List of graded stakes includes 42 Midlantic races

Justify held off Bravazo and won the Preakness Stakes. Photo by Dottie Miller.

From a TOBA release, with additional reporting

The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association today presented its listing of U.S. Graded and Listed Stakes Races for 2019, the results of its annual grading session conducted November 27 and 28 in Lexington.

The Committee reviewed 807 U.S. stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000, and assigned Graded status to 450 of them, five fewer than were graded in 2018, and Listed status to 187 races. Seven Graded races were upgraded; nine new Grade III races and one Grade II race were named; 23 new Listed races were upgraded from non-Listed Black Type status. Ten races which carried Graded or Listed status in 2018 are no longer eligible for grading.

The only new graded race in the Mid-Atlantic is the Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico, which attained Grade 3 status for 2019. That race is a six-furlong sprint for three-year-olds typically contested on Preakness day, and in 2018 it carried a $200,000 purse.

One other regional graded race, the Gallant Bob at Parx Racing, was upgraded. That race — also a six-furlong sprint for three-year-olds — will be a Grade 2 for 2019.

Three graded races in the region were downgraded for 2019. The Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel will be a Grade 3 for 2019 — down from Grade 2 — and the Commonwealth Oaks at Laurel and Violet Stakes at Monmouth Park both were downgraded from Grade 3 to Listed.

Of the more than 630 graded and listed stakes, 75 take place in the Mid-Atlantic. That number includes five Grade 1 races, eight Grade 2 events, 29 Grade 3 tests, and 33 listed races.

Monmouth Park leads the region’s tracks with 12 graded races. Pimlico has nine, and Parx Racing has eight. They are followed by Laurel Park (five), Delaware Park (four), Charles Town (two), and Penn National and Presque Isle Downs, with one each.

The five Grade 1 races contested in the region are: the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, the United Nations Stakes and the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth, and the Pennsylvania Derby and the Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing.

Nationally, three races were upgraded to Grade I status for 2019: the Jaipur Invitational S. and Woody Stephens S. at Belmont Park and Churchill Downs S. at Churchill Downs.

Six races were downgraded from Grade I to Grade II for 2019: the Beldame S. at Belmont Park; Stephen Foster H. at Churchill Downs; Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity at Los Alamitos Race Course; and Santa Margarita S., Triple Bend S. and Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita Park.

Five races were upgraded to Grade II status for 2019: the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint; Twin Spires Turf Sprint S. at Churchill Downs; Gallant Bob S. at Parx Racing; Eddie D S. at Santa Anita Park; and Amsterdam S. at Saratoga.

Six races were downgraded from Grade II to Grade III in 2019: the Chilukki S. at Churchill Downs; Barbara Fritchie S. at Laurel Park; Bayakoa S. at Los Alamitos Race Course; and Honeymoon S., La Canada S. and Santa Ana S. at Santa Anita Park.

Nine races were upgraded to Grade III status for 2019: the Forbidden Apple S. and Futurity S. at Belmont Park; Green Flash H. at Del Mar; Franklin-Simpson S. at Kentucky Downs; Chick Lang S. at Pimlico; Astra S., Joe Hernandez S. and Sweet Life S. at Santa Anita Park; and Quick Call S. at Saratoga.

Eleven races were downgraded from Grade III to Listed status for 2019: the Tempted S. at Aqueduct; Arlington Classic S. at Arlington Park; Aristides S. at Churchill Downs; Groupie Doll S. at Ellis Park; Dania Beach S., My Charmer S. and Skip Away S. at Gulfstream Park; Commonwealth Oaks at Laurel Park; Lone Star Park H. at Lone Star Park; Violet S. at Monmouth Park; and DRF Bets Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park.

Sixteen races were upgraded to Listed status for 2019: the Danger’s Hour S., Queens County S. and Stymie S. at Aqueduct; Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational S., Christiecat S., Pumpkin Pie S. and River Memories S. at Belmont Park; William Walker S. at Churchill Downs; Buddy Diliberto Memorial S. and Woodchopper S. at Fair Grounds; Dave’s Friend S. and Henry S. Clark S. at Laurel Park; Beverly J. Lewis S. at Los Alamitos Race Course; Steel Valley Sprint S. at Mahoning Valley Race Course; Black Pearl S. at Santa Anita Park; and Challenger S. at Tampa Bay Downs.

Seven races were upgraded to Listed – Restricted status for 2019: the Osunitas S. and Wickerr S. at Del Mar; Old Friends S. at Kentucky Downs; and Alydar S., Curlin S., John’s Call S. and Riskaverse S. at Saratoga.

Ten races were downgraded from Listed to non-Listed Black Type status for 2019: the Treasure Chest S. at Delta Downs; Any Limit S. at Gulfstream Park; Wide Country S. at Laurel Park; Betfair.com Long Branch S., Boiling Springs S. and Sapling S. at Monmouth Park; West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker’s Cup S. at Mountaineer Park; Tom Ridge S. at Presque Isle Downs; Clever Trevor S. at Remington Park; and Lady Jacqueline S. at Thistledown.

The Delta Downs Jackpot S., Delta Princess S. and My Trusty Cat S. at Delta Downs; El Prado S. and Spectacular Bid S. at Gulfstream Park; Hawthorne Gold Cup H. and Illinois Derby at Hawthorne Racecourse; Majestic Light S. at Monmouth Park; PTHA President’s Cup S. at Parx Racing; and Precisionist S. at Santa Anita Park were not eligible for grading in 2019.

For 2019, the Committee has created a new division for 3-year-olds and up turf sprints that includes races for both sexes. Previously, dirt and turf sprints were combined into one division for each sex. Turf sprints restricted to 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds remain combined with the respective dirt sprints.

GRADED AND LISTED RACES IN THE MID-ATLANTIC