Spiral Stakes
| Grade III race | |
| Location |
Turfway Park Florence, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1972 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Sponsor | JACK Cincinnati Casino |
| Website | www |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs) |
| Surface | PolyTrack |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-olds |
| Weight | Assigned |
| Purse | $500,000 (2017) |
The Spiral Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held in late March at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky in the Cincinnati area. The race is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs) on the main track, which is now a synthetic surface at Turfway. It was downgraded to a Grade III race in 2011 by the American Graded Stakes Committee (AGSC) and currently offers a purse of $550,000.
It was first run on April 1, 1972 as the Spiral Stakes. In 1982, bourbon whiskey maker Jim Beam became its sponsor and the race renamed the Jim Beam Spiral Stakes and later just the Jim Beam Stakes. In 2002, Lane's End Farm took over as sponsor of the race. It was announced on February 15, 2013 that the Horseshoe Casino in Cincinnati will be the title sponsor for the 2013 running on March 23, 2013.
In 1984 it was given Grade III status, then, after moving to Turfway Park in 1986, its purse was increased and in 1988 was elevated to a Grade II race. It returned to Grade III status in 2011. With a win in the Kentucky Derby by Animal Kingdom, however, the Grade II status it lost could return soon based on the formula the AGSC uses to grade races.
On March 30, 1991, Hansel set a new track record while winning the Jim Beam Stakes. In 1995, future Hall of Famer Serena's Song became the first filly to win the race. Other horses to win who went on to capture at least one of the American Classic Races includes Summer Squall (1990), Lil E. Tee (1992), Prairie Bayou (1993), and Animal Kingdom (2011).
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