Lexington Stakes
| Grade III race | |
| Location |
Keeneland Race Course Lexington, Kentucky, United States |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1936 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | ww2 |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs) |
| Surface | Dirt Maintrack |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-olds |
| Weight | Assigned |
| Purse | US$200,000 |
The Coolmore Lexington Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid to late April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Open to three-year-old horses, the Grade III event is contested on Keeneland's Dirt Main Track over a distance of 1 1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs)
It was run as Calumet Purse, an overnight allowance race, from 1973 to 1983. Renamed the Lexington Stakes in 1984, since 1998 it has been sponsored by Ireland's renowned Coolmore Stud.
First run in 1936, it was a six furlong race for two-year-olds during Keeneland's inaugural meeting. Then, it was an 1 1⁄4 mile overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up from 1938 to 1941. A listed race in 1984, it achieved Grade III status in 1986 and was a GII from 1988 through 2010. The race was downgraded to GIII status for 2011 by the American Graded Stakes Committee. It is now considered to be the final prep for the Kentucky Derby.
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Wikipedia