NEWS
Plan calls for slight reduction in graded stakes next year
Posted: Thursday, December 01, 2011 6:48 PM
STEPHANIE'S KITTEN WINS BC JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
PhotosByZ.com/Thoroughbred Times
by Frank Angst
After concluding its meeting Thursday, the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association approved graded status for 465 races in 2012, down 1.8% compared with last year.
The committee considered for grading 659 unrestricted U.S. stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000 at its annual grading session on Wednesday and Thursday in Lexington.
A total of nine graded stakes races were upgraded, including four to Grade 1 status for 2012, including two Breeders’ Cup races in the Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Turf Sprint. Also moving from Grade 2 status to Grade 1 in 2012 will be the Jenny Wiley Stakes, a turf race for fillies and mares at Keeneland Race Course; and the Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing, a race for three-year-old fillies.
The committee smiled on Parx as the Cotillion was upgraded to Grade 1 and three of its stakes that were not graded last year received Grade 3 status.
A total of 112 races are scheduled to be contested as Grade 1 events next season.
Also Thursday, the committee awarded graded status to 49 races for two-year-olds or two-year-old fillies. The committee previously has said it will not award graded status to juvenile races in 2012 unless the conditions prohibit race-day medications, including Salix. Grades for those races in six states at 11 tracks, including Aqueduct, Arlington Park, Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Del Mar, Delta Downs, Hollywood Park, Keeneland, Monmouth Park, Santa Anita Park, and Saratoga Race Course, will be pending adoption of the race-day medication policy.
In 2012, four races are scheduled to go from Grade 1 to Grade 2: the Ruffian Invitational Handicap for fillies and mares and the Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes for two-year-olds, both at Saratoga, the Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes for older runners at Hollywood, and the Pat O’Brien Stakes for older runners at Del Mar.
Five races were upgraded to Grade 2 status for 2012: the Alysheba Stakes at Churchill; Charles Town Classic Stakes at Charles Town, Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth, and Pan American and Honey Fox Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
“Every member of our team should be proud that their efforts and hard work are resulting in some historic firsts for our track,” said Charles Town Director of Racing Operations Erich Zimny after the track received a Grade 2 designation for one of its races for the first time.
Five races were downgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 3 in 2012: the American Derby at Arlington, Carry Back Stakes at Calder Race Course, Swale Stakes at Gulfstream, Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita, and Shuvee Handicap at Belmont. The Colonial Turf Cup Stakes at Colonial Downs and First Flight Handicap at Belmont Park were not eligible for grading in 2012.
Four races were upgraded to Grade 3 status for 2012: the Smarty Jones Stakes, Greenwood Cup Stakes, and Dr. James Penny Memorial Handicap at Parx and James Marvin Stakes at Saratoga.
Two races were downgraded from Grade III to ungraded status for 2012: the Ouija Board Distaff Stakes at Lone Star Park and Endine Stakes at Delaware Park. The Bryan Station and Perryville Stakes at Keeneland; Will Rogers Stakes, Round Table and Ack Ack Handicaps at Hollywood; Golden Gate Fields Turf Stakes at Golden Gate Fields; El Conejo and Tuzla Handicaps at Santa Anita; and Nassau County Stakes at Belmont, were not eligible for grading in 2012.
To view the entire list of graded stakes for 2012, click here.
