Grade II race | |
Location |
Keeneland Lexington, Kentucky, United States |
---|---|
Inaugurated | 1986 |
Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
Website | www.keeneland.com |
Race information | |
Distance | 1 1⁄2 miles (12 furlongs) |
Surface | Turf |
Track | Left-handed |
Qualification | Four-year-olds & up |
Weight | Assigned |
Purse | $250,000 (2014) |
The Elkhorn Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. The race is open to horses age four and older. Run in late April, it is contested on turf over a distance of 1 1⁄2 miles (12 furlongs) and currently offers a purse of $250,000. Named for Elkhorn Creek, a stream running through several counties in Central Kentucky, beginning in 2008 the race is sponsored by Fifth Third Bank.
Inaugurated in 1986, the race was contested at 1 1⁄8 miles through 1995 before being changed to its present distance of 1 1⁄2 miles in 1996. A Grade III event from 1988 to 1989 and from 1996 to 2007, it was a Grade II event from 1990 to 1995 and in 2008 was returned to its Grade II status.