The American Graded Stakes Committee announced its designations for the 2010 racing calendar and for the first time ever, the Arkansas Derby will be considered a Grade I event. This has been a long time coming for a race that is year-after-year one of the key Kentucky Derby preps. The race should have received Grade 1 stats after the Smarty Jones/Afleet Alex years, but I suppose it's better late than never.
The rest of the new grades are below.
Race |
Track |
Old Grade |
New Grade |
Arkansas Derby |
Oaklawn |
2 |
1 |
Clark Handicap |
Churchill Downs |
2 |
1 |
Vanderbilt |
Saratoga |
2 |
1 |
American Turf Stakes |
Churchill Downs |
3 |
2 |
Pocahontas Stakes |
Churchill Downs |
3 |
2 |
Breeders' Cup Juv. Filly Turf |
Various |
3 |
2 |
Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint |
Various |
3 |
2 |
Risen Star |
Fair Grounds |
3 |
2 |
Sir Beaufort Stakes |
Santa Anita |
3 |
2 |
Sunland Park Derby |
Sunland |
Ungraded |
3 |
Breeders' Cup Marathon |
Various |
Ungraded |
3 |
Cougar II Handicap |
Del Mar |
Ungraded |
3 |
Ft. Lauderdale Stakes |
Gulfstream |
Ungraded |
3 |
Iowa Derby |
Prairie Meadows |
Ungraded |
3 |
Monmouth Stakes |
Monmouth |
Ungraded |
3 |
Citation Handicap |
Hollywood |
1 |
2 |
Frank J. De Francis Memorial |
Laurel |
1 |
2 |
Go for Wand |
Saratoga |
1 |
2 |
John C. Mabee Stakes |
Del Mar |
1 |
2 |
Santa Maria Handicap |
Santa Anita |
1 |
2 |
Bed O'Roses |
Aqueduct |
2 |
3 |
Beverly Hills Handicap |
Hollywood |
2 |
3 |
Sunset Handicap |
Hollywood |
2 |
3 |
Comely Stakes |
Aqueduct |
2 |
3 |
Illinois Derby |
Hawthorne |
2 |
3 |
Jefferson Cup Stakes |
Churchill |
2 |
3 |
LaPrevoyante Handicap |
Calder |
2 |
3 |
Ohio Derby |
Thistledown |
2 |
3 |
Rampart Stakes |
Gulfstream |
2 |
3 |
Tom Fool Handicap |
Belmont |
2 |
3 |
Baldwin Stakes |
Santa Anita |
3 |
Ungraded |
Barbaro Stakes |
Delaware |
3 |
Ungraded |
Calder Derby |
Calder |
3 |
Ungraded |
Cinema Handicap |
Hollywood |
3 |
Ungraded |
Dallas Turf Cup Stakes |
Lone Star |
3 |
Ungraded |
Miss Preakness Stakes |
Pimlico |
3 |
Ungraded |
Next Move Stakes |
Aqueduct |
3 |
Ungraded |
Stuyvesant Handicap |
Aqueduct |
3 |
Ungraded |
A couple of other thoughts:
-How in the world is the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint only a Grade 2? Of all the new Breeders' Cup races the Turf Sprint is, in my opinion, the most worthy of Grade 1 status.
-Churchill Downs looks to have come out the best with these new grades as three of their races were upgraded, highlighted by the Clark Handicap moving to Grade 1.
-Aqueduct (and New York racing, in general) took some hits with the new list as the Big A saw four races downgraded from 2009 to 2010. The only bright spot in New York was the elevation of the Vanderbilt to Grade 1 status.
-Nice to see the Iowa Derby grab graded status for the first time. This is a race that sees big fields year after year at Prairie Meadows.
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