The Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes is a
Grade II
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
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 horses age three and older over a distance of
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 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 agricultu ...
held annually in early May on the
Kentucky Oaks
The Kentucky Oaks is a Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred Filly, fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky O ...
day meeting 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 ...
during the spring meeting.
History
The event was inaugurated on 5 May 1995 as the Churchill Downs Turf Sprint Stakes as the sixth race on the undercard of the
Kentucky Oaks
The Kentucky Oaks is a Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred Filly, fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky O ...
day meeting over a distance of five furlongs. The event was won by the second favorite Long Suit, who led all the way to record a length victory in a time of 56.90 seconds.
[
In 1999 Aegon committed to a long term sponsorship which reflected in the name of the event. This sponsorship ended in 2009.] In 2011 Churchill Downs administration renamed the event to the current name, Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes.[
The event was first classified as Grade III in 2001] and a Grade II race in 2020.
In 2015, Power Alert set the course record of 0.55.17.
In 2019 the distance of the event was increased to furlongs.[
]
Records
;Speed record
* furlongs: 1:03.97 - World of Trouble
''World of Trouble'' is an American soft science fiction mystery novel by Ben H. Winters and published by Quirk Books. It is the third and last installment of the '' Last Policeman'' trilogy. It was published on July 15, 2014.
Plot
Only weeks ...
(2019)
* 5 furlongs: 55.17 - Power Alert (2015)
; Margins
* lengths - World of Trouble
''World of Trouble'' is an American soft science fiction mystery novel by Ben H. Winters and published by Quirk Books. It is the third and last installment of the '' Last Policeman'' trilogy. It was published on July 15, 2014.
Plot
Only weeks ...
(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 ...
* 3 - Julien Leparoux
Julien R. Leparoux (born July 15, 1983 in Senlis, Oise, France) is a French Eclipse Award winning jockey currently racing in the United States. He has won seven Breeders' Cup races, including the 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile with Champion Turf Mare T ...
(2006, 2010, 2015)
;Most wins by a trainer
* 3 - W. Bret Calhoun (2008, 2009, 2014)
;Most wins by an owner
* 2 - Mike Cloonan (2001, 2005)
* 2 - Carl R. Moore Management (2008, 2009)
* 2 - Martin Racing Stable (2008, 2014)
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 A ...
References
{{reflist, 2
Graded stakes races in the United States
Grade 2 stakes races in the United States
Turf races in the United States
Open sprint category horse races
Churchill Downs horse races
Recurring sporting events established in 1995
1995 establishments in Kentucky