Woodford Reserve Turf Classic
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The Turf Classic Stakes is a
Grade I 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 open to horses aged four and older, over a distance of one and one-eighth 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 early May on the Kentucky Derby day meeting at Churchill Downs 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

This race was inaugurated on 1 May 1987 as the Early Times Turf Classic Stakes and was the first stakes race run on the new Matt Winn Turf Course. The event was won by the reigning US Champion Male Turf Horse
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, his eighth straight victory by three lengths as the short 2-5 odds-on favorite in a small field of four starters. The event was classified as Grade III in 1989 for its third running, upgraded to Grade II in 1994 and since 1996 a Grade I. The event has had three sponsor name changes which have contributed to the high purse and growth is status of the event. The sponsorship has been by the Brown-Forman Corporation, one of the largest
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-owned companies in the
spirits Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...
and
wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
business which is based in Louisville. The sponsorship has been reflected in the name of the event since the first running. Early Times, from 1987 to 1999,
Woodford Reserve Woodford Reserve is a brand of premium small batch Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced in Woodford County, Kentucky, by the Brown-Forman Corporation. It is made from a mixture of copper pot still spirits produced at the company's Wood ...
, from 2000 to 2017 and since 2018 Old Forester. The event has attracted the finest turf horses. The 1993 winner Lure set the speed record for the event with fast time of 1:46.34. Lure continued on to win the
Breeders' Cup Mile The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's incepti ...
for the second time later that year. The following year, in 1994 the winner Paradise Creek won the
Arlington Million The Arlington Million is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for thoroughbred horses aged three years and upward on the turf. It was originally raced at the now-closed Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois over a distance of ...
en route to being voted the U. S. Champion Male Turf Horse. In recent years the winners include two-time US Horse of the Year
Wise Dan Wise Dan (foaled February 20, 2007) is a champion American Hall of Fame and Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. He is the first horse to win the same three Eclipse Awards in consecutive years, having been named American Horse of the ...
dual winner in 2013 and 2014 and
Bricks and Mortar Bricks and Mortar (foaled March 2, 2014) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was named the American Horse of the Year in 2019. After winning four of six starts at age three, he missed most of his four-year-old campaign due to illness. At a ...
who would be crowned U. S. Horse of the Year in 2019.


Records

;Speed record * 1:46.34 – Lure (1993) ;Margins * lengths –
Wise Dan Wise Dan (foaled February 20, 2007) is a champion American Hall of Fame and Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. He is the first horse to win the same three Eclipse Awards in consecutive years, having been named American Horse of the ...
(2013) ;Most wins * 2 – Einstein (BRZ) (2008, 2009) * 2 –
Wise Dan Wise Dan (foaled February 20, 2007) is a champion American Hall of Fame and Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. He is the first horse to win the same three Eclipse Awards in consecutive years, having been named American Horse of the ...
(2013, 2014) * 2 – Divisidero (2016, 2017) ;Most wins by an owner * 3 –
Klaravich Stables Seth Andrew Klarman (born May 21, 1957) is an American billionaire investor, hedge fund manager, and author. He is a proponent of value investing. He is the chief executive and portfolio manager of the Baupost Group, a Boston-based private inv ...
(2019, 2020, 2021) ;Most wins by a jockey * 3 –
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 ...
(1988, 1994, 1996) * 3 –
Robby Albarado Robby J. Albarado (born September 11, 1973, in Lafayette, Louisiana) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 10 and progressed to riding at bush tracks in his native Louisiana by the age of 12. After turning ...
(1998, 2005, 2008) ;Most wins by a Trainer * 3 – Chad Brown (2019, 2020, 2021) * 3 –
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 Nationa ...
(1994, 2004, 2018)


Winners

''Legend:''
''Notes:''
§ Ran as an entry


See also

* List of graded stakes at Churchill Downs *
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 ...
* Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes "top three finishers" and starters


References

{{reflist, 2 Grade 1 turf stakes races in the United States Open mile category horse races Churchill Downs horse races Recurring sporting events established in 1987 1987 establishments in Kentucky Graded stakes races in the United States