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The Dogwood 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-old
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, ...
run over a distance of seven
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 i ...
s held annually in late May or early 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 ...
racetrack 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 borde ...
.


History

The event was inaugurated on 8 June 1975 and was won by the favorite My Juliet who would later the following year win
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Sprint Horse The American Champion Sprint Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. Created in 1947, in 1971 it became part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to the top horse in sprint races (usually those run at a distan ...
. The event is named after a hardy, blooming tree known as the
Dogwood ''Cornus'' is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are deciduous trees or shru ...
, that adds so much beauty to the spring landscape in Kentucky. The Dogwood Stakes was run in two divisions in 1981. The event was upgraded to Grade III in 1998. However, the event lost this classification for the 2016 running and was a Listed event. The event regained its Grade III status in 2020. The 2019 winner Covfefe, would later win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and become champion female sprinter and champion 3-year-old filly.


Distances

Since its inauguration in 1975, the race has been contested at a variety of distances: * 7 furlongs : 1975–1981, 2013 to present * miles : 1982, 1986–2005 * 1 mile : 2006–2012 * miles : 1983–1985


Records

Speed records * 7 furlongs: 1:22.28 – Four Graces (2020) * 1 mile: 1:34.56 – Acoma (2008) * miles: 1:42.73 – Take Charge Lady (2002) Margins: * 8 lengths – Covfefe (2019) Most wins by a jockey * 4 –
Larry Melancon Larry J. Melancon (August 7, 1955 – 25 March 2021) was an American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing who rode primarily on the Kentucky-Arkansas circuit. Melancon (pronounced ''Ma-lawn-son'') was born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. He began ...
(1982, 1984, 1994, 1996) * 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 199 ...
(1983, 1989, 1997, 1998) Most wins by a trainer * 5 – D. Wayne Lukas (1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2004) Most wins by an owner * 2 –
Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...
(1983, 1992) * 2 – Overbrook Farm (1989, 1990) * 2 – John C. Oxley (1995, 2005) * 2 – LNJ Foxwoods (2015, 2019) * 2 – Winchell Thoroughbreds (2009, 2022)


Winners


See also

List of American and Canadian Graded races


References

{{reflist, 2 1975 establishments in Kentucky Churchill Downs horse races Flat horse races for three-year-old fillies Graded stakes races in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 1975 Grade 3 stakes races in the United States