The Barbara Fritchie Stakes is an American race for

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

horses 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 milli ...

run at

Laurel Park Racecourse Laurel Park, formerly Laurel Race Course, is an American thoroughbred racetrack located just outside Laurel, Maryland which opened in 1911. The track is miles in circumference. Its name was changed to "Laurel Race Course" for several decades un ...

in February. A Listed event, this race is open to fillies and mares age four and up. It is run at seven

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...

s on the dirt and offers a purse of $250,000. Originally a handicap, the race is currently run under allowance weight conditions. The race is run in honor of Barbara Fritchie, who was an American patriot during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. According to legend, Fritchie, a 95-year-old woman at the time, stood in the street and attempted to block or at least antagonize Confederate General

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general and military officer who served during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the eastern the ...

and his troops by waving the Union flag as they marched through Frederick, Maryland, on their campaign to the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

.2007 Maryland Jockey Club Media Guide, page 45 on March 3, 2007. The Barbara Fritchie Handicap was run at Bowie Race Course in

Bowie, Maryland Bowie () is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 58,329. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County; i ...

, from 1952 to 1984 before being moved to its present location at Laurel Park. The race was a grade 3 race from 1973 to 1991 before being upgraded to grade 2 status for the 1992 running. The race was not held in 1960, 1972 and 2006. Its distance was six furlongs from 1957 to 1959 and 1963, and it was run at one mile in 1961. Tosmah won this race in 1966. The race was downgraded to Grade III status in 2019. The race was run in two divisions in 1982, 1984 and 1985. In 2025 the event was downgraded 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 ...

to Listed status.

Records

Speed record: * 7 furlongs - 1:21.40 - Tappiano (1989) * 6 furlongs - 1:10.80 - All Brandy (1963) and Tinkalero (1958) * miles - 1:44.80 - Sotto Voce (1954) Most wins by an horse: * 2 - Xtra Heat (2002 & 2003); * 2 -

Twixt TwixT is a two-player Abstract strategy game, strategy board game, an early entrant in the 1960s 3M bookshelf game series. It became one of the most popular and enduring games in the series. It is a connection game where players alternate tu ...

(1974 & 1975); * 2 - Skipat (1979 & 1981) 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 ...

: * 4 - Donnie Miller Jr. (1982, 1984, 1984, 1985) Most wins by a trainer: * 3 - J. Bowes Bond (1952, 1958, 1970) * 3 - Katharine Voss (1974, 1975, 1992) Most wins by an owner: * 2 - nine different owners are tied with two wins each

Winners

References

{{reflist

External links

Laurel Park racetrack
Sprint category horse races for fillies and mares Horse races in Maryland Laurel Park Racecourse Bowie Race Track 1952 establishments in Maryland Horse races established in 1952 Previously graded stakes races in the United States

Records

Winners

See also

References

External links