Hillsborough Stakes

The Hillsborough Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are four years old or older, over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles on turf, held annually in March at Tampa Bay Downs racetrack in Oldsmar, Florida. The purse is currently $225,000.

Hillsborough Stakes

Class	Grade II
Location	Tampa Bay Downs Oldsmar, Florida
Inaugurated	1999
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Website	www.tampabaydowns.com
Race information
Distance	1+1⁄8 miles
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Fillies & Mares, four years old and older
Weight	123 lbs with allowances
Purse	$225,000 (since 2018)

History

The event was inaugurated on 21 March 1999 at a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles with conditions for fillies and mares three-year-old and older and was won by the 7-10 odds-on favorite Pleasant Temper who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day in a time of 1:42.62.^[1]

In 2004 the distance of the event was increased to 1+1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs).^[2] That same year the event was upgraded to Grade III.^[2]

The event was upgraded to Grade II status in 2016.^[3]

The winner of the 2012 Hillsborough, Zagora, won the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf and was voted an Eclipse Award in her category. Tepin, a two-time Eclipse Award winner, set a new course record when winning the race in 2016.^[4]

Records

Speed record:

• 1+1⁄8 miles – 1:46.26 Tepin (2016)
• 1+1⁄16 miles – 1:41.14 Strait From Texas (2003)

Margins:

• 6+3⁄4 lengths – Dreaming of Anna (2008)

Most wins:

• No horse has won this race more than once.

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 – Godolphin Racing (2017, 2021)
• 2 – Madakat Stables (2019, 2023)
• 2 – Michael Dubb (2018, 2023)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 3 – John Velazquez (2006, 2007, 2015)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 6 – Chad C. Brown (2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
2024	Sparkle Blue	5	Jorge Ruiz	H. Graham Motion	Augustin Stable & Catherine Parke	1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.62	$200,000	II	[5]
2023	Shantisara	5	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Chad C. Brown	Madakat Stables, Michael Dubb and Robert LaPenta	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.14	$225,000	II	[6]
2022	Bleecker Street	4	Hector Diaz Jr.	Chad C. Brown	Peter M. Brant	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.21	$200,000	II	[7]
2021	Micheline	4	Luis Saez	Michael Stidham	Godolphin Racing	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.19	$200,000	II	[8]
2020	Starship Jubilee	7	Javier Castellano	Kevin Attard	Blue Heaven Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.83	$225,000	II	[9]
2019	Rymska (FR)	5	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Chad C. Brown	Madaket Stables, Tom Coleman, Team Hanley & Elayne Stables	1+1⁄8 miles	1:49.18	$200,000	II	[10]
2018	Fourstar Crook	6	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Chad C. Brown	Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables & Gary Aisquith	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.43	$200,000	II	[11]
2017	Dickinson	5	Paco Lopez	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	Godolphin Racing	1+1⁄8 miles	1.46.75	$200,000	II	[12]
2016	Tepin	5	Julien R. Leparoux	Mark E. Casse	Robert E. Masterson	1+1⁄8 miles	1:46.26	$200,000	II	[13]
2015	Stephanie's Kitten	6	John R. Velazquez	Chad C. Brown	Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey	1+1⁄8 miles	1:49.05	$150,000	III	[14]
2014	Cloud Scapes	5	Erick D. Rodriguez	H. Graham Motion	Pin Oak Stud	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.56	$150,000	III	[15]
2013	Old Tune (BRZ)	5	Joel Rosario	Todd A. Pletcher	Stud TNT	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.92	$150,000	III	[16]
2012	Zagora (FR)	5	Javier Castellano	Chad C. Brown	Martin S. Schwartz	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:46.97	$150,000	III	[17]
2011	Denomination	5	Frederic Lenclud	Christophe Clement	Ghislaine Head	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.69	$150,000	III	[18]
2010	Phola	4	Ramon A. Dominguez	Todd A. Pletcher	George Saufley, J.J. Pletcher, Graydon & William Patterson	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.51	$150,000	III	[19]
2009	Backseat Rhythm	4	Eibar Coa	Patrick L. Reynolds	Paul P. Pompa Jr.	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.43	$175,000	III	[20]
2008	Dreaming of Anna	4	Cornelio Velasquez	Wayne M. Catalano	Frank Carl Calabrese	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.18	$175,000	III	[21]
2007	Cassydora (GB)	5	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	Green Hills Farm	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.90	$150,000	III	[22]
2006	Ready's Gal	4	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	James T. Scatuorchio	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.50	$137,500	III	[23]
2005	Rizzi Girl	7	Oliver Castillo	William Downing	Joshua & Marnie Whitney	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.59	$125,000	III	[24]
2004	Coney Kitty (IRE)	6	Jose A. Santos	James J. Toner	William J. Betz, Steve Humphrey & Arthur Seelbinder	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.83	$100,000	III	[25]
2003	Strait From Texas	4	Jesus Lopez Castanon	James A. Michael	J & J Investments	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.14	$100,000	Listed	[26]
2002	Platinum Tiara	4	Manoel R. Cruz	Joseph J. Waunsch	M375 Thoroughbreds	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.34	$100,000	Listed	[27]
2001	Song for Annie	5	Larry Melancon	Henry S. Cochran	Live Oak Plantation	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.23	$100,000	Listed	[28]
2000	St Clair Ridge (IRE)	4	Pat Day	W. Elliott Walden	Thomas F. Van Meter II, Douglas Hendrickson & Mike Lowenbaum	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.17	$75,000	Listed	[29]
1999	Pleasant Temper	5	Pat Day	W. Elliott Walden	Mark H. Stanley	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.62	$58,000	Listed	[1]

See also

• List of American and Canadian Graded races

External sites

Tampa Bay Downs Media Guide 2021^{[permanent dead link]}