Secretariat Stakes

Turf race infobox
class = Grade I
horse race = Secretariat Stakes


caption =
location = Arlington Park
Arlington Heights, Illinois flagicon|USA
inaugurated = 1974
race type = Thoroughbred - Flat racing
website = [http://www.arlingtonpark.com www.arlingtonpark.com]
distance = 1¼ miles (10 furlongs)
track = Grass, left-handed
qualification = Three-year-olds
weight = Assigned
purse = $400,000
bonuses = The Secretariat Stakes is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1¼ miles (approximately 2,000 metres). Held annually in mid August, it is the brother of both the Arlington Million and the Beverly D. Stakes and is raced on the same day and on the same turf course at Arlington Park, Arlington Heights, Illinois.

The race was created in 1974 from the "Arlington Invitational" which had been run only in the previous year in order to showcase U.S. Triple Crown winner Secretariat to Chicago racing fans. Secretariat won the race with My Gallant and Our Native running second and third respectively. Both of these horses had lost to the Champion in the Triple Crown series.

The distance of the 1974 inaugural race was 1¹/16 miles (1,700 metres). It was run over 1⅛ miles (1,800 metres) in 1975/76 and extended to 1½ miles (2,400 metres) from 1978 to 1984, before settling at its present 1¼ mile distance. In 1977 the race was run on dirt and in 1985 it was held at Hawthorne Race Course. There was no race run in 1988, 1998 and 1999.

In 2005 it was included in the Grand Slam of Grass, which offered a substantial bonus to the winner of this race, the Colonial Turf Cup, the Virginia Derby and the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Records

Time record: (at current distance of 1¼ miles)
* 1:59.65 - Kitten's Joy (2004)

Most wins by an owner:
* 2 - Elmendorf Farm (1974, 1977)
* 2 - Michael Tabor (1996, 2000)

Most wins by a jockey:
* 3 - Pat Day (1983, 1991, 1995)

Most wins by a trainer:
* 2 - Victor J. Nickerson (1974, 1981)
* 2 - William I. Mott (1985, 2005)

Winners of the Secretariat Stakes

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php?search_bar=stakes&query_type=stakes&field=view&id=50 The Secretariat Stakes at Pedigree Query]