Graded stakes race

Last updated

A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is then assigned to the race, based on statistical analysis of the quality of the field in previous years, provided the race meets the minimum purse criteria for the grade in question. In Canada, a similar grading system is maintained by the Jockey Club of Canada. Graded stakes races are similar to Group races in Europe but the grading is more dynamic in North America.

Contents

A high grading can also be used by racetracks to promote the race in question. When determining Eclipse Award winners, racing journalists will consider the number and grade of a horse's stakes wins during the year.

In general, stakes race refers to the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay, which generally forms part of the prize money offered to the top finishers. Not all stakes races are eligible for grading. Notably, races that are restricted to horses bred in a specific state (e.g., the Tiznow Stakes for California-breds) or country (e.g., the races that make up the Canadian Triple Crown, all restricted to Canadian-breds) are excluded, regardless of the purse or quality of field. Conversely, some races that are not technically stakes races (usually invitational races where entry fees are not required by the racetrack) may be eligible for grading if they meet the quality standards.

History

European authorities implemented the Pattern race system in 1972 and requested that North America implement a similar method, leading to the development of the graded stakes system by TOBA in 1973. The first list of North American Graded Stakes was published in 1974. The original purpose of grading was to identify the most competitive races, which helps horsemen make comparisons of the relative quality of bloodstock for breeding and sales purposes. [1]

Fasig-Tipto began including grading information in 1975, Keeneland Association in 1976, and Daily Racing Form in 1978. In 1998, Canada began to grade Canadian races independently. [1]

Listed stakes were first added as a level in 2013. [2]

Criteria

The American Graded Stakes Committee grades only races that: [1]

In 2008, the committee began requiring that toe grabs on the horseshoe, designed to improve traction, be no longer than 2 millimeters. This was in response to studies by Susan Stover showing that such toe grabs substantially increase the risk of catastrophic racing injuries. [3] [4] Recently, racing officials have also banned the use of furosemide (Lasix) in all Black Type races, which include graded and listed stakes races. [5]

A newly established race may inherit the graded status of a discontinued race if it is held at the same facility under essentially identical conditions as the discontinued race. For example, the inaugural running of the Pegasus World Cup in January 2017 was Grade I, inheriting the status of the discontinued Donn Handicap. [6]

Levels

There are four grade levels, from Listed at the bottom to Grade I at the top. The latter are higher-class races for bigger prizes for horses of the same age group (2, 3 or 3 and up) and may further be restricted by sex. The weight conditions of the races may vary provided they meet the committee's standards to ensure competitiveness. Many grade I races are "weight-for-age", with weights adjusted only according to age and sex, and also there are "set weights" where all horses carry the same weight (usually applicable when all horses are of the same age and sex). Furthermore, there are "conditions" races, in which horses carry weights that are set by conditions, such as having won a certain number of races, or races of a certain value. Finally, some graded stakes are "handicaps", in which an official handicapper assigns weights to each horse in an attempt to equalize the competition.

All Grade I races must have a purse of at least $300,000, but not all races with such high purses are Grade I. For example, a racetrack may offer a high purse to attract better fields so the race will be upgraded in future years. The grade level is assigned by looking at data that indicates quality of the field for the last five years. [1] In order to achieve or maintain a Grade I, it is necessary to attract a competitive field over a number of years.

For graded turf races, track conditions (normally excessive rain) may sometimes force the race to be run on the main (dirt) track. If this happens, the race is automatically downgraded by one grade level for that running only. The Committee then reviews the race within five days and may restore the original grade. For example, a Grade I turf race that is switched to the dirt will be recorded as a Grade II race, unless the committee feels the quality of the race was sufficient to warrant Grade I. [1]

In the United States and Canada, a graded race can be dormant for one year without losing its grade.

U.S. graded stakes races

Grade I changes since 2010

The following races have been downgraded from Grade I status since 2010:

The Donn Handicap was discontinued after its 2016 edition; its Grade I status was transferred to the Pegasus World Cup, which held its first edition in 2017

The following races have been upgraded to Grade I status since 2010:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keeneland</span> Equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky

Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its reference library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breeders' Cup</span> Grade I Thoroughbred horse racing

The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. All sites have been in the United States, except in 1996, when the races were at the Woodbine Racetrack in Canada.

The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for fillies and mares, three years old and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Ashado is an American Thoroughbred racemare whose seven Grade I wins included the 2004 Breeders' Cup Distaff. She won Eclipse Awards as the Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 2004 and Champion Older Female of 2005, and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2014. At the end of the 2005 racing season, her owners sold her at the Keeneland Sales November auction for $9 million, a world-record price for a broodmare/broodmare prospect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garrett K. Gomez</span> American jockey

Garrett Keith Gomez was an American Thoroughbred jockey who won two Eclipse Awards and thirteen Breeders' Cup races during his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English Channel (horse)</span> American Thoroughbred racehorse

English Channel was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse and a leading sire of turf horses in North America. In four years of racing, he competed in 23 races, winning 13, finishing second in four, and finishing third in one. His final victory came at the 2007 Breeders' Cup Turf, where he set a record for this race when he won by seven lengths. Following this race, he was retired to stud in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is a series of Thoroughbred horse races in which the winner earns an automatic spot in a specified Breeders' Cup race. The challenge races change somewhat each year. The Challenge series began in 2007 with 24 "Win and You're In" races from 2 countries. By 2014, the series had grown to 71 races across 13 countries. During that period, 24 winners of Breeders' Cup races had qualified via the challenge series.

Grand Slam was an American thoroughbred racehorse.

The Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint is a Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up. As its name implies, it is a part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the de facto year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing. The distance of the race will vary depending on the host track's turf course requirements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Brown (horse trainer)</span> American horse trainer

Chad C. Brown is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer known for his expertise with turf horses and with fillies and mares. He has trained ten Eclipse Award winners including Stacelita, Big Blue Kitten, Lady Eli, Flintshire, and Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar. After receiving the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer of 2016, he won his first Triple Crown race with Cloud Computing in the 2017 Preakness Stakes. He also won the Eclipse Award in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Gio Ponti is an American Thoroughbred race horse who was the Champion Turf Horse in 2009 and 2010, and finished second to Zenyatta in the 2009 Breeder's Cup Classic. He was sired by Tale of the Cat, a son of Storm Cat, out of the stakes-placed Alydar mare Chipeta Springs, making him half-brother to stakes-winner Fisher Pond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blame (horse)</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Blame is a retired American champion Thoroughbred racehorse, a winner of nine races in 13 starts including the prestigious Breeders' Cup Classic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Take Charge</span> American Thoroughbred racehorse

Will Take Charge is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the horse is best known for his wins in the 2013 Travers Stakes and Clark Handicap and for being beaten by a nose in the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic. He was named American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse for 2013. He was retired in September, 2014, and stands at stud at Three Chimneys Farm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tepin (horse)</span> American Thoroughbred racehorse

Tepin is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse who was named the American Champion Female Turf Horse of 2015 and 2016. She showed very promising form as a two-year-old in 2013 when she won the Delta Princess Stakes on the dirt. After a disappointing three-year-old season when she failed to win in four starts, she emerged as a top-class turf performer in 2015. Her wins as a four-year-old included the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes, Just A Game Stakes and First Lady Stakes before recording her biggest success when defeating male opposition in the Breeders' Cup Mile. In 2016, she won her first four starts and was then sent to England, where she defeated a field of leading European milers to win the Queen Anne Stakes. On returning to North America, she extended her winning streak to eight in the Woodbine Mile. The streak included three Grade/Group 1 wins against male horses in three different countries. Although Tepin finished second in her next two starts including an effort to defend her title in the Breeders Cup Mile, she was still named the Champion Female Turf Horse for the second year in a row. Tepin was inducted to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2020 and the US National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2022.

Fourstars Allstar was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for his win in the Irish 2,000 Guineas. As a two-year-old in 1990 he showed promising form by winning the Pilgrim Stakes and the Damon Runyon Stakes as well as finishing second in the Laurel Futurity. In May of the following year he was shipped to Ireland and became the first American-trained horse to win a European Classic with his win in the Irish 2000 Guineas. Although never returned to Europe he was a consistent performer in major American Turf racing over the next four seasons, winning the Elkhorn Stakes, Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap, Fort Marcy Handicap, New Hampshire Sweepstakes Handicap and two editions of the Bernard Baruch Handicap.

The Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes is an American Grade III Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of one and three-eighths miles on the turf held annually in September at Belmont Park, Elmont, New York. The purse for the event is US$500,000.

The Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes is an American Grade III stakes race Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on the turf held annually in September at Belmont Park, Elmont, New York. The purse for the event is US$350,000.

Cody's Wish is a retired multiple Grade I winning American Thoroughbred racehorse and two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. In 2022 he was a winner in four of his five starts–all stakes races–including two Grade I victories in the Forego Stakes at Saratoga and the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland. In 2023 he again won four of his five starts, winning the Grade I Metropolitan Handicap, Grade I Churchill Downs Stakes and Grade II Vosburgh Stakes before defending his title in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Park. Named after Cody Dorman, a native of Richmond, Kentucky who was born with Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome and had attended several races throughout the horse’s career, Cody’s Wish was the winner of the Secretariat Vox Populi Award in 2022 and 2023.

Goodnight Olive is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won consecutive runnings of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in 2022 and 2023. She was named the 2022 US Champion Female Sprint Horse.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Graded Stakes". toba.org. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  2. Mitchell, Eric (2016-08-03). "Part 1: Evolution of Black Type". www.bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  3. "Graded Stakes Tied to Adoption of Rules". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  4. "Committee Calls for Ban on Certain Toe Grabs". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  5. "Phase-Out of Lasix in Graded Stakes Discussed". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  6. "Pegasus World Cup to Carry Grade I Status". bloodhorse.com. The Blood-Horse. July 22, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Graded and Listed Races for 2019 Released". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Blue Grass, Wood Memorial Downgraded". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Release, Press (2023-12-16). "TOBA Announces U.S. Graded, Listed Stakes For 2024; Five Races Lose Grade 1 Status". Paulick Report | Shining Light on the Horse Industry. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "Delaware Handicap, Hopeful Now Grade I". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Release, Press (2022-12-16). "Five Grade 1 Races Downgraded For 2023; Stephen Foster Renews Grade 1 Status". Paulick Report | Shining Light on the Horse Industry. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  12. 1 2 3 "TOBA Announces U.S. Graded and Listed Stakes". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Release, Press (2022-01-28). "Blue Grass Stakes Resumes Grade 1 Status; Secretariat, Flower Bowl Downgraded For 2022". Paulick Report | Shining Light on the Horse Industry. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Four New Grade I Stakes for 2012". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  15. 1 2 "2011 Graded Stakes: 13 Fewer Than '10". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  16. 1 2 3 "Eight Stakes Elevated in Status for 2014". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  17. "AGSC Announces U.S. Graded and Listed Stakes for 2018". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  18. TOBA (2020-12-18). "TOBA Announces U.S. Graded and Listed Stakes for 2021". Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  19. "Blue Grass Stakes Resumes Grade 1 Status; Secretariat, Flower Bowl Downgraded For 2022". paulickreport.com. Retrieved 10 May 2022.