The First Lady Stakes is a

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

American

thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a 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 jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

for fillies & mares, age three and older over a distance of one mile on the

turf Sod is the upper layer of turf that is harvested for transplanting. Turf consists of a variable thickness of a soil medium that supports a community of turfgrasses. In British and Australian English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', ...

held annually in October at

Keeneland Race Course Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for it ...

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...

during the fall meeting.

History

The race was first run on October 16, 1998, as the First Lady Stakes at a distance of miles and was sponsored by Vinery Farm located in Lexington. In 2000,

WinStar Farm WinStar Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding and horse racing, racing farm near Versailles, Kentucky, owned by Kenny Troutt. It won the 2010 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner and 2016 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder, Outstandi ...

became the race's sponsor from then through 2005 and it was renamed the Galaxy Stakes. Also that year the event was classified Grade III by the

American Graded Stakes Committee The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) is an American trade organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeders, which is based in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1961, TOBA's stated mission is to "improve the economics, in ...

who upgraded it as a Grade II race the following year. In 2005 the distance of the event was decreased to its present distance of one mile. In 2006, the name of the event was reverted to its inaugural title. The First Lady Stakes is a steppingstone to the

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for fillies and mares, three years old and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championsh ...

. In 2000,

Perfect Sting Perfect Sting (foaled 1996 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred Championracehorse and broodmare. Bred by Frank Stronach's Adena Springs Farm and raced by his Stronach Stables, she was sired by Red Ransom and out of the mare Valid Victress. ...

ran second in this race but went on to win that year's inaugural edition of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. In 2005,

Intercontinental InterContinental Hotels & Resorts by IHG is a British-American luxury hotel brand created in 1946 by Pan Am founder Juan Trippe. It has been part of UK-based InterContinental Hotels Group since 1998. As of January 2023, there were 208 InterC ...

won this race and the ensuing Breeders' Cup and was crowned US Champion Female Turf Horse. The 2008 winner Forever Together also went on to win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and was crowned US Champion Female Turf Horse. The 2015 winner Tepin went on to defeat the males in the

Breeders' Cup Mile The Breeders' Cup Mile is a conditions races, Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a sod, grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup, Breeders' Cup World C ...

and also was crowned US Champion Female Turf Horse. The

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

bred Uni was the most recent winner to claim the

after winning this event in 2019.

Records

Speed record: * 1:32.87 - Uni (GB) (2019) Margins: * lengths – Bien Nicole (2003) ;Most wins * 2 - Uni (GB) (2019, 2020) * 2 - Gina Romantica (2023, 2024) ;Most wins by an owner * 4 - Peter M. Brant (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) ;Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

* 5 -

Julien Leparoux Julien R. Leparoux (born July 15, 1983 in Senlis, Oise, France) is a French Eclipse Award winning jockey currently racing in the United States. He has won seven Breeders' Cup races, including the 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile with Champion Turf Mare T ...

(2006, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2015) ;Most wins by a trainer * 8 - Chad C. Brown (2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Winners

''Legend:''

References

{{reflist, 2 Graded stakes races in the United States Grade 1 stakes races in the United States Grade 1 turf stakes races in the United States Mile category horse races for fillies and mares Horse races established in 1998 Keeneland horse races 1998 establishments in Kentucky Breeders' Cup Challenge series

History

Records

Winners

See also

References