Mint Millions Stakes

Last updated
Mint Millions Stakes
Grade III race
Location Kentucky Downs
Franklin, Kentucky, United States
Inaugurated1992 (as Sanford Duncan Stakes)
Race type Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website Kentucky Downs
Race information
DistanceOne mile
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationThree years olds and older
WeightBase weights with allowances:
Older: 126 lbs.
3YOs: 122 lbs.
Purse $2,000,000 (since 2023)

The Mint Millions Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three years olds and older, over a distance of one mile on the turf held annually in September at Kentucky Downs racetrack in Franklin, Kentucky during their short turf meeting. The event currently carries an offered purse of $2,000,000 which includes $1,000,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

Contents

History

The inaugural running of the event was on 11 October 1992 as the Sanford Duncan Stakes at a distance of about one mile. [1] The event was named after an early settler in the area, Sanford Duncan who had built an Inn in 1818 which was on the Lexington to Nashville road adjacent to where the Dueling Grounds race track is located today. [2]

The event was not held in 1996 and 1997 due to the race track being closed while it was being auctioned. [3]

In 1998 new ownership of the race track revived the event as part of the Kentucky Cup, which interlaced races from Turfway Park and the newly renamed Kentucky Downs. The event was scheduled as a handicap and was known as the Kentucky Cup Mile Handicap. In 2002 the conditions of the event were changed from handicap to stakes allowance and the name of the event was modified. [4]

In 2005 and 2006 the event was not scheduled as part of the Kentucky Cup program. In 2007 the event was revived as the Franklin Stakes and in 2008 the event was held as the Franklin-Simpson Stakes in honor of the city and county where the Kentucky Downs racetrack is located. For the 2012 and 2013 runnings the event was known as the Franklin-Simpson Mile Stakes.

In 2014 the event was renamed once again to the More Than Ready Mile Stakes in honor of G1 King's Bishop Stakes winner More than Ready who stood at WinStar Farm from 2013. [5] More Than Ready became the number 1 sire of Breeders' Cup wins with seven. [6] The 2014 winner Regally Ready was sired also by More Than Ready. [4]

With the influx of gaming revenue at Kentucky Downs the purse for the event has risen dramatically to $300,000 offered by 2014.

In 2017 the event was renamed to the Tourist Mile Stakes after the 2015 winner of the event, Tourist who went onto win the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita Park. Tourist was part-owned by WinStar Farm and is currently active at the stud.

In 2021 the event was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to a Grade III. [7] For the 2021 running Kentucky Downs raised the purse to $1 million and renamed the event to the Mint Million sponsored by WinStar Farm. [8] In 2023 the purse was raised to $2,000,000 and the name of the event was modified to Mint Millions. [9]

Records

Speed record:

Margins:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

YearWinnerAgeJockeyTrainerOwnerDistanceTimePurseGradeRef
Mint Millions
2023Ancient Rome4 Jamie Spencer Charlie HillsMrs. Fitriani Hay1 mile1:33.37$1,994,285III [9]
Mint Million
2022Somelikeithotbrown6 José Ortiz Michael J. Maker SkyChai Racing & David Koenig1 mile1:33.88$707,545III [10]
2021Pixelate4 Joel Rosario Michael Stidham Godolphin Stables 1 mile1:34.04$845,875III [11]
Tourist Mile Stakes
2020Flavius5 Javier Castellano Chad C. Brown Juddmonte Farm 1 mile1:32.21$712,900Listed [12]
2019Snapper Sinclair4 Julien Leparoux Steven M. Asmussen Bloom Racing Stable1 mile1:37.95$750,000Listed [13]
2018Bound for Nowhere4Julio Garcia Wesley A. Ward Wesley A. Ward 1 mile1:40.97$681,400Listed [14]
2017Applicator4 Jose Valdivia Jr. Mikhail YanakovOlympia Star1 mile1:44.79$270,020Listed [15]
More Than Ready Mile Stakes
2016Watchyourownbobber4 Julien Leparoux Michael J. Maker Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey 1 mile1:38.94$390,000Listed [16]
2015 Tourist 6 Florent Geroux William I. Mott WinStar Farm, Wachtel Stable & Gary Barber 1 mile1:36.17$300,000 [17]
2014Regally Ready7 Rosie Napravnik Steven M. Asmussen Vinery Stables1 mile1:35.25$200,000 [18]
Franklin-Simpson Mile Stakes
2013Coalport4 Channing Hill Wayne M. Catalano Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey 1 mile1:35.86$123,917 [19]
2012Depeche Chat4 Brian Hernandez Jr. George R. Arnold IIIWind River Stables1 mile1:51.20$60,000 [20]
2011Cozy Kitten4Julio Garcia Wesley A. Ward Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey 1 mile1:40.70$50,000 [21]
20092010Race not held
Franklin-Simpson Stakes
2008Demarcation4 Jamie Theriot Paul McGeeAmerman Racing1 mile1:35.27$50,000 [22]
Franklin Stakes
2007Art Moderne7 Jose Valdivia Jr. Martin Wolfson Edmund A. Gann 1 mile1:36.84$50,000 [23]
20052006Race not held
Kentucky Cup Mile Stakes
2004Missme5 Rafael Bejarano Lynn WhitingWhippoorwill Farm1 mile1:37.13$100,000Listed [24]
2003Hard Buck (BRZ)4Brice Blanc Kenneth G. McPeek Team Victory II1 mile1:37.81$100,000Listed [25]
2002Jake the Flake6 Calvin Borel Hal WigginsJack Murphy & Pam Slaughter1 mile1:40.86$200,000Listed [26]
Kentucky Cup Mile Handicap
2001Minor Wisdom5 Robby Albarado Richard SchererCarolyn K. Friedberg1 mile1:37.68$200,000Listed [27]
2000Glick4 Mark Guidry William I. Mott Allen E. Paulson Living Trust 1 mile1:36.14$200,000Listed [28]
1999Treat Me Doc5 Jon Court Eugene Brajczewski Jr.Howard E. Nelson & Dan Johns1 mile1:37.20$200,000Listed [29]
1998Rob 'n Gin4 Joe Bravo Robert BarbaraSabine Stable1 mile1:35.00$200,000Listed [30]
19961997Race not held
Sanford Duncan Stakes
1995Rare Reason4Tracy HebertWalter M. Bindner Jr.Mason C. Ruddabt. 1 mile1:36.40$100,000Listed [31]
1994§ Little Bro Lantis6 Shane J. Sellers Merrill SchererRobert Hall & William McColloughabt. 1 mile1:35.20$100,000Listed [32]
1993Magesterial Cheer5Parker BuckleyWalter M. Bindner Jr.Mason C. Rudd & Nelson Millerabt. 1 mile1:38.60$100,000Listed [33]
1992Newton's Ace5Fabio Arguello Jr.Jennie RiggsEstate Of Charles A. Newtonabt. 1 mile1:35.00$100,000Listed [1]

See also

List of American and Canadian Graded races

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References

  1. 1 2 "1992 Sanford Duncan Stakes Listed - (race 4)". Equibase. 11 October 1992. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  2. "Sandford Duncan Inn". kentuckytourism.com. Kentucky Department of Tourism. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  3. "From 'Ant Hills' To Upping The Ante: The History Of Kentucky Downs". Paullick Report. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  4. 1 2 "MORE THAN READY MILE STAKES - MULTIPLE TRACKS". Thoroughbred Database. 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  5. "MORE THAN READY (USA) dkb/br. H, 1997 - 17 Starts, 7 Wins, 4 Places, 1 Shows Career Earnings: $1,026,229". Pedigree Online Thoroughbred Database. 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  6. "Sires of Breeders' Cup Winners". stats.breederscup.com. 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  7. Schweigardt, Andrew (2021). "TOBA Announces U.S. Graded and Listed Stakes for 2021". Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association . Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  8. "2021 Kentucky Downs Condition Book". equibase. Kentucky Downs. 2021. p. 4. Retrieved 10 August 2021. SECOND DAY -- Monday, September 6, 2021 Tenth Race The 24th Running of The Winstar MINT MILLION $1,000,000 Grade III
  9. 1 2 "2023 Mint Million Stakes Grade 3 - (race 10)". Equibase. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  10. "2022 Mint Million Stakes Grade 3 - (race 5)". Equibase. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  11. "2021 Mint Million Stakes Grade 3 - (race 10)". Equibase. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  12. "2020 Tourist Mile Stakes Listed - (race 11)". Equibase. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  13. "2019 Tourist Mile Stakes Listed - (race 8)". Equibase. 31 August 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  14. "2018 Tourist Mile Stakes Listed - (race 8)". Equibase. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
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  21. "2011 Franklin-Simpson Mile Stakes Black Type - (race 6)". Equibase. 17 September 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
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  25. "2003 Kentucky Cup Mile Stakes Listed - (race 9)". Equibase. 20 September 2003. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  26. "2002 Kentucky Cup Mile Stakes Listed - (race 12)". Equibase. 21 September 2002. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  27. "2001 Kentucky Cup Mile Handicap Listed - (race 12)". Equibase. 23 September 2001. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
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  33. "1993 Sanford Duncan Stakes Listed - (race 4)". Equibase. 26 September 1993. Retrieved 10 August 2021.