The Federico Tesio Stakes is an 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 ...

held annually at Laurel Park in

Laurel, Maryland Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River. While the city limits are entirely in northern Prince George's County, outlying developments extend into Anne Arunde ...

over a distance of miles on the dirt for three-year-old horses. Run during the latter part of April/early May, the race can be a stepping stone to the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series, the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

. Local patrons refer to the Tesio Stakes as the "Preakness Trial." Since 2016, it has been a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Preakness.

History

The race was named in honor of famous Italian breeder

Federico Tesio Federico Tesio (17 January 1869 – 1 May 1954) was an Italian breeder of Thoroughbreds for horse racing. He has been called "the only genius ever to operate in the breeding world" and "the greatest single figure in the history of Italian raci ...

, owner of Dormello Stud in

Dormelletto Dormelletto is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Novara in the Italy, Italian region of Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about north of Novara. As of 31 December 2018, it had a population of 2,600 and an area of .All de ...

Novara Novara (, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is ...

. Tesio was one of the most important

breeders A breeder is a person who selectively breeds carefully selected mates, normally of the same breed to sexually reproduce offspring with specific, consistently replicable qualities and characteristics. This might be as a farmer, agriculturalist, ...

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

s in the history of

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

. His homebreds

Nearco Nearco (January 24, 1935 – June 27, 1957) was an Italian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by ''Thoroughbred Heritage'' as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He ...

and Ribot, both great sires, dominate Thoroughbred bloodlines throughout the world. Tesio died in 1954 at age 85. The last horse to win this race and the Preakness was Deputed Testamony in 1983. Several Tesio runners have made a major impact on the Triple Crown by placing in the Preakness during the last twenty years, including

Icabad Crane Icabad Crane (foaled April 9, 2005, in New York) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse by Jump Start out of Adorahy. In February 2007, he was purchased as a two-year-old at the Ocala Breeders Sale for $110,000. Icabad Crane is consistent, fin ...

in 2008, Magic Weisner in 2002, Oliver's Twist in 1995, and Rock Point in 1989 and

Broad Brush Broad Brush (April 16, 1983 – May 15, 2009) was an American thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Maryland. He was by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame stallion Ack Ack (horse), Ack Ack out of the Hoist The Flag mare Hay ...

in 1986. In 2011, Tesio runner-up Ruler On Ice won the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

and in 1998 Tesio winner Thomas Jo placed third in the

. The Federico Tesio Stakes was an American Grade III stakes race from 1986 through 1997. The race was restricted to

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

breeds from 1981 through 1985. It was run at miles from 1981 to 1991 and from 2011 to 2015. Prior to 2016, the race was held 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 Ol ...

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. It was run at Pimlico again in 2021 following an emergency shift of racing dates from Laurel Park.

Records

Speed record: * miles - 1:49.00 - Marciano (2001) * miles - 1:42.60 - Sparrowvon (1985) Most wins by an owner: * 2 - Earle I. Mack (1998 & 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 ...

: * 3 -

Ryan Fogelsonger Ryan Fogelsonger (born May 26, 1981 in Portsmouth, Virginia) is an American Eclipse Award, Champion jockey in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing. Based in Maryland, Fogelsonger began riding in 2002 but was late getting started, earning his fi ...

(2003, 2004 & 2006) Most wins by a trainer: * 2 -

King T. Leatherbury King T. Leatherbury (born March 26, 1933 in Shady Side, Maryland, Shady Side, Maryland) is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer, racehorse trainer who ranks fifth all-time in wins among U.S. trainers. Called a Maryland racing legend by Churchi ...

(2005 & 2006) * 2 - J. William Boniface (1983 & 1995)

Winners of the Federico Tesio Stakes

¹Excellorator finished first, but was disqualified and placed second for interference.

References

The Federico Tesio Stakes at Pedigree Query

The 2007 Federico Tesio Stakes at ''Thoroughbred Times''
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610222707/http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/racing-news/2007/april/21/xchanger-comfortably-takes-federico-tesio.aspx , date=2011-06-10 Previously graded stakes races in the United States 1981 establishments in Maryland Flat horse races for three-year-olds Triple Crown Prep Races Pimlico Race Course Horse races in Maryland Recurring sporting events established in 1981

History

Records

Winners of the Federico Tesio Stakes

See also

References