Bourbon Stakes
| Grade III race | |
| Location |
Keeneland Race Course Lexington, Kentucky, United States |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1991 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | www.keeneland.com |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Two-year-olds |
| Weight | Assigned |
| Purse | $250,000 |
The Bourbon Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the first part of October at the Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Contested on turf at a distance of 1 1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs), it is open to two-year-old horses. Elevated to Grade III status for 2008, the race currently offers a current purse of $250,000. Since 2005, the race has been sponsored by Labrot & Graham Distillery's Woodford Reserve.
Inaugurated in 1991 as the Hopemont Stakes, the name was changed for the 2003 race. It was run in two divisions in 1998.
The race was previously part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, when the winner automatically qualified for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
Records
Speed record: (at current distance of 1 1⁄16 miles)
- 1:42 2/5 - Gateman (1999)
- Most wins by an owner
- 2 - Klaravich Stables & W. H. Lawrence (2011, 2012)
- Most wins by a jockey
- 3 - Pat Day (1991, 1998, 1999)
- 3 - Craig Perret (1996, 1997, 2004)
- 3 - Julien R. Leparoux (2010, 2012, 2015)
- Most wins by a trainer
- 3 - Todd A. Pletcher (2006, 2008, 2009)
- 3 - Kenneth G. McPeek (1998, 2010, 2014)
- 2 - Peter M. Vestal (1996, 1997)
- 2 - Hal R. Wiggins (1998, 2002)
- 2 - W. Elliott Walden (1999, 2001)
Winners
| Year |
Winner |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Owner |
Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Airoforce | Julien R. Leparoux | Mark Casse | John C. Oxley | 1:44.12 |
| 2014 | Lawn Ranger | Chris Landeros | Kenneth G. McPeek | Turf Stable | 1:44.41 |
| 2013 | Poker Player | Channing Hill | Wayne Catalano | Gary and Mary West | 1:43.46 |
| 2012 | Balance the Books | Julien Leparoux | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables/Lawrence | 1:45.15 |
| 2011 | Animal Spirits | Robby Albarado | Al Stall Jr. | Klaravich Stables/Lawrence | |
| 2010 | Rogue Romance | Julien Leparoux | Ken McPeek | Catesby Clay | 1:43.76 |
| 2009 | Interactif | Kent Desormeaux | Todd Pletcher | Wertheimer and Frere | 1:45.24 |
| 2008 | Bittel Road | Rajiv Maragh | Todd Pletcher | Scatuorchio & Iracane | 1:44.29 |
| 2007 | Gio Ponti | Ramon Dominguez | Christophe Clement | Castleton Lyons | 1:45.92 |
| 2006 | Twilight Meteor | John Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Peachtree Stable | 1:43.25 |
| 2005 | Yankee Master | Rafael Bejarano | Linda L. Rice | Team Power Play Racing | 1:43.85 |
| 2004 | Rey de Café | Craig Perret | George R. Arnold II | G. Watts Humphrey, Jr. | 1:42.90 |
| 2003 | Commendation | Cornelio Velasquez | H. Graham Motion | Courtlandt Farm | 1:43.99 |
| 2002 | Rapid Proof | Calvin Borel | Hal R. Wiggins | Dolphus C. Morrison | 1:46.45 |
| 2001 | Stage Call | Mark Guidry | W. Elliott Walden | WinStar Farm et al. | 1:45.85 |
| 2000 | Overview | Mike E. Smith | John T. Ward, Jr. | John C. Oxley | 1:43.00 |
| 1999 | Gateman | Pat Day | W. Elliott Walden | Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds | 1:42.40 |
| 1998 | Pineaff | Pat Day | Ken McPeek | Joyce & Roy K. Monroe | 1:44.60 |
| 1998 | Bold Caleb | Robby Albarado | Hal R. Wiggins | Ann & Charles Patterson | 1:44.60 |
| 1997 | Reformer Rally | Craig Perret | Peter M. Vestal | Thomas M. Carey | 1:46.80 |
| 1996 | Thesaurus | Craig Perret | Peter M. Vestal | Charles J. Cella | 1:44.40 |
| 1995 | Red Shadow | Willie Martinez | Patrick B. Byrne | Prestonwood Farm | 1:46.60 |
| 1994 | Claudius | John Velazquez | William I. Mott | Darley Racing | 1:45.40 |
| 1993 | Star of Manila | Shane Sellers | Burk Kessinger, Jr. | New Phoenix Stable | 1:43 .20 |
| 1992 | The Real Vaslav | Shane Sellers | D. Wayne Lukas | Gonzalo B. Torrealba | 1:46.00 |
| 1991 | Stress Buster | Pat Day | Joe Pierce, Jr. | Humphrey, Jr./Sheila Pierce | 1:44.80 |