Lexington Stakes

Lexington Stakes

Grade III race
Location	Keeneland Race Course Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Inaugurated	1936
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	ww2.keeneland.com/racing/default.aspx
Race information
Distance	1 ^1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs)
Surface	Dirt Maintrack
Track	left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds
Weight	Assigned
Purse	US$150,000

The Coolmore Lexington Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid to late April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Open to three-year-old horses, the Grade III event is contested on Keeneland's Dirt Main Track over a distance of  1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles (8.5 furlongs)

It was run as Calumet Purse, an overnight allowance race, from 1973-1983. Renamed the Lexington Stakes in 1984, since 1998 it has been sponsored by Ireland's renowned Coolmore Stud.

First run in 1936, it was a six furlong race for two-year-olds during Keeneland's inaugural meeting. Then, it was an  1 ¹⁄₄ mile overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up from 1938–1941. A listed race in 1984, it achieved Grade III status in 1986 and was a GII from 1988 through 2010. The race was downgraded to GIII status for 2011 by the American Graded Stakes Committee.^[1] It is now considered to be the final prep for the Kentucky Derby.

This race is named after the legendary stallion Lexington.

Records

Speed record

• 1:41.00 - Charismatic (1999)

Most wins by a jockey

• 6 - Jerry Bailey (1982, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2004)

Most wins by a trainer

• 5 - Todd Pletcher (2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013)
• 4 - D. Wayne Lukas (1987, 1999, 2002, 2003)

Most wins by an owner

• 2 - Russell L. Reineman Stable (1986, 1990)
• 2 - Bob & Beverly Lewis (1999, 2003)

Winners of the Lexington Stakes since 1936

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2016	Collected	3	Javier Castellano	Bob Baffert	Speedway Stable	1:43.33
2015	Divining Rod	3	Julien R. Leparoux	Arnaud Delacour	Lael Stables	1:43.29
2014	Mr. Speaker	3	Jose Lezcano	Claude R. McGaughey III	Phipps Stable	1:44.18
2013	Winning Cause	3	Julien Leparoux	Todd Pletcher	Alto Racing	1:43.93
2012	All Squared Away	3	Julio Garcia	Wesley Ward	Altamira Racing Stable	1:42.55
2011	Derby Kitten	3	Julien Leparoux	Mike Maker	Ken & Sarah Ramsey	1:42.03
2010	Exhi	3	Robby Albarado	Todd Pletcher	Wertheimer et Frere	1:44.38
2009	Advice	3	Garrett Gomez	Todd Pletcher	WinStar Farm LLC	1:43.33
2008	Behindatthebar	3	David Flores	Todd Pletcher	Padua Stables. S. K. Sanan, et al.	1:42.14
2007	Slew's Tizzy	3	Robby Albarado	Gregory J. Fox	Joseph LaCombe Stable	1:43.20
2006	Showing Up	3	Cornelio Velasquez	Barclay Tagg	Lael Stables	1:46.42
2005	Coin Silver	3	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher	Peachtree Stable	1:45.76
2004	Quintons Gold Rush	3	Jerry Bailey	Steve Asmussen	Padua Stables & Jay Manoogian	1:43.82
2003	Scrimshaw	3	Edgar Prado	D. Wayne Lukas	Bob & Beverly Lewis	1:45.47
2002	Proud Citizen	3	Mike E. Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	R.Baker/D.Cornstein/W.Mack	1:44.58
2001	Keats	3	Larry Melancon	Niall M. O'Callaghan	Henry E. Pabst	1:43.54
2000	Unshaded	3	Shane Sellers	Carl Nafzger	James Tafel, LLC	1:43.60
1999	Charismatic	3	Jerry Bailey	D. Wayne Lukas	Bob & Beverly Lewis	1:41.00
1998	Classic Cat	3	Robby Albarado	David C. Cross, Jr.	Gary M. Garber	1:42.80
1997	Touch Gold	3	Gary Stevens	David Hofmans	F.Stronach & Stonerside Stable	1:43.20
1996	City by Night	3	Shane Sellers	Patrick B. Byrne	Nancy & Richard Kaster	1:42.20
1995	Star Standard	3	Pat Day	Nicholas P. Zito	W. J. Condren & J. Cornacchia	1:45.00
1994	Southern Rhythm	3	Garrett Gomez	James O. Keefer	William Heiligbrodt, et al.	1:45.60
1993	Grand Jewel	3	Jerry Bailey	Neil J. Howard	W. S. Farish III & W. S. Kilroy	1:43.60
1992	My Luck Runs North	3	Ricardo Lopez	Angel M. Medina	Melvin A. Benitez	1:44 .00
1991	Hansel	3	Jerry Bailey	Frank L. Brothers	Lazy Lane Farms	1:42.60
1990	Home at Last	3	Jerry Bailey	Carl Nafzger	Russell L. Reineman Stable	1:43.40
1989	Notation	3	Pat Day	James W. Murphy	Joan C. Johnson, et al.	1:44.40
1988	Risen Star	3	Jacinto Vasquez	Louie J. Roussel III	Louie Roussel & Ronnie Lamarque	1:42.80
1987	War	3	Herb McCauley	D. Wayne Lukas	Tom Gentry	1:44.40
1986	Wise Times	3	Keith Allen	Philip A. Gleaves	Russell L. Reineman Stable	1:44.80
1985	Stephan's Odyssey	3	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Woody Stephens	Henryk de Kwiatkowski	1:42.60
1984	He Is a Great Deal	3	Julio C. Espinoza	Bernard S. Flint	B.Flint & M. Palmisano	1:45.40
1983	Highland Park	3	Jacinto Vasquez	Anthony Basile	Bwamazon Farm & B.Jones	1:44.80
1982	Stage Reviewer	3	Jerry Bailey	Lucien Laurin	Mrs. Lucien Laurin	1:44.20
1981	Swinging Light	3	Dan Delahoussaye	James P. Conway	Edgar Zantker	1:44.20
1980	Rockhill Native	3	John Oldham	Herbert K. Stevens	Harry A. Oak	1:43.40
1979	Pianist	3	Michael Morgan	Peter M. Howe	Pillar Farm	1:43.00
1978	Sensitive Prince	3	Mickey Solomone	H. Allen Jerkens	Joseph Taub	1:44.80
1977	Giboulee	3	Jeffrey Fell	Jacques Dumas	Jean-Louis Levesque	1:42.80
1976	No Link	3	Darrel McHargue	Douglas Davis, Jr.	Fred Selz & Gus Blass	1:43.20
1975	Master Derby	3	Darrel McHargue	Smiley Adams	Golden Chance Farm	1:42.60
1974	Satan's Hills	3	David Whited	Peter W. Salmen, Jr.	Crimson King Farm	1:43.00
1973	Our Native †	3	Don Brumfield	William Resseguet, Jr.	M.Prichard & W.Resseguet	1:42.80
1938 - 1972	No Race
1937	Co-Sport	3	Porter Roberts	Robert L. Dotter	Bert Friend	1:12.80
1936	White Tie	3	Joseph Cowley	John M. Gaver, Sr.	Manhasset Stable	1:12.00

* † In 1973, Starkers finished first but was disqualified and set back to second.

See also

• Road to the Kentucky Derby

References

1. Blood Horse: 2011 Graded Stakes: 13 Fewer Than '10

• The 2009 Coolmore Lexington Stakes at the NTRA