First Lady Stakes

First Lady Stakes
Grade 1 race
Location Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky United States
Inaugurated 1998
Race type Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website www.keeneland.com
Race information
Distance 1 mile (8 furlongs)
Surface Turf
Track Left-handed
Qualification Fillies & Mares, three-years-old & up
Weight Assigned
Purse $400,000

The First Lady Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. A one-mile (8 furlongs) race on turf, it is open to Fillies & Mares, age three and older.[1][2] Run in mid October, it currently offers a purse of $400,000.[1][2]

The race was first run in 1998 as the First Lady Stakes at a distance of 1 316 miles. In 2005 it was modified to its present distance of one mile. In 2000, WinStar Farm became the race's sponsor from then through 2005 and it was renamed the Galaxy Stakes. In 2006, the name reverted to its inaugural title.

A listed race in its first two years, it earned Grade III status in 2000 from the American Graded Stakes Committee who sanctioned it as a Grade II race the following year. On November 28, 2007, it was upgraded to a Grade I event.

The First Lady stakes is a steppingstone to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. In 2000, Perfect Sting ran second in this race but went on to win that year's inaugural edition of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. In 2005, Intercontinental won this race and the ensuing Breeders' Cup.

Records

Speed record: (at current distance of 1 mile)

Most wins
Most wins by an owner
Most wins by a jockey
Most wins by a trainer

Winners of the First Lady Stakes

Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Time
2015 Tepin 4 Julien Leparoux Mark Casse Robert E. Masterson 1:37.04
2014 Dayatthespa 5 John Velazquez Chad Brown Frankel/Laymon/Bradley Thoroughbreds 1:35.21
2013 Better Lucky 4 Julien Leparoux Thomas Albertrani Godolphin Racing 1:39.78
2012 Tapitsfly 5 Jose Lezcano Dale Romans Frank Jones Jr. 1:35.44
2011 Never Retreat 6 Julien Leparoux Chris Block Team Block 1:34.08 (stakes record)
2010 Proviso 5 Mike E. Smith Bill Mott Juddmonte Farms 1:34.81
2009 Diamondrella 5 Rajiv Maragh Angel Penna Jr. IEAH Stables 1:38.66
2008 Forever Together 4 Julien Leparoux Jonathan E. Sheppard Augustin Stable 1:35.00
2007 Vacare 4 Corey Nakatani Christophe Clement Sarah & Jon Kelly 1:35.85
2006 Gorella 4 Julien Leparoux Patrick Biancone Martin S. Schwartz 1:34.14
2005 Intercontinental 5 Jerry Bailey Robert J. Frankel Juddmonte Farms 1:37.40
2004 Stay Forever 7 Eddie Castro Martin D. Wolfson Santa Cruz Ranch, Inc. 1:57.08
2003 Bien Nicole 5 Donald Pettinger Donnie K. Von Hemel Kristine & John Richter 1:55.87
2002 Owsley 4 Edgar Prado Randy Schulhofer Arthur B. Hancock III 1:56.72
2001 Spook Express 7 Mike E. Smith Thomas J. Skiffington Robert & Janice Aron 1:54.24
2000 Tout Charmant 4 Chris McCarron Ronald McAnally Stonerside Stable 1:54.60
1999 Happyanunoit 4 Brice Blanc Robert J. Frankel Amerman Racing Stables 1:53.80
1998 Witchful Thinking 4 Chris McCarron Niall M. O'Callaghan Leslie R. Grimm 1:54.20

References

  1. 1 2 National Thoroughbred Racing Association (2007). "Contention runs deep in First Lady". Equibase Company LLC. Retrieved November 23, 2007.
  2. 1 2 National Thoroughbred Racing Association (2007). "First Lady favorites iffy for F&M Turf". Equibase Company LLC. Retrieved November 23, 2007.
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