Shakertown Stakes

The Shakertown Stakes is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of 5+1⁄2 furlongs on the turf held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during the spring meeting. The event currently carries a purse of $400,000.

Shakertown Stakes

Class	Grade II
Location	Keeneland Race Course Lexington, Kentucky
Inaugurated	1995 (as Minstral Stakes)
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Sponsor	Valvoline (2025)
Website	www.keeneland.com
Race information
Distance	5+1⁄2 furlongs
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds & older
Weight	Base weights with allowances: 4-year-olds and up: 126 lbs. 3-year-olds: 121 lbs.
Purse	$400,000 (2025)

History

The event was inaugurated as The Mistral Stakes on 18 October 1995 as a three-year-old-only race over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles.^[1] The following year the event was not held but in 1997 was moved to the spring meeting and held at the current distance of 5+1⁄2 furlongs.^[2]

The event was renamed in 1998 to the Shakertown Stakes to honor Shakertown, a nearby Shaker community that is a United States National Historic Landmark, located about 25 miles from the racetrack.

The event was upgraded to a Grade III in 2003 and in 2016 to a Grade II.^[3]

In 2020 Lienster broke the course record held by Perfect Officer since 2012. The time was 1:00.86 for the 5+1⁄2 furlongs sprint.^[2]

Records

Speed record

• 1:00.86 – Leinster (2020)

Margins

• 4 lengths – Bound for Nowhere (2018)

Most wins

• 2 – Soaring Free (2004, 2005)
• 2 – Bound for Nowhere (2018, 2021)

Most wins by an owner

• 2 – Sam-Son Farm (2004, 2005)
• 2 – Martin Racing Stable (2008, 2014)
• 2 – Wesley A. Ward (2018, 2021)

Most wins by a jockey

• 3 – Shane Sellers (1998, 1999, 2004)

Most wins by a trainer

• 4 – Wesley A. Ward (2016, 2018, 2021, 2022)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
Shakertown Stakes
2025	Think Big	4	Ben Curtis	Michael Stidham	Godolphin	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:04.21	$376,563	II	[4]
2024	Arzak	6	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Michael Trombetta	Sonata Stable	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.93	$337,969	II	[5]
2023	ƒ Caravel	6	Tyler Gaffalione	Brad H. Cox	Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel & Madaket Stables	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.58	$350,000	II	[6]
2022	Golden Pal	4	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Wesley A. Ward	Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Westerberg	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.21	$317,657	II	[7]
2021	Bound for Nowhere	7	Joel Rosario	Wesley A. Ward	Wesley A. Ward	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.19	$200,000	II	[8]
2020	Leinster	5	Tyler Gaffalione	George R Arnold II	Amy E Dunne, Westrock Stables Et Al	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:00.86	$150,000	II	[9]
2019	Imprimis	4	Paco Lopez	Joe Orseno	Breeze Easy	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.33	$200,000	II	[10]
2018	Bound for Nowhere	4	Julio A. Garcia	Wesley A. Ward	Wesley A. Ward	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.77	$200,000	II	[11]
2017	Holding Gold	4	Joel Rosario	Mark E. Casse	Live Oak Plantation	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.29	$200,000	II	[12]
2016	Undrafted	6	Joe Bravo	Wesley A. Ward	Wes Welker & Sol Kumin	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.96	$200,000	II	[13]
2015	Something Extra	7	Shaun Bridgmohan	Gail Cox	John Menary & Gail Cox	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.85	$125,000	III	[14]
2014	Marchman	4	Robby Albarado	W. Bret Calhoun	Martin Racing Stable	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.36	$100,000	III	[15]
2013	Havelock	6	Garrett K. Gomez	Darrin Miller	Silverton Hill	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.02	$100,000	III	[16]
2012	Perfect Officer	6	Javier Castellano	Anthony W. Dutrow	David A. Ross Racing Stable	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:01.53	$100,000	III	[17]
2011	Stratford Hill	4	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	Melnyk Racing Stable	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.90	$100,000	III	[18]
2010	Silver Timber	7	Julien R. Leparoux	Chad C. Brown	Michael Dubb & High Grade Racing Stable	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:01.87	$100,000	III	[19]
2009	Heros Reward	7	Javier Castellano	Dale Capuano	Rob Ry Farm & Jayne Marie Slysz	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:04.24	$100,000	III	[20]
2008	Mr. Nightlinger	4	Jamie Theriot	W. Bret Calhoun	Martin Racing Stable & Carl R. Moore Management	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.84	$125,000	III	[21]
2007	The Nth Degree	6	Eddie Castro	Eduardo Caramori	Rodney J. Winkler	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.94	$110,200	III	[22]
2006	Atticus Kristy	5	Garrett K. Gomez	Merrill R. Scherer	Centaur Farms & Daniel Lynch	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:01.83	$115,000	III	[23]
2005	Soaring Free	6	Jerry D. Bailey	Mark R. Frostad	Sam-Son Farm	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.22	$113,300	III	[24]
2004	Soaring Free	5	Shane Sellers	Mark R. Frostad	Sam-Son Farm	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:01.78	$115,100	III	[25]
2003	No Jacket Required	6	Brice Blanc	Thomas M. Amoss	W. Temple Webber Jr.	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.25	$113,700	III	[26]
2002	§ Morluc	6	Robby Albarado	Randy L. Morse	Michael P. Cloonan	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.25	$85,050	Listed	[27]
2001	Airbourne Command	6	Jorge F. Chavez	Richard Saland	Richard Saland	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.71	$85,200	Listed	[28]
2000	Bold Fact	5	Richard Migliore	John C. Kimmel	Juddmonte Farms	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.60	$74,500	Listed	[29]
1999	Prankster	6	Shane Sellers	Thomas M. Amoss	Karnak Galactic Racing	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.60	$67,000	Listed	[30]
1998	Sesaro	6	Shane Sellers	Charles LoPresti	Henryk de Kwiatkowski	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.20	$66,250	Listed	[31]
Minstral Stakes
1997	G.H.'s Pleasure	5	José A. Santos	Kenneth E. Hoffman	Tony Canonie Sr. & Jr. & Kenneth E. Hoffman	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.00	$59,250	Listed	[32]
1996	Race not held
1995	Cinch	3	Randy Romero	Carl Nafzger	Jim Tafel	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.69	$58,358	Listed	[1]

Notes:
§ Ran as part of an entry
ƒ Filly or Mare

See also

• List of American and Canadian Graded races