The Dogwood 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 three-year-old

fillies A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

run over a distance of 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 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...

s held annually in late May or early June at

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

racetrack in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

History

The event was inaugurated on 8 June 1975 and was won by the favorite

My Juliet My Juliet (1972–2001) was an American Thoroughbred champion racehorse who defeated both male and female competitors when earning the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Sprint Horse in 1976. She was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and ...

who would later the following year win

Eclipse Award for Outstanding Sprint Horse The American Champion Sprint Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. Created in 1947, in 1971 it became part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to the top horse in sprint races (usually those run at a distance ...

. The event is named after a hardy, blooming tree known as the

Dogwood ''Cornus'' is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are deciduous trees or shrub ...

, that adds so much beauty to the spring landscape in Kentucky. The Dogwood Stakes was run in two divisions in 1981. The event was upgraded to Grade III in 1998. However, the event lost this classification for the 2016 running and was a Listed event. The event regained its Grade III status in 2020. The 2019 winner Covfefe, would later win the

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint is a 7-furlong (1408 m) Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred fillies and mares three years old and up. As its name implies, it is a part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the ''de facto'' year-e ...

and become champion female sprinter and champion 3-year-old filly.

Distances

Since its inauguration in 1975, the race has been contested at a variety of distances: * 7 furlongs : 1975–1981, 2013 to present * miles : 1982, 1986–2005 * 1 mile : 2006–2012 * miles : 1983–1985

Records

Speed records * 7 furlongs: 1:22.28 – Four Graces (2020) * 1 mile: 1:34.56 – Acoma (2008) * miles: 1:42.73 –

Take Charge Lady Take Charge Lady (foaled 4 February 1999) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She was one of the leading fillies of her generation in the United States, winning 11 of her 22 races between April 2001 and November 2003, earning ov ...

(2002) Margins: * 8 lengths – Covfefe (2019) 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 ...

* 4 –

Larry Melancon Larry J. Melancon (August 7, 1955 – 25 March 2021) was an American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing who rode primarily on the Kentucky-Arkansas circuit. Melancon (pronounced ''Ma-lawn-son'') was born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. He began rac ...

(1982, 1984, 1994, 1996) * 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 ...

(1983, 1989, 1997, 1998) Most wins by a trainer * 5 –

D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas (born September 2, 1935 in Antigo, Wisconsin) is an American horse trainer and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. He has won twenty Breeders' Cup races, received five Eclipse Awards for his accomplishments, and his horses ha ...

(1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2004) Most wins by an owner * 2 –

Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...

(1983, 1992) * 2 –

Overbrook Farm William T. Young (February 15, 1918 – January 12, 2004) was an American businessman and major owner of thoroughbred racehorses. William T. Young attended the University of Kentucky where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. ...

(1989, 1990) * 2 –

John C. Oxley John C. Oxley, a.k.a. "Jack", (born 1937) is an American oilman, horse breeder and polo player. Biography Early life John C. Oxley was born on January 24, 1937, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His father was John T. Oxley, a polo player. Polo A five-goal ...

(1995, 2005) * 2 – LNJ Foxwoods (2015, 2019) * 2 –

Winchell Thoroughbreds Verne Hedges Winchell (October 30, 1915 – November 26, 2002) was the founder of Winchell's Donuts and also served as a chairman, president, and chief executive officer of the Denny's restaurant chain. Early life Winchell was born on Octobe ...

(2009, 2022)

Winners

References

{{reflist, 2 1975 establishments in Kentucky Churchill Downs horse races Flat horse races for three-year-old fillies Graded stakes races in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 1975 Grade 3 stakes races in the United States

History

Distances

Records

Winners

See also

References