurated on May 2, 1987, as the fifth race on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby day meeting as the Brown & Williamson Handicap sponsored by the tobacco company Brown & Williamson, which at the time had their headquarters in Louisville. [1]
The event was a Listed race until 1990 when it was upgraded to Grade III status. It was subsequently upgraded to a Grade II event in 1999 then to its present Grade I status in 2002. [2]
The event's name was changed in 1995 to the Humana Distaff Handicap, sponsored by Humana, an American health insurance company also based in Louisville, Kentucky. [3] In 2007, the event was changed to the Humana Distaff Stakes, and is now run under allowance weight conditions. [4] Humana last year of sponsorship was 2019, with Churchill Downs finding new sponsorship in 2020 with Derby City Gaming. [5]
The first five runnings of the event the winners were ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day. Pat Day won another two more runnings of this event before retiring in 2005. In 2015, Churchill Downs renamed the Derby Trial in his honor as the Pat Day Mile which is held on the same day as this event. [6]
Of the more notable winners of this race include 2012 winner Groupie Doll who set a new track record at Churchill Downs for the 7 furlong distance in a time of 1:20.44 and would later that year win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and be crowned the US Champion Female Sprint Horse.
Most wins by an owner:
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derby City Distaff Stakes | ||||||||||
| 2025 | Kopion | 4 | Kazushi Kimura | Richard E. Mandella | Spendthrift Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:21.76 | $999,600 | I | [7] |
| 2024 | Vahva | 4 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Cherie DeVaux | Belladonna Racing, Edward J. Hudson Jr., West Point Thoroughbreds, LBD Stable, Nice Guys Stables, Manganaro Bloodstock, Runnels Racing, Steve Hornstock & Twin Brook Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:21.75 | $1,000,000 | I | [8] |
| 2023 | Matareya | 4 | Flavien Prat | Brad H. Cox | Godolphin | 7 furlongs | 1:21.87 | $750,000 | I | [9] |
| 2022 | Obligatory | 4 | José L. Ortiz | William I. Mott | Juddmonte Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:22.17 | $500,000 | I | [10] |
| 2021 | Gamine | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Bob Baffert | Michael Lund Petersen | 7 furlongs | 1:21.50 | $500,000 | I | [11] |
| 2020 | Bell's The One | 4 | Corey Lanerie | Neil L Pessin | Lothenbach Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:21.07 | $500,000 | I | [12] |
| Humana Distaff Stakes | ||||||||||
| 2019 | Mia Mischief | 5 | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Steven M. Asmussen | Bill & Corine Heiligbrodt, Heider Family Stables, Madaket Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:22.33 | $500,000 | I | [13] |
| 2018 | American Gal | 5 | José L. Ortiz | Simon Callaghan | Kaleem Shah | 7 furlongs | 1:22.33 | $300,000 | I | [14] |
| 2017 | Paulassilverlining | 5 | José L. Ortiz | Chad C. Brown | Juddmonte Farms | 7 furlongs | 1:23.68 | $300,000 | I | [15] |
| 2016 | Taris | 5 | Flavien Prat | Simon Callaghan | Susan Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith | 7 furlongs | 1:21.03 | $300,000 | I | [16] |
| 2015 | Dame Dorothy | 4 | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | Bobby Flay | 7 furlongs | 1:22.67 | $300,000 | I | [17] |
| 2014 | Midnight Lucky | 4 | Rosie Napravnik | Bob Baffert | Karl Watson, Mike Pegram & Paul Weitman | 7 furlongs | 1:22.23 | $330,600 | I | [18] |
| 2013 | Aubby K | 4 | Edgar S. Prado | Ralph E. Nicks | James C. Spence | 7 furlongs | 1:22.93 | $345,600 | I | [19] |
| 2012 | Groupie Doll | 4 | Rajiv Maragh | William B. Bradley | Fred F. & William B. Bradley, Carl Hurst & Brent Burns | 7 furlongs | 1:20.44 | $334,500 | I | [20] |
| 2011 | Sassy Image | 4 | Robby Albarado | Dale L. Romans | Jerry Romans | 7 furlongs | 1:21.01 | $345,600 | I | [21] |
| 2010 | Mona de Momma | 4 | Joel Rosario | John W. Sadler | Michael Talla | 7 furlongs | 1:22.73 | $336,900 | I | [22] |
| 2009 | Informed Decision | 4 | Julien R. Leparoux | Jonathan E. Sheppard | Augustin Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:23.69 | $335,400 | I | [23] |
| 2008 | Intangaroo | 4 | Alonso Quinonez | Gary Sherlock | Tom Grether Farms | 7 furlongs | 1:22.03 | $334,800 | I | [24] |
| 2007 | Hystericalady | 4 | Rafael Bejarano | Jerry Hollendorfer | Rancho San Miguel, Tom Clark, George Todaro & Jerry Hollendorfer | 7 furlongs | 1:21.87 | $340,800 | I | [25] |
| Humana Distaff Handicap | ||||||||||
| 2006 | Pussycat Doll | 4 | Garrett K. Gomez | Bob Baffert | Michael E. Pegram | 7 furlongs | 1:21.62 | $291,000 | I | [26] |
| 2005 | My Trusty Cat | 5 | Javier Castellano | David R. Vance | Carl E. Pollard | 7 furlongs | 1:21.18 | $281,750 | I | [27] |
| 2004 | Mayo On the Side | 5 | Pat Day | Carl A. Nafzger | Lothenbach Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:22.78 | $272,813 | I | [28] |
| 2003 | Sightseek | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | Robert J. Frankel | Juddmonte Farms | 7 furlongs | 1:22.12 | $222,400 | I | [29] |
| 2002 | † Celtic Melody | 4 | Mark Guidry | James A. Jerkens | Vinery Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:22.98 | $228,000 | I | [30] |
| 2001 | Dream Supreme | 4 | Pat Day | William I. Mott | Kinsman Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:20.70 | $165,000 | II | [31] |
| 2000 | Ruby Surprise | 5 | Joseph C. Judice | Robert E. Holthus | James T. Hines Jr. | 7 furlongs | 1:21.25 | $166,050 | II | [32] |
| 1999 | Zuppardo Ardo | 5 | Shane Sellers | Bobby C. Barnett | John A. Franks | 7 furlongs | 1:23.40 | $169,650 | II | [33] |
| 1998 | Colonial Minstrel | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Mark A. Hennig | Edward P. Evans | 7 furlongs | 1:22.12 | $115,000 | III | [34] |
| 1997 | Capote Belle | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Daniel C. Peitz | Lawana & Robert Low | 7 furlongs | 1:22.38 | $113,000 | III | [35] |
| 1996 | In Conference | 4 | Mike E. Smith | Claude R. McGaughey III | Ogden Mills Phipps | 7 furlongs | 1:23.30 | $112,200 | III | [36] |
| 1995 | Laura's Pistolette | 4 | Corey Nakatani | Murray W. Johnson | Jack Smith | 7 furlongs | 1:22.24 | $114,500 | III | [37] |
| Brown and Williamson Handicap | ||||||||||
| 1994 | Roamin Rachel | 4 | Mike E. Smith | Claude R. McGaughey III | Tri Honors Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:23.83 | $111,300 | III | [38] |
| 1993 | Court Hostess | 5 | Chris McCarron | Neil J. Howard | William S. Kilroy | 7 furlongs | 1:23.18 | $87,000 | III | [39] |
| 1992 | Ifyoucouldseemenow | 4 | Craig Perret | Brian A. Mayberry | Jan, Mace & Samantha Siegel | 7 furlongs | 1:22.22 | $87,075 | III | [40] |
| 1991 | Illeria | 4 | Pat Day | Michael J. Doyle | Eaton Hall Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:23.20 | $57,850 | III | [41] |
| 1990 | Medicine Woman | 5 | Pat Day | George R. Arnold II | Alex Campbell Jr. & Glencrest Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:23.40 | $56,450 | III | [42] |
| 1989 | Sunshine Always | 5 | Pat Day | Ernest P. Retamoza Sr. | Jane Martin | 7 furlongs | 1:24.40 | $54,500 | Listed | [43] |
| 1988 | Le l'Argent | 6 | Pat Day | Philip M. Hauswald | Fares Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:22.80 | $55,800 | Listed | [44] |
| 1987 | Lazer Show | 4 | Pat Day | Donald R. Winfree | James Devaney | 7 furlongs | 1:22.80 | $40,305 | Listed | [1] |
Notes:
† In the 2002 running, Gold Mover won the race but was disqualified and placed second after stewards ruled she had bumped and interfered with Celtic Melody near the eighth pole.