Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes

The Turf Classic Stakes is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Thoroughbred horse race

Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...

run in early May at Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...

open to horses three years old and up. It is raced on turf

Grass

Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...

at a distance of one and one-eighth miles and currently offers a purse of $500,000.

Formerly known as the Early Times Turf Classic Stakes it is now sponsored by Woodford Reserve

Woodford Reserve

Woodford Reserve is a brand of premium small batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey produced by the Brown-Forman Corporation. It is distilled at the company's Woodford Reserve Distillery, and marketed under the former company name for the distillery, Labrot & Graham. The distillery is located in...

. A major springtime race, it has been a grade I

Graded stakes race

A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...

event since 1998.

The 1987 inaugural running of the Early Times Turf Classic Stakes was won by the 1986 Breeders' Cup Turf

Breeders' Cup Turf

The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current title sponsor is Emirates Airlines.The forerunner...

winner, Manila

Manila (horse)

Manila is an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame Champion racehorse. He was sired by Northern Dancer's son Lyphard, out of the mare Dona Ysidra. He was bred by Filipino food and beverage magnate Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr...

Records

Speed Record:

1:46.34 - Lure
Lure (horse)
Lure is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and owned by Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, he is a son of the leading stallion Danzig, who in turn was sired by Hall of Famer and prominent sire Northern Dancer...

(1993)

Most wins:

2 - Einstein
Einstein (horse)
Einstein is a Thoroughbred racehorse competing in the United States. Bred by Fazenda Mondesir, he was sired by the 1985 American Horse of the Year, Spend A Buck. His dam, Gay Charm, was the 1988 Brazilian Champion Three-Year-Old Filly...

(2008, 2009)

Most wins by an owner:

2 - Allen E. Paulson
Allen E. Paulson
Allen Eugene Paulson was an American aviation entrepreneur, philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse breeder and owner, and a self-made multi-millionaire.-Business career in aviation:Born in Clinton, Iowa, Allen E...

(1991, 1992)
2 - Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred Horse breeding operation in near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910, by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Farm in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since.-Owners:...

(1993, 2004)

Most wins by a jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...

:

3 - Jerry D. Bailey (1991, 1997, 2004)

Most wins by a Trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...

:

2 - Richard J. Lundy (1991, 1992)
2 - William I. Mott (1994, 2004)

Winners of the Turf Classic Stakes since 1987

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance (Miles)	Time
2011	Get Stormy	5	Ramon Dominguez	Tom Bush	Sullimar Stables	1-1/8	1:50.81
2010	General Quarters General Quarters (horse) General Quarters is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was a contender for the 2009 U.S. Triple Crown. He was sired by Sky Mesa, winner of the 2002 Grade I Hopeful Stakes, a son of the 1997 Blue Grass Stakes winner, Pulpit...	4	Rafael Bejarano	Thomas R. McCarthy Thomas R. McCarthy Thomas R. McCarthy is a Kentucky native and former High School teacher, school principal, and a Thoroughbred racehorse owner & trainer best known for the 2009 Blue Grass Stakes winner and Kentucky Derby runner, General Quarters...	Thomas R. McCarthy	1-1/8	1:53.42
2009	Einstein Einstein (horse) Einstein is a Thoroughbred racehorse competing in the United States. Bred by Fazenda Mondesir, he was sired by the 1985 American Horse of the Year, Spend A Buck. His dam, Gay Charm, was the 1988 Brazilian Champion Three-Year-Old Filly...	7	Julien Leparoux Julien Leparoux Julien R. Leparoux is a Champion jockey currently racing in the United States.Leparoux, grew up in a racing family, the son of a jockey turned assistant trainer. He worked at the Chantilly Racecourse as a stable hand and in January 2003 emigrated to California to work as an exercise rider for...	Helen Pitts Helen Pitts-Blasi Helen Pitts-Blasi is an American trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses.Born on a farm, Helen Pitts' parents were both involved in steeplechase racing. She rode ponies and horses from the time she was a young girl, competing in such things as steeplechase racing, pony racing, and fox hunting...	Midnight Cry Stable	1-1/8	1:49.62
2008	Einstein Einstein (horse) Einstein is a Thoroughbred racehorse competing in the United States. Bred by Fazenda Mondesir, he was sired by the 1985 American Horse of the Year, Spend A Buck. His dam, Gay Charm, was the 1988 Brazilian Champion Three-Year-Old Filly...	6	Robby Albarado Robby Albarado Robby J. Albarado is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 12 at bush tracks in his native Louisiana and after turning professional, earned his first win at Evangeline Downs in 1990...	Helen Pitts Helen Pitts-Blasi Helen Pitts-Blasi is an American trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses.Born on a farm, Helen Pitts' parents were both involved in steeplechase racing. She rode ponies and horses from the time she was a young girl, competing in such things as steeplechase racing, pony racing, and fox hunting...	P. Cunningham/M. Greene	1-1/8	1:50.50
2007	Sky Conqueror Sky Conqueror Sky Conqueror is an Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse. Out of the mare, Heavenly Ballerina, a daughter of 1982 United States Horse of the Year, Conquistador Cielo, he was sired by Sky Classic, a son of the 1971 British Triple Crown champion, Nijinsky.Trained by Darwin Banach, Sky Conqueror was sent...	5	Javier Castellano Javier Castellano Javier Castellano is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.Castellano began his riding career in his native Venezuela in 1996 and in June 1997 moved to the United States where rode at race tracks in southern Florida until 2001 when he moved to race on the New York State racing circuit.In...	Darwin D. Banach	William A. Sorokolit, Sr.	1-1/8	1:49.01
2006	English Channel English Channel (horse) English Channel is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned by James T. Scatuorchio and bred by Keene Ridge Farm, he was sired by Smart Strike out of the Theatrical mare Belva. In four years of racing, he competed in twenty three races, winning thirteen, finishing second in four, and finishing...	4	Garrett K. Gomez Garrett K. Gomez Garrett Keith Gomez is an American thoroughbred jockey.-Early career:Gomez learned to ride by watching his father, Louie, who was a jockey at many tracks in the Southwest United States...	Todd A. Pletcher	James T. Scatuorchio	1-1/8	1:47.15
2005	America Alive	4	Robby Albarado Robby Albarado Robby J. Albarado is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 12 at bush tracks in his native Louisiana and after turning professional, earned his first win at Evangeline Downs in 1990...	Neil J. Howard Neil J. Howard Neil J. Howard is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer.Howard began working for a racing stable in 1969 and went on to spend seven years as an assistant and stable foreman to future Hall of Fame trainer MacKenzie Miller before going out on his own in 1979.With Summer Squall, in 1990 Neil...	Mill House Stable	1-1/8	1:47.34
2004	Stroll	4	Jerry D. Bailey	William I. Mott	Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred Horse breeding operation in near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910, by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Farm in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since.-Owners:...	1-1/8	1:53.00
2003	Honor In War	4	David R. Flores David R. Flores David Romero Flores is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.His father was a jockey and an exercise rider in Southern California....	Paul McGee	3rd Turn Stables	1-1/8	1:46.67
2002	Beat Hollow Beat Hollow Beat Hollow is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse who won four Group/Grade 1 races in Europe and the United States....	5	Alex Solis Alex Solis Alex O. Solis is a jockey based in the United States. He currently lives in Glendora, California and rides predominantly in Southern California...	Robert J. Frankel	Juddmonte Farms Juddmonte Farms Juddmonte Farms is a famous and award-winning horse breeding farm, owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. A member of the Saudi Arabian royal family the successful businessman presides over the massive conglomerate Mawared...	1-1/8	1:47.35
2001	White Heart	6	Gary L. Stevens	Neil Drysdale Neil Drysdale Neil D. Drysdale is an American based thoroughbred race horse trainer.Based in Playa Del Rey, California, he has won two Triple Crown races - the Belmont Stakes with A.P. Indy in 1992 and the Kentucky Derby with Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000...	Gainsborough Farms	1-1/8	1:48.75
2000	Manndar	4	Corey Nakatani Corey Nakatani Corey S. Nakatani is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He got his big break in 1990 when he rode Itsallgreektome to win big stakes races.Nakatani currently resides at Belmont Park...	C. Beau Greely	Columbine Stable et al.	1-1/8	1:47.91
1999	Wild Event	6	Shane Sellers Shane Sellers Shane Jude Sellers is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. At age eleven, he began working around horses and in 1983 rode his first winner at Evangeline Downs....	Lou M. Goldfine	Arthur I. Appleton	1-1/8	1:47.25
1998	Joyeux Danseur	5	Robby Albarado Robby Albarado Robby J. Albarado is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 12 at bush tracks in his native Louisiana and after turning professional, earned his first win at Evangeline Downs in 1990...	Albert Stall, Jr.	B. Wayne Hughes	1-1/8	1:48.14
1997	Always A Classic	4	Jerry D. Bailey	Mark Frostad Mark Frostad Mark R. Frostad is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse trainer. He grew up with a father who owned a stud farm but before becoming involved in thoroughbred horse racing, Frostad obtained a BA degree in literature from Princeton University then in 1976 an MBA degree from the University of Western Ontario...	Sam-Son Farm Sam-Son Farm Sam-Son Farm is a thoroughbred horse racing stable with farms locations in Milton, Ontario, Canada and Ocala, Florida. Originating in the 60's by Ernie Samuel, it began as a home for hunter/jumper horses...	1-1/8	1:49.29
1996	Mecke	4	Pat Day Pat Day Patrick Alan "Pat" Day is an American jockey. He is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991...	Emanuel Tortora	James Lewis, Jr.	1-1/8	1:49.48
1995	Romarin	5	Corey Nakatani Corey Nakatani Corey S. Nakatani is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He got his big break in 1990 when he rode Itsallgreektome to win big stakes races.Nakatani currently resides at Belmont Park...	Richard Mandella Richard Mandella Richard Eugene Mandella is a Thoroughbred horse trainer and a member of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame....	L. E. de Paula Machado	1-1/8	1:46.86
1994	Paradise Creek Paradise Creek (horse) Paradise Creek was a millionaire American Thoroughbred racehorse and successful sire. He was bred in Kentucky by Bertram R. Firestone and raced under the same Firestone banner as his owner. He finished racing with a record of 14-7-1 in 25 starts with career earnings of $3,401,415. Paradise Creek...	5	Pat Day Pat Day Patrick Alan "Pat" Day is an American jockey. He is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991...	William I. Mott	Masayuki Nishiyama	1-1/8	1:48.34
1993	Lure Lure (horse) Lure is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and owned by Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, he is a son of the leading stallion Danzig, who in turn was sired by Hall of Famer and prominent sire Northern Dancer...	4	Mike E. Smith	C. R. McGaughey III	Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred Horse breeding operation in near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910, by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Farm in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since.-Owners:...	1-1/8	1:46.34
1992	Cudas	4	Pat Valenzuela Pat Valenzuela Patrick Angel Valenzuela is an American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Born into a racing family, his father plus three of his uncles, including Ismael Valenzuela, were jockeys. He rode his first career winner on November 10, 1978, at Sunland Park Racetrack in Sunland Park, New Mexico...	Richard J. Lundy	Allen E. Paulson Allen E. Paulson Allen Eugene Paulson was an American aviation entrepreneur, philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse breeder and owner, and a self-made multi-millionaire.-Business career in aviation:Born in Clinton, Iowa, Allen E...	1-1/8	1:46.56
1991	Opening Verse Opening Verse Opening Verse was a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in England and the United States. Bred in Kentucky, his sire was the 1977 Epsom and Irish Derby winner, The Minstrel...	5	Jerry D. Bailey	Richard J. Lundy	Allen E. Paulson Allen E. Paulson Allen Eugene Paulson was an American aviation entrepreneur, philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse breeder and owner, and a self-made multi-millionaire.-Business career in aviation:Born in Clinton, Iowa, Allen E...	1-1/8	1:47.22
1990	Ten Keys	6	Kent Desormeaux Kent Desormeaux Kent Jason Desormeaux is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year, 1989.-Brief biography:...	Michael Pino	Charles Linhoss	1-1/8	1:50.80
1989	Equalize	7	Jose Santos José Santos Jose Abon Santos is a retired Chilean thoroughbred jockey who has been honored by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in the United States.-Career:...	Angel Penna, Sr. Angel Penna, Sr. Angel A. Penna, Sr. was an Argentine-born U. S. Racing Hall of Fame Thoroughbred horse trainer. Penna was an international trainer who worked and raced on three continents...	Alejandro Menditeguy	1-1/8	1:51.40
1988	Yankee Affair Yankee Affair Yankee Affair was an American multi-millionaire Thoroughbred racehorse. Foaled May 1, 1982 in Pennsylvania, he was purchased for $10,200 as a yearling by trainer Henry L...	6	Pat Day Pat Day Patrick Alan "Pat" Day is an American jockey. He is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991...	Henry L. Carroll Henry L. Carroll Henry L. Carroll he was the son of Bill Carroll who trained horses at New England racetracks. Carroll holds a degree in History from Newberry College. Having ties to thoroughbred horses through his own father and eager to get back into the world of racing, Carroll obtained his racing license in...	Jujugen Stable	1-1/8	1:50.00
1987	Manila Manila (horse) Manila is an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame Champion racehorse. He was sired by Northern Dancer's son Lyphard, out of the mare Dona Ysidra. He was bred by Filipino food and beverage magnate Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr...	4	Angel Cordero, Jr.	LeRoy Jolley LeRoy Jolley LeRoy Jolley is an United States Hall of Fame Thoroughbred horse trainer. The son of horse trainer Moody Jolley, LeRoy Jolley has been around horses all his life at age nineteen received a New York State trainer's license....	Bradley M. Shannon	1-1/8	1:48.80

Records

Winners of the Turf Classic Stakes since 1987

See also