The Intercontinental 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
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 and mares aged four years old and older, over a distance of six furlongs 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 early June at
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...
in
Elmont, New York
Elmont is an unincorporated Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in northwestern Hempstead, New York, Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York, United States, along its border with the borough ...
. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.
History
The race was inaugurated in 2014
with a stakes purse of $100,000.
The event is held on the Thursday before the Belmont Stakes as part of the Belmont Racing Festival.
In 2017 the event was classified as Grade III.
[
The race is named after ]American Champion Female Turf Horse The American Champion Female Turf Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. It is part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to a female horse (filly or mare) for her performance on grass race courses.
Until 1978 t ...
for 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 ...
who in that year won 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 2024 the event was upgraded 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 Grade II status.
Records
Speed record:
*6 furlongs: 1:07.59 - Caravel (2022)
*7 furlongs: 1:19.83 - Significant Form (2019)
Largest margin of victory:
* lengths - Zindaya (2015)
Most wins:
* 2 – Zindaya (2015, 2016)
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 ...
:
* 2 – Irad Ortiz Jr. (2019, 2020)
* 2 – José Ortiz (2023, 2025)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 3 – Chad C. Brown (2016, 2019, 2020)
Most wins by an owner:
* No owner has won this race more than once.
Winners
See also
* List of American and Canadian Graded races
The list of American and Canadian Graded races is a list of Thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada that meet the Graded stakes race, graded stakes standards maintained by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Ow ...
References
{{reflist, 2
Graded stakes races in the United States
2014 establishments in New York (state)
Horse races established in 2014
Horse races in New York (state)
Belmont Park
Grade 2 stakes races in the United States
Turf races in the United States