Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. A specific grade level is then assigned to the race, based on statistical analysis of the quality of the field in previous years, provided the race meets the minimum purse criteria for the grade in question. In Canada, a similar grading system is maintained by the Jockey Club of Canada. Graded stakes races are similar to Group races in Europe but the grading is more dynamic in North America.
The grading system was designed in 1973 and first published in 1974. The original purpose of grading was to identify the most competitive races, which helps horsemen make comparisons of the relative quality of bloodstock for breeding and sales purposes. A high grading can also be used by racetracks to promote the race in question. When determining Eclipse Award winners, racing journalists will consider the number and grade of a horse's stakes wins during the year.
In general, stakes race refers to the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay, which generally forms part of the prize money offered to the top finishers. Not all stakes races are eligible for grading. Notably, races that are restricted to horses bred in a specific state or country are excluded, regardless of the purse or quality of field. Conversely, some races that are not technically stakes races may be eligible for grading if they meet the quality standards.
Criteria
To determine if a race is eligible for grading, the American Graded Stakes Committee uses the following criteria:- Purse requirement: That the race has a purse of at least $75,000.
- Longevity: That the race has been run for two years under fundamentally the same conditions.
- Restrictions: That the race may be restricted only in age and sex.
- Drug testing: That post race drug testing is managed by a governmental authority.
- Medication: That model rules on androgenic-anabolic steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs be followed. Specifically, only Boldenone, Nandrolone, Stanozolol, and Testosterone are allowed to be used.
A newly established race may inherit the graded status of a discontinued race if it is held at the same facility under essentially identical conditions as the discontinued race. Notably, the inaugural running of the Pegasus World Cup in January 2017 was Grade I, inheriting the status of the now-discontinued Donn Handicap.
Levels
There are four different levels of grading, from Listed at the bottom to Grade I at the top. The latter are higher-class races for bigger prizes for horses of the same age group and may further be restricted by sex. The weight conditions of the races may vary provided they meet the Committee's standards to ensure competitiveness. Many grade I races are "weight-for-age", with weights adjusted only according to age and sex, and also there are 'set weights' where all horses carry the same weight. Furthermore, there are "conditions" races, in which horses carry weights that are set by conditions, such as having won a certain number of races, or races of a certain value. Finally, some graded stakes are "handicaps", in which an official handicapper assigns weights to each horse in an attempt to equalize the competition.Note that all Grade I races must have a purse of at least $300,000, but not all races with such high purses are Grade I. For example, the racetrack may be offering a high purse to attract better fields so the race will be upgraded in future years. The grade level is assigned by looking at data that indicates quality of the field for the last five years. In order to achieve or maintain a Grade I, it is necessary to attract a competitive field over a number of years.
For graded turf races, track conditions may sometimes force the race to be run on the main track. If this happens, the race is automatically downgraded by one grade level for that running only. The Committee then reviews the race within five days and may restore the original grade. For example, a Grade I turf race that is switched to the dirt will be recorded as a Grade II race, unless the committee feels the quality of the race was sufficient to warrant Grade I.
In the United States and Canada, a graded race can be dormant for one year without losing its grade.
U.S. graded stakes races
Grade I (2020)
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the events shown below may have been rescheduled or not run at all in 2020. The purse for some events may also have been altered.| Race | Track | Month | Furlongs | Track | Age | Sex | Purse |
| Acorn Stakes | Belmont | June | 8 | Dirt | 3 | F | $700,000 |
| Alabama Stakes | Saratoga | August | 10 | Dirt | 3 | F | $600,000 |
| Alcibiades Stakes | Keeneland | October | 8.5 | Dirt | 2 | F | $400,000 |
| Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap | Saratoga | July | 6 | Dirt | 3+ | $350,000 | |
| American Oaks | Santa Anita | December | 9 | Turf | 3 | F | $300,000 |
| American Pharoah Stakes | Santa Anita | September | 8.5 | Dirt | 2 | $300,000 | |
| Apple Blossom Handicap | Oaklawn | April | 8.5 | Dirt | 4+ | F/M | $700,000 |
| Arkansas Derby | Oaklawn | April | 9 | Dirt | 3 | $1,000,000 | |
| Arlington Million Stakes | Arlington | August | 10 | Turf | 3+ | $1,000,000 | |
| Ashland Stakes | Keeneland | April | 8.5 | Dirt | 3 | F | $500,000 |
| Awesome Again Stakes | Santa Anita | September | 9 | Dirt | 3+ | $300,000 | |
| Ballerina Stakes | Saratoga | August | 7 | Dirt | 3+ | F/M | $500,000 |
| Beholder Mile Stakes | Santa Anita | March | 8 | Dirt | 3+ | F/M | $400,000 |
| Belmont Derby | Belmont | July | 10 | Turf | 3 | $1,000,000 | |
| Belmont Oaks | Belmont | July | 10 | Turf | 3 | F | $750,000 |
| Belmont Stakes | Belmont | June | 12 | Dirt | 3 | $1,500,000 | |
| Beverly D. Stakes | Arlington | August | 9.5 | Turf | 3+ | F/M | $700,000 |
| Bing Crosby Handicap | Del Mar | July | 6 | Dirt | 3+ | $300,000 | |
| Breeders' Cup Classic | Oct./Nov. | 10 | Dirt | 3+ | $6,000,000 | ||
| Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile | Oct./Nov. | 8 | Dirt | 3+ | $1,000,000 | ||
| Breeders' Cup Distaff | Oct./Nov. | 9 | Dirt | 3+ | F/M | $2,000,000 | |
| Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | Oct./Nov. | 7 | Dirt | 3+ | F/M | $1,000,000 | |
| Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Oct./Nov. | 11 | Turf | 3+ | F/M | $2,000,000 | |
| Breeders' Cup Juvenile | Oct./Nov. | 8.5 | Dirt | 2 | C/G | $2,000,000 | |
| Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Oct./Nov. | 8.5 | Dirt | 2 | F | $2,000,000 | |
| Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Oct./Nov. | 8 | Turf | 2 | F | $1,000,000 | |
| Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Oct./Nov. | 8 | Turf | 2 | C/G | $1,000,000 | |
| Breeders' Cup Mile | Oct./Nov. | 8 | Turf | 3+ | $2,000,000 | ||
| Breeders' Cup Sprint | Oct./Nov. | 6 | Dirt | 3+ | $1,500,000 | ||
| Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Oct./Nov. | 5.5 | Turf | 3+ | $1,000,000 | ||
| Breeders' Cup Turf | Oct./Nov. | 12 | Turf | 3+ | $4,000,000 | ||
| Breeders' Futurity Stakes | Keeneland | October | 8.5 | Dirt | 2 | $500,000 | |
| Carter Handicap | Aqueduct | April | 7 | Dirt | 3+ | $400,000 | |
| Champagne Stakes | Belmont | October | 8 | Dirt | 2 | $500,000 | |
| Cigar Mile Handicap | Aqueduct | November | 8 | Dirt | 3+ | $750,000 | |
| Churchill Downs Stakes | Churchill Down | May | 7 | Dirt | 4+ | $500,000 | |
| Clark Handicap | Churchill Downs | November | 9 | Dirt | 3+ | $500,000 | |
| Clement L. Hirsch Stakes | Del Mar | July | 8.5 | Dirt | 3+ | F/M | $300,000 |
| Coaching Club American Oaks | Saratoga | July | 9 | Dirt | 3 | F | $300,000 |
| Cotillion Stakes | Parx | September | 8.5 | Dirt | 3 | F | $1,000,000 |
| Del Mar Debutante Stakes | Del Mar | September | 7 | Dirt | 2 | F | $300,000 |
| Del Mar Futurity | Del Mar | September | 7 | Dirt | 2 | $300,000 | |
| Del Mar Oaks | Del Mar | August | 9 | Turf | 3 | F | $300,000 |
| Diana Stakes | Saratoga | July | 9 | Turf | 3+ | F/M | $500,000 |
| First Lady Stakes | Keeneland | October | 8 | Turf | 3+ | F/M | $400,000 |
| Florida Derby | Gulfstream Park | Mar./Apr. | 9 | Dirt | 3 | $1,000,000 | |
| Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes | Belmont | October | 10 | Turf | 3+ | F/M | $500,000 |
| Forego Stakes | Saratoga | August | 7 | Dirt | 3+ | $700,000 | |
| Fourstardave Handicap | Saratoga | August | 8 | Turf | 3+ | $500,000 | |
| Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap | Santa Anita | March | 8 | Turf | 4+ | $400,000 | |
| Frizette Stakes | Belmont | October | 8 | Dirt | 2 | F | $400,000 |
| Gamely Stakes | Santa Anita | May | 9 | Turf | 3+ | F/M | $300,000 |
| Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes | Santa Anita | May | 10 | Dirt | 3+ | $500,000 | |
| H. Allen Jerkens | Saratoga | August | 7 | Dirt | 3 | $500,000 | |
| Haskell Invitational Stakes | Monmouth | July/Aug. | 9 | Dirt | 3 | $1,000,000 | |
| Hollywood Derby | Del Mar | November | 9 | Turf | 3 | $300,000 | |
| Hopeful Stakes | Saratoga | September | 7 | Dirt | 2 | $350,000 | |
| Humana Distaff Handicap | Churchill Downs | May | 7 | Dirt | 4+ | F/M | $300,000 |
| Jaipur Invitational | Belmont Park | June | 6 | Turf | 4+ | $400,000 | |
| Jenny Wiley Stakes | Keeneland | April | 8.5 | Turf | 4+ | F/M | $300,000 |
| Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes | Belmont | October | 10 | Dirt | 3+ | $750,000 | |
| Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes | Belmont | September | 12 | Turf | 3+ | $500,000 | |
| Just A Game Handicap | Belmont | June | 8 | Turf | 4+ | F/M | $700,000 |
| Kentucky Derby | Churchill Downs | May | 10 | Dirt | 3 | $3,000,000 | |
| Kentucky Oaks | Churchill Downs | Apr./May | 9 | Dirt | 3 | F | $1,250,000 |
| La Brea Stakes | Santa Anita | December | 7 | Dirt | 3 | F | $300,000 |
| La Troienne Stakes | Churchill Downs | Apr./May | 8.5 | Dirt | 3+ | F/M | $300,000 |
| Madison Stakes | Keeneland | April | 7 | Dirt | 4+ | F/M | $300,000 |
| Maker's 46 Mile Stakes | Keeneland | April | 8 | Turf | 4+ | $300,000 | |
| Malibu Stakes | Santa Anita | December | 7 | Dirt | 3 | $300,000 | |
| Man o' War Stakes | Belmont | May | 11 | Turf | 3+ | $400,000 | |
| Manhattan Handicap | Belmont | June | 10 | Turf | 4+ | $1,000,000 | |
| Matriarch Stakes | Del Mar | November | 8 | Turf | 3+ | F/M | $300,000 |
| Metropolitan Handicap | Belmont | June | 8 | Dirt | 3+ | $1,250,000 | |
| Ogden Phipps Handicap | Belmont | June | 8.5 | Dirt | 3+ | F/M | $1,000,000 |
| Pacific Classic Stakes | Del Mar | August | 10 | Dirt | 3+ | $1,000,000 | |
| Pegasus World Cup | Gulfstream Park | January | 9 | Dirt | 3+ | $9,000,000 | |
| Pegasus World Cup Turf | Gulfstream Park | January | 9.5 | Turf | 4+ | $7,000,000 | |
| Pennsylvania Derby | Parx | September | 9 | Dirt | 3 | $1,000,000+ | |
| Personal Ensign Stakes | Saratoga | August | 9 | Dirt | 3+ | F/M | $750,000 |
| Preakness Stakes | Pimlico | May | 9.5 | Dirt | 3 | $1,500,000 | |
| Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes | Keeneland | October | 9 | Turf | 3 | F | $500,000 |
| Rodeo Drive Stakes | Santa Anita | September | 10 | Turf | 3+ | F/M | $300,000 |
| Santa Anita Derby | Santa Anita | April | 9 | Dirt | 3 | $1,000,000 | |
| Santa Anita Handicap | Santa Anita | March | 10 | Dirt | 4+ | $500,000 | |
| Secretariat Stakes | Arlington | August | 10 | Turf | 3 | $450,000 | |
| Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes | Keeneland | October | 8 | Turf | 3+ | $1,000,000 | |
| Shoemaker Mile | Santa Anita | May/June | 8 | Turf | 3+ | $400,000 | |
| Spinaway Stakes | Saratoga | September | 7 | Dirt | 2 | F | $350,000 |
| Spinster Stakes | Keeneland | October | 9 | Dirt | 3+ | F/M | $500,000 |
| Starlet Stakes | Los Alamitos | December | 8.5 | Dirt | 2 | F | $300,000 |
| Sword Dancer | Saratoga | August | 12 | Turf | 3+ | $1,000,000 | |
| Test Stakes | Saratoga | August | 7 | Dirt | 3 | F | $500,000 |
| Travers Stakes | Saratoga | August | 10 | Dirt | 3 | $1,250,000 | |
| Turf Classic Stakes | Churchill Downs | May | 9 | Turf | 3+ | $500,000 | |
| United Nations Stakes | Monmouth | July | 11 | Turf | 3+ | $300,000 | |
| Whitney Handicap | Saratoga | August | 9 | Dirt | 3+ | $1,250,000 | |
| Woodward Stakes | Saratoga | September | 9 | Dirt | 3+ | $600,000 | |
| Woody Stephens Stakes | Belmont Park | June | 7 | Dirt | 3 | $400,000 |
Grade I changes since 2010
The following races have been downgraded from Grade I status since 2010:- The Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park
- Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland
- Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita
- Charles Whittingham Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Park
- Eddie Read at Del Mar
- Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct
- Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes at Hollywood Park
- Las Virgenes at Santa Anita Park
- Los Alamitos Futurity at Los Alamitos
- Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont
- Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar
- Pimlico Special at Pimlico
- Prioress Stakes at Saratoga
- Princess Rooney Handicap at Calder
- Ruffian Handicap at Saratoga
- Santa Anita Sprint Championship at Santa Anita
- Santa Anita Oaks At Santa Anita
- Santa Margarita at Santa Anita
- Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita
- Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs
- Triple Bend at Santa Anita
- Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park
- Wood Memorial at Aqueduct
- Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita
The Donn Handicap was discontinued after its 2016 edition; its Grade I status was transferred to the Pegasus World Cup, which held its first edition in 2017
Delaware Handicap was upgraded to grade 1 status in 2013 but was downgraded back to grade 2 in 2018
The following races were upgraded to Grade I status since 2010:
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf
- Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
- Churchill Downs Stakes
- Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing
- Fourstardave at Saratoga
- Jaipur Invitational at Belmont Park
- Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland
- La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs
- Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing
- Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont Park