The Pat Day Mile Stakes is a
Grade II
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, Hi ...
American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on dirt over a distance of one mile scheduled on
Kentucky Derby Day 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 ...
in
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 current purse is $600,000.
History
Race name
Originally, the event was known as the Derby Trial Stakes and was held one week before the
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 ...
. It was first run in 1924 and every year since, with the exception of 1928.
The race name was given similar to races in Britain which preceded the Epsom Derby such as
the Investec Derby Trial (now
Blue Riband Trial Stakes
The Blue Riband Trial Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 17 yards (2,027 metres) ...
) and
Lingfield Derby Trial and in Australia, the Geelong Derby Trial Stakes (now known as the ''Geelong Classic'').
In 2015, this race was renamed to the Pat Day Mile Stakes (in honor of the 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 moved to the undercard of Kentucky Derby day. Its purse was increased from $150,000 to $200,000. In 2016, the purse was raised to $250,000.
From 2010 through 2012, it had been named the Cliff's Edge Derby Trial.
[April 28, 2012](_blank)
/ref>
Distance and class
The distance was reduced between 1977 and 1981 to 7 furlongs. And once again the distance from 2007 to 2009 was furlongs. The Derby Trial Stakes was an ungraded event from 2006 to 2008.
Winners of the Trial and Derby
Four trainers have won the Derby Trial and the Kentucky Derby with the same horse. The feat was accomplished by Hanley Webb in 1924 with Black Gold and by Ben A. Jones who did it twice, first with the great Citation
A citation is a reference to a source. More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression embedded in the body of an intellectual work that denotes an entry in the bibliographic references section of the work for the purpose o ...
in 1948 and then with Hill Gail in 1952. Eddie Hayward won both in 1953 with Dark Star and in 1958 Jimmy Jones, son of Ben, became the fourth and last to do it when he won the two races with Tim Tam.The Vindicator (Youngstown, Ohio) – April 28, 2003
/ref> Since Tim Tam, the gradual trend in training has been toward giving Derby contenders fewer prep races and more time between them. This practice has all but eliminated the Trial as a legitimate Derby prep race. Even the 1982 decision to move it from the Tuesday before the Derby to the Saturday before didn't help.
However, the three weeks between the Trial and the 1 3/16ths-mile Preakness in Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
is perfect. In recent years, the Trial has sent the Preakness such horses as Key to the Mint (1972), No More Flowers (1987), Houston (1989), Honor Grades (1991), Alydeed (1992), Cherokee Run (1993), Numerous (1994), Our Gatsby (1995), Black Cash (1998), Patience Game (1999), Sir Shackleton (2004), Flying First Class (2007), Macho Again (2008), and Pleasant Prince (2010).
Although none of those Trial horses won the Preakness, Alydeed, Cherokee Run and Macho Again finished second at Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of O ...
and Key to the Mint finished third. And two of trainer Woody Stephens
Woody Stephens (September 1, 1913 – August 22, 1998) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer.
Biography
Born Woodford Cefis Stephens in Stanton, Kentucky, he had a younger brother named William Ward Stephens who also b ...
' Trial winners Caveat in 1983 and Creme Fraiche in '85 went on to win the 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 ...
(GI). Additionally, the 2008 Belmont Stakes was won by Da'Tara, trained by Nick Zito, who finished in fifth place in the 2008 Derby Trial Stakes.
Calumet Farm had three horses that finished second in the Trial. In 1941, Whirlaway finished second to Blue Pair in the Trial, but then roared back to win the Triple Crown. In 1949, Ponder was second to Olympia in the Trial, but came back five days later to take the Derby by three lengths over Capot
Capot (1946–1974) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse sired by Menow out of the mare Piquet. Owned and bred by Greentree Stable, Capot was trained by John M. Gaver, Sr.
Two-year-old season
Racing as a two-year-old, Capot won the Cham ...
.
In 1957, Middleground finished second in the Trial to Black George on a muddy track, but won the Kentucky Derby later on a fast track.
And then there was the ill-fated Gen. Duke in 1957. He came to Churchill Downs touted as a potential superstar, but finished second to Federal Hill in the Trial. Then, the morning of the Derby, Gen. Duke was scratched because of a foot injury suffered in the Trial.
In 1967, Barb's Delight became the last Trial horse to have a significant impact on the Derby, finishing second by a length to longshot Proud Clarion. Don't Get Mad finished fourth in the Derby in 2005.
The last horse to win the Saturday before the Derby and then win the roses was Cannonade in 1974. But the race he won was the now-defunct 7f Stepping Stone Purse, not the Derby Trial.
Losers of the Trial and winners of the Derby
Several Kentucky Derby winners failed to win the Trial, but bounced back to win the "Run for the Roses." Most notable of those were Calumet Farm's Iron Liege
Iron Liege (March 11, 1954 – December 14, 1972) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1957 Kentucky Derby.
Background
Iron Liege was a bay horse bred and owned by Calumet Farm. He was sired by Calumet's leading s ...
, who finished fifth in the Trial and returned to defeat a Kentucky Derby field that included champions Gallant Man
Gallant Man (March 20, 1954 – September 7, 1988) was a thoroughbred racehorse, named for a horse in a Don Ameche movie. His exact foaling date was unknown or at best debated over the years of his life and many years after. The supporting e ...
, Round Table
The Round Table (; ; ; ) is King Arthur's famed table (furniture), table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that everyone who sits there has equal status, unlike co ...
and Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler (April 6, 1954 – July 12, 1971) was an American Thoroughbred National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame racehorse who was the 1957 American Horse of the Year, Horse of the Year. This following a three-year-old campaign t ...
and is generally considered to be the greatest field in Derby history. King Ranch
King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States. At some it is larger than the area of the European country Luxembourg. It is mainly a cattle ranch, but also produced the racehorse Assault (horse), Assault, who won the United States Tri ...
's Assault
In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or consent, unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may ...
finished fourth in the Trial, but returned to win the Derby and sweep the Triple Crown. In 1941, Triple Crown winner Whirlaway
Whirlaway (April 2, 1938 – April 6, 1953) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the fifth winner of the American Triple Crown. He also won the Travers Stakes after his Triple Crown sweep to become the first and only horse to ...
finished second in the Derby Trial, but returned to sweep the Derby, 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 ...
.
Records
;Speed record
* 1:28.45 - Macho Again (2008) (at distance of furlongs)
* 1:34.18 - Competitive Edge (2015) (at distance of one mile)
;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 - Eddie Arcaro
George Edward Arcaro (February 19, 1916 – November 14, 1997) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple ...
(1948, 1949, 1952, 1959)
* 4 - 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 ...
(1987, 1991, 1993, 2000)
;Most wins by a trainer
* 5 - Ben A. Jones (1943, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1952)
;Most wins by an owner
* 9 - Calumet Farm
Calumet Farm is a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm established in 1924 in Lexington, Kentucky, United States by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Calumet is located in the heart of the Bluegrass ...
(1943, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1958, 2017, 2018)
Winners
See also
*Road to the Kentucky Derby
The Road to the Kentucky Derby is a points system by which horses qualify for a position in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. It features dozens of stakes races for 2 and 3-year-old Thoroughbreds – the number and specific races have chang ...
External Sites
2023 Churchill Downs Media Guide - $500,000 Pat Day Mile presented by TwinSpires (Grade II)
h1>
References
{{Reflist, 2
Churchill Downs horse races
Flat horse races for three-year-olds
Triple Crown Prep Races
Graded stakes races in the United States
Horse races established in 1924
1924 establishments in Kentucky
May
Grade 3 stakes races in the United States