The Ballston Spa Stakes is a

Grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and

mares A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four y ...

that are four years old or older over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the turf course scheduled annually in late July or early August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $400,000.

History

The inaugural running of the Ballston Spa Stakes was 4 August 1983 and was restricted to New York State bred fillies and

that were three years old or older and run at a distance of 7 furlongs on the dirt. The name of the event honors Ballston Spa, New York, a small town just south of Saratoga Springs. The Ballston Spa name was not used again until 1997. NYRA created a race in 1989 with Breeders' Cup incentives that was the forerunner of today's event. The event with additional sponsorship from Budweiser was known as the Aqueduct Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap and it was run in late October over a distance of one mile. In 1994 the event was moved to Saratoga and was renamed as the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap with an increase of distance to miles. In 1995 the event was classified as Grade III and upgraded to Grade II in 2006. In 1997 the event was renamed once more to the Ballston Spa Handicap. The 2002 event was taken off the turf track due to consistent rain during the days before the event which resulted in seven scratchings leaving a small field of three to run. Surya won by the stakes largest distance of lengths with over 50 lengths separating second and third on the muddy track. Several champions have won this event including the 2004–05 Australian Champion Three Year Old Filly

Alinghi Alinghi, or Alinghi Red Bull Racing because of the sports marketing branding by Red Bull, is the syndicate set up by Ernesto Bertarelli, racing under the colors of the Société Nautique de Genève, to challenge for the America's Cup, as well as ...

, the 2006 US Champion Three-Year-Old Filly

Wait A While Wait A While (foaled March 4, 2003) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Although she showed some good form on dirt she had her greatest success on turf and won twelve of her twenty-four races in a track career which lasted from ...

, who was a dual winner of the event, the 2012 US Champion Female Turf Horse French bred Zagora who later that year would also win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and

Lady Eli Lady Eli (foaled February 2, 2012 in Kentucky) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse who was named the American Champion Female Turf Horse of 2017. She first came to national attention when she won the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She ...

, US Champion Female Turf Horse in 2017.

Records

Speed record: * miles: 1:38.77 – Strike Charmer (2016) * 1 mile: 1:33.80 – Wakonda (1989) Margins: * lengths – Surya (2002) Most wins: * 2 – Weekend Madness (1994, 1995) * 2 –

(2007, 2008) Most wins by an owner: * 2 – New Phoenix Stable (1994, 1995) * 2 – Arindel Farm (2007, 2008) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or 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 to describe the individual ...

: * 5 – John Velazquez (1997, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008) Most wins by a trainer: * 7 –

Chad C. Brown Chad C. Brown (born December 18, 1978) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer known for his expertise with turf horses and with fillies and mares. He has trained ten Eclipse Award winners including Stacelita, Big Blue Kitten, Lady Eli, ...

(2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022)

Winners

''Legend:''

''Notes:''
§ Ran as an entry
‡ The inaugural event was restricted to New York State bred fillies and

that are three years old or older.

References

{{reflist, 2 Graded stakes races in the United States Grade 2 stakes races in the United States Mile category horse races for fillies and mares Horse races in New York (state) Turf races in the United States Saratoga Race Course Recurring sporting events established in 1983 1983 establishments in New York (state)

History

Records

Winners

See also

References