The Sycamore 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-olds or older, over a distance of miles on the

turf Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls. In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricult ...

held annually in October at

Keeneland Race Course Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for i ...

, Lexington, Kentucky during the autumn meeting. The event currently carries a purse of $300,000.

History

The inaugural running of the event was on 12 October 1995 over a distance of miles and was won by Frank Mansell's five-year-old Lindon Lime who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey

Craig Perret Craig Perret (born February 2, 1951, in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding horses at age five and by seven was riding quarter horses in match races. At age fifteen he began his career in tho ...

. Lindon Lime started as the even money favorite and won finishingf strongly by lengths in a time of 2:42.11 setting a new track record for the distance. In 2001 the distance was reduced one furlong to miles. The event was won by Rochester who in his career win the event two more times (2002, 2005) and placing third as well in 2004. In 2015 the event was upgraded to a Grade III. Due to extremely wet conditions, the Sycamore was run "off the turf" on the polytrack in 2011. The event was also run at miles, originally scheduled for miles. 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 breeder ...

determined that the race lose its grade for the 2013 running which was also run on the polytrack. Between 2001 and 2006 the

Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...

sponsored the event which reflected in the name of the event.

Records

Speed record * miles: 2:28.08 Bold Act ( IRE) (2023) * miles (turf): 2:38.68 Royal Strand (IRE) (1999) * miles (polytrack): 2:39.40 Sanagas (GER) (2011) Margins * lengths: Royal Strand (IRE) (1999) Most wins: * 3 – Rochester (2001, 2002, 2005) Most wins by a jockey: * 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 a ...

(1999, 2001, 2002, 2003) Most wins by a trainer: * 5 – Jonathan E. Sheppard (2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2009) Most wins by an owner: * 6 –

Augustin Stable George W. Strawbridge Jr. (born October 10, 1937) is an American educator, historian, investor, sportsman and philanthropist. Biography Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of Margaret ("Peggy") Dorrance and the stockbroker George ...

(2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2014, 2015)

Winners

''Legend:''

References

{{reflist, 2 Open middle distance horse races Turf races in the United States Graded stakes races in the United States Grade 3 stakes races in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 1995 Keeneland horse races 1995 establishments in Kentucky

History

Records

Winners

See also

References