| Grade III race | |
| Location | Aqueduct Racetrack Queens, New York, United States |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1993 (at Belmont Park) |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Website | NYRA |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 mile |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-old fillies |
| Weight | 124 lbs with allowances |
| Purse | $200,000 (since 2023) |
The Pebbles Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies over a distance of one mile on the turf held annually in November at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.
The event is named after Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s champion grass mare Pebbles. This chestnut mare won the 1985 Breeders' Cup Turf at Aqueduct as a four-year-old. Also at the age of 4, she was voted the U.S. Champion Female Turf Horse, and Champion Older Mare and Champion Miler in England.
The inaugural running of the event was on 1 September 1993 over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles and was won by Peter E. Blum's Statuette who won the event by a neck over the French bred mare Tricky Princess in a time of 1:40.68.
The following year the event was decreased to one mile but in 1995 the event was restored back to 1+1⁄16 miles. [1]
From 1996 to 2003 the event was held under handicap conditions. [1]
In 1998 the distance was increased again to 1+1⁄8 miles and the following year the event was classified as a Grade III event. [1]
In 2001 the event was split into two divisions. [2]
The event was run on the dirt track due to the conditions of the turf track in 1995, 2002 and 2005. [2]
In 2005 the distance of the event was decreased to the current distance of one mile. [1]
In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, NYRA did not schedule the event.
The American Graded Stakes Committee restored the event back to Grade III for 2022 after a period of 18 years. [3] Also the event in 2022 was moved to Aqueduct Racetrack due to infield tunnel and redevelopment work at Belmont Park. [4]
Speed record:
Largest margin of victory:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Aqueduct – Pebbles Stakes | ||||||||||
| 2023 | Implicated | Manuel Franco | Chad C. Brown | Bradley Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing & Breeding, Cambron Equine & Laura Leigh Stable | 1 mile | 1:35.82 | $200,000 | III | [5] | |
| 2022 | Faith in Humanity (FR) | Manuel Franco | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables | 1 mile | 1:36.36 | $150,000 | III | [6] | |
| At Belmont Park | ||||||||||
| 2021 | Spanish Loveaffair | Junior Alvarado | Mark E. Casse | Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Gary Barber & Michael Hernon | 1 mile | 1:34.13 | $150,000 | Listed | [7] | |
| 2020 | Race not held | |||||||||
| 2019 | Blowout (GB) | John R. Velazquez | Chad C. Brown | Peter M. Brant | 1 mile | 1:33.35 | $206,700 | Listed | [8] | |
| 2018 | Stella di Camelot (IRE) | Eric Cancel | Chad C. Brown | Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Kent Spellman & Bethlehem Stables | 1 mile | 1:38.58 | $200,000 | Listed | [9] | |
| 2017 | Rubilinda | Jose L. Ortiz | Chad C. Brown | Don Alberto Stable | 1 mile | 1:34.72 | $200,000 | Listed | [10] | |
| 2016 | Thundering Sky | Antonio A. Gallardo | George Weaver | Matthew Schera | 1 mile | 1:33.47 | $200,000 | Listed | [11] | |
| 2015 | Partisan Politics | Javier Castellano | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables & William H. Lawrence | 1 mile | 1:34.43 | $200,000 | Listed | [12] | |
| 2014 | Lady Lara (IRE) | Junior Alvarado | William I. Mott | Ben Sangster | 1 mile | 1:35.31 | $200,000 | Listed | [13] | |
| 2013 | Discreet Marq | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Christophe Clement | Patricia A. Generazio | 1 mile | 1:34.19 | $200,000 | Listed | [14] | |
| 2012 | Peace Preserver | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Alto Racing | 1 mile | 1:38.40 | $150,000 | Listed | [15] | |
| 2011 | Elusive Pearl | Ramon A. Dominguez | Michael J. Trombetta | Robert Goldsmith | 1 mile | 1:36.61 | $100,000 | Listed | [16] | |
| 2010 | Aruna | Ramon A. Dominguez | H. Graham Motion | Flaxman Holdings | 1 mile | 1:35.03 | $100,000 | Listed | [17] | |
| 2009 | Miss Catalyst | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | Gulf Coast Farms & Arianne De Kwiatkowski | 1 mile | 1:34.18 | $100,000 | Listed | [18] | |
| 2008 | Remarkable Remy | Ramon A. Dominguez | John C. Kimmel | Live Oak Plantation | 1 mile | 1:35.65 | $121,000 | Listed | [19] | |
| 2007 | Cat Charmer | Eibar Coa | H. Graham Motion | Donald A. Adam | 1 mile | 1:34.85 | $111,000 | Listed | [20] | |
| 2006 | Quite a Bride | Cornelio Velasquez | William I. Mott | Haras Santa Maria de Araras | 1 mile | 1:33.56 | $110,600 | Listed | [21] | |
| 2005 | Cayuga's Waters | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Laue Ranch | 1 mile | 1:37.19 | $110,900 | Listed | [22] | |
| 2004 | Fortunate Damsel | Javier Castellano | Heriberto Cedano | Spruce Pond Stable | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.80 | $112,300 | III | [23] | |
| Pebbles Handicap | ||||||||||
| 2003 | Betty's Wish | John R. Velazquez | Robert J. Frankel | Edmund A. Gann | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.00 | $110,300 | III | [24] | |
| 2002 | Glia | Javier Castellano | Robert J. Frankel | Flaxman Holdings | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.68 | $114,300 | Listed | [25] | |
| 2001 | Heads Will Roll (GB) | Edgar S. Prado | Robert J. Frankel | Amerman Racing | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:47.75 | $110,100 | III | Division 1 [26] | |
| Love n' Kiss S. | Jose A. Santos | Christophe Clement | Lael Stables | 1:47.50 | $110,600 | Division 2 [27] | ||||
| 2000 | Lady Dora | John R. Velazquez | Michael R. Matz | Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr. | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.76 | $87,075 | III | [28] | |
| 1999 | Eze | Robbie Davis | William H. Turner Jr. | Carlos C. Perez | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:52.96 | $83,250 | III | [29] | |
| 1998 | Sophie My Love | John R. Velazquez | Richard E. Mandella | Arthur A. Seeligson III & Ramona S. Bass | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:52.23 | $85,250 | Listed | [30] | |
| 1997 | Heaven's Command (GB) | Jose A. Santos | Nicolas Clement | Ecurie Slymarc Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.81 | $85,625 | Listed | [31] | |
| 1996 | Rare Blend | Gary L. Stevens | Claude R. McGaughey III | H. Joseph Allen | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.47 | $86,850 | Listed | [32] | |
| Pebbles Stakes | ||||||||||
| 1995 | Queen Tutta | Gary L. Stevens | Mark A. Hennig | Edward P. Evans | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.27 | $89,700 | Listed | [33] | |
| 1994 | Saxuality | Julie Krone | William V. Terrill | Leslie L. Alexander | 1 mile | 1:34.13 | $69,300 | Listed | [34] | |
| 1993 | Statuette | Mike E. Smith | Richard DeStasio | Peter E. Blum | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:40.68 | $75,100 | Listed | [35] | |
Legend:
Dirt Turf
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