The Houston Ladies Classic 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 four and older over a distance of one and aon-sixteenth miles on the dirt track held annually in late January at

Sam Houston Race Park Sam Houston Race Park is a horse racing track located in unincorporated northwest Houston, Texas, United States. The park hosts both Thoroughbred and American Quarter Horse racing each year. The track strives to be a multi-purpose venue, hosting ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. The event currently carries a purse of $400,000.

History

The inaugural running of the event was on 26 January 2013 and was won by Fox Hill Farms' 3/2 favorite Canadian-bred Joyful Victory who was ridden by

Rosie Napravnik Anna Rose "Rosie" Napravnik (born February 9, 1988) is a former American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey and two-time winner of the Kentucky Oaks. Beginning her career in 2005, she was regularly ranked among the top jockeys in North America in ...

and trained by J. Larry Jones by lengths in a time of 1:42.30 setting a new track record for the miles distance breaking the former record set by Desert Air on 13 February 1999 of 1:42.79. The inaugural event was the richest Thoroughbred event on the program and in Texas which featured four stakes races worth $725,000. Later in the year Joyful Victory was retired by her owners and was sold in the November in the

Fasig-Tipton The Fasig-Tipton Company, Inc. is an American auction house for Thoroughbred and Standardbred horses. Founded in 1898, it is the oldest auction company of its kind in North America. The company has offices in Lexington, Kentucky, Elkton, Maryla ...

select sale for US$2 million to Aaron & Marie Jones. With the quality mares that were entering the event it was not long before the

American Graded Stakes Committee {{short description, Organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeders The American Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) based in Lexington, Kentucky is a trade organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeders. ...

gave the race a graded status of Grade III for the fourth running in 2016. The 2016 winner

Forever Unbridled Forever Unbridled (foaled April 24, 2012) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who was named the Champion Older Mare of 2017 after winning the Fleur de Lis Handicap, Personal Ensign Stakes and Breeders' Cup Distaff. She also won two Gro ...

later in year won two Grade I events and ran third in the

Breeders' Cup Distaff The Breeders' Cup Distaff is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic between 2008 and 2012, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or ...

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...

as a 15/1 longshot to Beholder. The following year

was undefeated and did win the

. After finishing third in the 2018

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 ...

Midnight Bisou Midnight Bisou (foaled April 18, 2015) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the Champion Older Female Horse of 2019 after being one of the top-ranked fillies of 2018. At age three, she won five stakes races including the Santa An ...

began her 2019 four-year-old career in the Houston Ladies Classic. Starting as the 2/5 odds-on favorite, Midnight Bisou closed fast in late stretch to be win in the final strides. Midnight Bisou would win six more graded events and finish second in the

. Her performance during the year was enough to earn her US Champion Older Dirt Female Horse honors. The event is one of only two

graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is then ...

s held at the track along with the Grade III John B. Connally Turf Cup. Along with the Pulse Power Turf Sprint and Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile, the Houston Ladies Classic Stakes is one of the main events of the Houston Racing Festival.

Records

Speed record: * miles: 1:42.30 – Joyful Victory (2013) (New Track Record) Margins: * lengths – Joyful Victory (2013) Most wins: * No horse has won the event more than once Most wins by a jockey: * 2 –

Joel Rosario Joel Rosario (born January 14, 1985) is a Champion jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing, originally from the Dominican Republic. In the space of five weeks in 2013 he rode the winners of the Dubai World Cup and the Kentucky Derby. More rec ...

(2016, 2022) Most wins by a trainer: * 3 – Steven M. Asmussen (2019, 2020, 2022) Most wins by an owner: * 2 – Fox Hill Farm (2013, 2015)

Winners

External links

2022 Sam Houston Stakes Schedule

References

{{reflist, 2 Mile category horse races for fillies and mares Grade 3 stakes races in the United States Horse races in Texas Sam Houston Race Park Graded stakes races in the United States 2013 establishments in Texas Recurring sporting events established in 2013

History

Records

Winners

See also

External links

References