Locust Grove Stakes

The Locust Grove Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, age three and older, over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles held annually in September during the early fall meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The current purse is $400,000.

Locust Grove Stakes

Class	Grade III
Location	Churchill Downs Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Inaugurated	1982
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	Churchill Downs
Race information
Distance	1+1⁄16 miles
Surface	Dirt
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Fillies and mares, three-years-olds and older
Weight	Base weights with allowances: Older: 125 lbs 3YOs: 122 lbs
Purse	$400,000 (2021)

History

The event is named after the site known as Locust Grove where a 1790 Georgian mansion is situated on 55 acres upriver from Louisville. The house was originally home to William and Lucy Clark Croghan. Lucy was the sister to explorers William Clark and George Rogers Clark. They are the ancestors to Churchill Downs founder Col. M. Lewis Clark.^[1]

The event was inaugurated on 31 May 1982 and was won by the Excitable Lady and was ridden by Champion jockey Darrel McHargue winning easily as the 3/10 odds-on favorite by 7 lengths in a time of 1:37.20 over the one mile distance.^[2]

The following year the distance of the event was increased to 1+1⁄16 miles.^[3]

In 1986 the event's conditions were modified to a handicap.^[3] The following the event was held on the turf for the first time over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles and was won by longshot Luckiest Girl at 20–1.^[4] The following year the event was held at a shorter distance 1+1⁄16 miles.^[3]

Previously a Listed race, it was upgraded to Grade III status for 1998 by the American Graded Stakes Committee.^[5]

In winning the 2003 running of the Locust Grove Handicap, Ipi Tombe became the first horse bred in Zimbabwe to ever win a race at Churchill Downs.

The event was idle in 2011 and 2012 and when it was renewed in 2013 the event was set back to the dirt and since then the event has been moved to the September short fall meeting the conditions allowed for three year old fillies to compete against the older mares as a stakes allowance race.^[3] Also due to not being held for to years the event lost its Graded classification.^[5] In 2016 the event regained its Grade III status once again.^[3]

In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Churchill Downs did not schedule the event in their updated meeting.^[5]

Records

Speed record

• 1+1⁄16 miles: 1:42.86 Shedaresthedevil (2021)
• 1+1⁄8 miles: 1:46.75 Shaconage (2004)
• 1 mile: 1:35.76 Genuine Devotion (IRE) (2008)

Margins

• 8 lengths – Frivolous (2015)

Most wins

• 2 - Colstar (2000, 2001)

Most wins by a trainer

• 4 - William I. Mott (1984, 1996, 1998, 2005)

Most wins by a jockey

• 2 - Charles R. Woods Jr. (1986, 1989)
• 2 - Shane Sellers (1995, 1998)
• 2 - Pat Day (1983, 2003)
• 2 - Brice Blanc (2004, 2005)
• 2 - Jon Court (2001, 2015)
• 2 - Julien R. Leparoux (2007, 2018)
• 2 - Brian Hernandez Jr. (2017, 2019)

Most wins by an owner

• 2 - Beverly R. Steinman (2000, 2001)
• 2 - Team Valor (1993, 2003)
• 2 - Glen Hill Farm (2006, 2009)
• 2 - G. Watts Humphrey Jr. (2015, 2017)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
Locust Grove Stakes
2024	Musical Mischief	4	Edgar Morales	Michael McCarthy	Stoneway Farm	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.91	$379,340	II	[6]
2023	Search Results	5	Tyler Gaffalione	Chad C. Brown	Klaravich Stables	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.40	$397,000	III	[7]
2022	Played Hard	4	Joel Rosario	Philip A. Bauer	Rigney Racing	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.50	$393,000	III	[8]
2021	Shedaresthedevil	4	Florent Geroux	Brad H. Cox	Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing and Big Aut Farms	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.86	$400,000	III	[9]
2020	Race not held
2019	Go Google Yourself	5	Brian Hernandez Jr.	Paul J. McGee	Jay Em Ess Stable	1+1⁄16 miles	1:44.13	$200,000	III	[10]
2018	Blue Prize (ARG)	5	Julien R. Leparoux	Ignacio Correas IV	Merriebelle Stable	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.69	$100,000	III	[11]
2017	Romantic Vision	5	Brian Hernandez Jr.	George R. Arnold II	G. Watts Humphrey Jr.	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.91	$100,000	III	[12]
2016	Engaginglee	5	Luis Saez	Dale L. Romans	Paul A. Lichtefeld & Jack D. Stewart	1+1⁄16 miles	1:46.24	$100,000	III	[13]
2015	Frivolous	5	Jon Court	Victoria H. Oliver	G. Watts Humphrey Jr.	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.85	$100,000	Listed	[14]
2014	Don't Tell Sophia	6	Joseph Rocco Jr.	Philip A. Sims	Philip A. Sims & Jerry Namy	1+1⁄16 miles	1:45.76	$108,200		[15]
2013	Flashy American	4	Corey J. Lanerie	Kenneth G. McPeek	Preston Stables	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.53	$111,400		[16]
2011–2012		Race not held
Locust Grove Handicap
2010	Danzon	7	Alex O. Solis	James E. Baker	Alfred H. Nuckols Jr.	1 mile	1:37.02	$116,200	III	[17]
2009	Closeout	4	Robby Albarado	Thomas F. Proctor	Glen Hill Farm	1 mile	1:38.38	$114,900	III	[18]
2008	Genuine Devotion (IRE)	4	Alan Garcia	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	James J. Barry	1 mile	1:35.76	$171,750	III	[19]
2007	Mauralakana (FR)	4	Julien R. Leparoux	Patrick L. Biancone	Maurice Hassan, Lewis Lakin, Richard Giacopelli & Fab Oak Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.99	$162,900	III	[20]
2006	Rich in Spirit	4	Mark Guidry	Thomas F. Proctor	Glen Hill Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.00	$165,450	III	[21]
2005	Delta Princess	6	Brice Blanc	William I. Mott	Saud bin Khaled	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.90	$164,550	III	[22]
2004	Shaconage	4	Brice Blanc	Mitch Shirota	Andrena Van Doren	1+1⁄8 miles	1:46.75	$165,750	III	[23]
2003	Ipi Tombe (ZIM)	5	Pat Day	W. Elliott Walden	Team Valor Stables, Winstar Farm & Sunmark Partners	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.70	$164,400	III	[24]
2002	Voodoo Dancer	4	Jose A. Santos	Christophe Clement	Green Hills Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:46.91	$168,900	III	[25]
2001	Colstar	5	Jon Court	Paul R. Fout	Beverly R. Steinman	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.79	$172,800	III	[26]
2000	Colstar	4	Alberto Delgado	Paul R. Fout	Beverly R. Steinman	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.44	$165,000	III	[27]
1999	Shires Ende	4	Willie Martinez	Richard R. Scherer	Carolyn Friedberg	1+1⁄8 miles	1:49.11	$173,400	III	[28]
1998	Colcon	5	Shane Sellers	William I. Mott	Cavallix	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.53	$167,700	III	[29]
1997	Romy	6	Francisco C. Torres	Moises R. Yanez	William Pacella, Joseph Rizza & Ronald Schwed	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.89	$110,700	Listed	[30]
1996	Bail Out Becky	4	Craig Perret	William I. Mott	Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.38	$111,800	Listed	[31]
1995	Memories (IRE)	4	Shane Sellers	Burk Kessinger Jr.	New Phoenix Stable & Alvin Haynes	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.48	$110,400	Listed	[32]
1994	Life Is Delicious	4	Jose R. Martinez Jr.	Peter M. Vestal	William I. Levy	1+1⁄8 miles	1:53.87	$109,000	Listed	Off turf[33]
1993	Lady Blessington (FR)	5	Corey Black	Mark A. Hennig	Team Valor	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.16	$114,450	Listed	[34]
1992	Behaving Dancer	5	Donald Lee Howard	Robert E. Holthus	Prestonwood Farms	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.27	$115,000	Listed	[35]
1991	Nice Serve	4	Joe M. Johnson	Gary G. Hartlage	Ronald K. Kirk	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.30	$113,600	Listed	[36]
1990	Dibs	4	Aaron Gryder	Steven C. Penrod	Claiborne Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.60	$104,405		[37]
1989	Jungle Gold	4	Charles R. Woods Jr.	Frank L. Brothers	Lazy Lane Farms	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.20	$82,125		[38]
1988	Chez Chez Chez	4	Jesse J. Garcia	Cotton John	Summerplace Farm	1+1⁄16 miles	1:45.20	$85,500		[39]
1987	Luckiest Girl	4	Donald Joseph Soto	Luis Albert Palacios	Maurice Miller	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.60	$56,100		[4]
1986	Glorious View	4	Charles R. Woods Jr.	Michael B. Ball	Mira Ball	1+1⁄16 miles	1:44.00	$56,450		[40]
Locust Grove Stakes
1985	Sintra	4	K. Keith Allen	Steven C. Penrod	Cherry Valley Farm	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.40	$31,175		[41]
1984	Heatherten	5	Sam Maple	William I. Mott	John A. Franks	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.00	$40,335		[42]
1983	Try Something New	4	Pat Day	Claude R. McGaughey III	John A. Bell III	1+1⁄16 miles	1:45.20	$35,625		[43]
1982	Excitable Lady	4	Darrel G. McHargue	Inda Eduardoa	Tom Gentry	1 mile	1:37.20	$37,100		[2]

Legend:
  Turf   Dirt

See also

• List of American and Canadian Graded races