The Kentucky Cup Classic Stakesis a Grade III 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 four-year-olds and older over a distance of miles on the Tapeta track scheduled annually in late March at

Turfway Park Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located within the city limits of Florence, Kentucky, about south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati. The track conducts live Thoroughbred horse racing during two meets each year—Holiday (December), ...

in the

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

suburb of

Florence, Kentucky Florence is a city in Boone County, Kentucky, United States, part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. The population was 31,946 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in Northern Kentucky, the eighth-most populous city i ...

. The event currently offers a purse of $300,000.

History

The inaugural running of the event was held on September 24, 1994, and was won by the 1994

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

and

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...

winning

Tabasco Cat Tabasco Cat (April 15, 1991 – March 6, 2004) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was best known for his performances in 1994 when he won the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, the second and third legs of the Triple Crown Series. ...

. He was ridden by ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey

Pat Day Patrick Alan "Pat" Day (born October 13, 1953, in Brush, Colorado) is a retired 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 an ...

and trained by US Hall of Fame trainer

D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas (born September 2, 1935, in Antigo, Wisconsin) is a retired American horse trainer and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. He has won twenty Breeders' Cup races, received five Eclipse Awards for his accomplishments, and his h ...

. The following year the event was held under handicap conditions. In 1996 the event was upgraded to Grade III status. With the continual high purses which attracted quality runners the event was upgraded in 1999 to Grade II. With the support of

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 ...

, this race was suspended in 2010 due to economic challenges, but returned in 2011 and held at a shorter distance of miles. On August 29, 2017, after having not been run since its "revival" in 2011 and losing its graded status, general manager Daniel "Chip" Bach announced the Kentucky Cup Classic would return once again in 2018. The race was run on the Spiral Stakes undercard in March. In 2020, Nun the Less, a

gelding A gelding (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɛldɪŋ/) is a castration, castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated Camelidae, camels. By compa ...

son of

Candy Ride Candy Ride (foaled September 27, 1999 in Argentina) is a retired Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse who went undefeated in six starts on both turf and dirt racing surfaces in Argentina and the United States. In Argentina, he won the Gran Premio ...

, became the first horse to win the race twice, having won it the first time the previous year. He also became the oldest horse to win the race, winning in 2020 at age 8. Future Prospect, a son of Giant's Causeway's full-brother Freud, had previously been the oldest horse to win, having won in 2011 at age 7. In 2024 the event was upgraded back to Grade III by the

Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association 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, i ...

Records

;Time record * 1:47.43 - Atticus (1996) ;Margins * 17 lengths –

Silver Charm Silver Charm (foaled February 22, 1994) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and 1998 Dubai World Cup (of all of which he is the oldest surviving winner). He stood at stud in the Unit ...

and Wild Rush (1998) Most wins by a

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

* 2 - Nun the Less (2019, 2020) ;Most wins by an owner * 3 - Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey (2004, 2009, 2018) ;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 ...

* 3 -

(1994, 1998, 2003) ;Most wins by a trainer * 3 -

Bob Baffert Robert A. Baffert (born January 13, 1953) is an American racehorse trainer. He has trained two Triple Crown winners: American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018. Baffert's horses have won the Kentucky Derby six times, tying the record with ...

(1997, 1998, 2000) * 3 -

Michael J. Maker Michael J. Maker (born February 7, 1969) is an American Horse trainer, trainer of Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorses. The son of a trainer, he learned the business from his father then set up his own public stable in 1991. In 1993 he went to wo ...

(2009, 2018, 2022)

Winners

''Legend:''

External links

Official website for Turfway Park

Kentucky Cup Stakes
restored by

References

{{reflist, 2 Open mile category horse races Turfway Park horse races Horse races established in 1994 1994 establishments in Kentucky Graded stakes races in the United States Grade 3 stakes races in the United States

History

Records

Winners

See also

External links

References