The Aristides Stakes is 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 six furlongs on the dirt scheduled annually in late May or early June at

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States that hosts the annual Kentucky Derby. It opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years. The first ...

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

. The event currently offers a purse of $275,000.

History

The Aristides Stakes is named in honor of the

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

Aristides Aristides ( ; , ; 530–468 BC) was an ancient Athenian statesman. Nicknamed "the Just" (δίκαιος, ''díkaios''), he flourished at the beginning of Athens' Classical period and is remembered for his generalship in the Persian War. ...

who won the inaugural

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

in 1875 on the Churchill Downs track. The race itself was inaugurated on June 18, 1989, as the Aristides Breeders' Cup Handicap over a distance of furlongs and was won by the Paul McGee=trained ex-claimer Bet the Pot. The condition of entry to the handicap were for horses three years old older. Breeders' Cup sponsorship ceased in 1996 but the quality of entrants continued to improve and 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 ...

upgraded the event to Grade III status. Bet on Sunshine, the first two-time winner in the race's history, set a new track record of 1:15.11 for furlongs in 2000 as an eight-year-old then in 2001 beat his own record with a time of 1:14.79. Breeders' Cup sponsorship resumed in 2004 for three runnings of the event and the distance was decreased to six furlongs. Kelly's Landing ran the fastest six furlongs in Churchill Downs history when he won the 2005 edition in a time of 1:07.59. Later in 2020 Volatile would better the stakes record with a time of 1:07.57 when he won easily by eight lengths as the 1/2 odds-on favorite. In 2019 the event lost its graded status. In 2020 the conditions of the event were modified so that only horses four years old and older could enter. In 2025 the event was upgraded by the

to a Grade III.

Records

Speed record * 6 furlongs: 1:07.57 – Volatile (2020) * furlongs: 1:14.41 – Orientate (2002) Margins * 8 lengths – Volatile (2020) Most wins * 2 – Bet On Sunshine (2000, 2001) * 2 – Alsvid (2015, 2016) * 2 – Bango (2021, 2022) 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 – Shane J. Sellers (1994, 1997, 1998) * 3 – Corey J. Lanerie (2003, 2017, 2019) Most wins by a trainer * 5 – Steven M. Asmussen (2003, 2010, 2012, 2020, 2023) Most wins by an owner * 2 – David P. Halloway Racing (2000, 2001) * 2 – Maggi Moss (2008, 2014) * 2 – Black Hawk Stable (2015, 2016) * 2 – Tamaroak Partners (2021, 2022)

Winners

References

{{reflist, 2 1989 establishments in Kentucky Churchill Downs horse races Graded stakes races in the United States Grade 3 stakes races in the United States Horse races established in 1989 Open sprint category horse races

History

Records

Winners

See also

References