The Fleur de Lis 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
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 ...
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 ...
age three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt run annually in mid-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 ...
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 31 May 1975 as the Fleur de Lis Handicap and was won by the favorite Bundler defeating four other runners on a sloppy track in the time of 1:39 over the mile distance.
[ The event was held over the same distance for one more year before being extended to miles.]Louisville
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.
...
flag, the location where the event is held. The lily has traditionally been used to represent French royalty and Louisville, named for the French king Louis XVI
Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...
.[
The event's condition from 1983–85 and 1987–89 was for four-year-olds & older.][
The event was upgraded to Grade III in 1988 and again to Grade II in 2002.][
The event has gained status over the recent years and has attracted some fine horses including the 2009 US Horse of the Year ]Rachel Alexandra
Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aunt ...
who easily won the race as a short favorite by the near stakes record of lengths.[
]
Records
Speed record:
* miles: 1:48.26 – Heritage of Gold (2000)
;Margins:
* 11 lengths – Lt. Lao (1988)
;Most wins
* 2 – Likely Exchange (1978, 1980)
;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 – Shane Sellers
Shane Jude Sellers (born September 24, 1966 in Erath, Louisiana) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. At age eleven, he began working around horses and in 1983 rode his first winner at Evangeline Downs.
Sellers won several national ...
(1995, 1998, 2000)
* 3 – Calvin H. Borel (1997, 2009, 2010)
* 3 – José Ortiz (2018, 2019, 2021)
;Most wins by a trainer
* 4 – William I. Mott
William I. "Bill" Mott (born July 29, 1953, in Mobridge, South Dakota) is an American horse trainer, most notable for his work with Cigar. Mott earned the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in 1995 and 1996. He was inducted into the National ...
(1984, 1998, 2012, 2019)
* 3 – Claude R. McGaughey III (1982, 1983, 1990)
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 standards maintained by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders ...
References
{{reflist, 2
Graded stakes races in the United States
Horse races in the United States
Mile category horse races for fillies and mares
Recurring sporting events established in 1975
Churchill Downs horse races
1975 establishments in Kentucky
Grade 2 stakes races in the United States