Southwest Stakes


The Southwest Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas in mid February, usually during the President's Day weekend. A Grade III event, the race is run at a distance of miles. In 2020, the purse was increased to $750,000. The race is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

History

Inaugurated in 1968 as the Southwest Handicap, it was run at a distance of six furlongs from 1968 through 1983. It was then lengthened to one mile before changing to a distance of miles in 2013.
Originally ungraded, the Southwest Stakes was upgraded to a Grade III event in 2008 by the American Graded Stakes Committee.
The race is often used as a prep to the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby, and is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Among the horses who have used the Southwest as a springboard to the Triple Crown series are Lil E. Tee, Pine Bluff and Smarty Jones.
The race's forerunner was the Southwest Purse, held in 1959 and 1962 and won by Call Hy and Killoqua, respectively.
It was run in two divisions in 1972, 2002, and 2012.

Records

Speed record:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:
A # designates that the race was run in two divisions in 2012, 2002 and 1972.

Earlier winners