Unbridled Sidney Stakes

The Unbridled Sidney Stakes is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged three and older over a distance of 5+1⁄2 furlongs on the turf held annually in early May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky during the spring meeting. The event currently carries a purse of $400,000.

Unbridled Sidney Stakes

Class	Grade III
Location	Churchill Downs Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Inaugurated	2010
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Sponsor	Cygames (2025)
Website	Churchill Downs
Race information
Distance	5+1⁄2 furlongs
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Fillies & mares, three-years-old and older
Weight	Base weights with allowances: 4-year-olds and up: 125 lbs. 3-year-olds: 120 lbs.
Purse	$400,000 (2024)

History

The inaugural running of the event was on May 8, 2010, over a distance of five furlongs. The event was won by the 13-5 favorite Candy Cane by a neck and was ridden by Garrett Gomez.^[1]

The event is named for Unbridled Sidney, who won four of her seven starts at five furlongs over Churchill Downs’ Turf Course in 2005–07 for owners Douglas and Norrine Devenport and trainer Ronny Werner.^[2] Prior to the establishment of this event, Churchill Downs between 1997 and 2008 held an event with exactly the same conditions and scheduled on the Thursday before the Kentucky Derby known as the Mamzelle Stakes. In 2006 the winner of this event was Unbridled Sidney.^[3]

In 2011 and 2020, the event was moved off the turf and held on the dirt track due to wet conditions.^[4]

In 2019 the event's distance was increased to 5+1⁄2 furlongs.^[4] Also that year the event was scheduled during the opening week of Churchill Downs' spring meeting. In 2020 the purse was raised to $150,000 and in 2022 raised again $200,000 whereby the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association awarded the event Listed status.^[4]

The 2023 event was won by the 2022 Grade I Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel who was resuming confirming that the event was attracting high quality entrants.^[5]

In 2024 the event was upgraded to Grade III by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.^[6]

Records

Speed record:

• 5+1⁄2 furlongs: 1:01.29 – Queen Maxima (2025) (new track record)
• 5 furlongs: 0:56.23 – Triple Chelsea (2018)

Margins

• 4+1⁄2 lengths – Good Deed (2013)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 3 – Shaun Bridgmohan (2011, 2012, 2013)
• 3 – Florent Geroux (2015, 2021, 2024)

Most wins by a trainer:

• No trainer has won this race more than once.

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 – Ike and Dawn Thrash (2012, 2015)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
2025	Queen Maxima	4	Juan J. Hernandez	Jeff Mullins	Dutch Girl Holdings & Irving Ventures	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:01.29	$329,500	III	[7]
2024	Ova Charged	6	Florent Geroux	Shane Wilson	Brittlyn Stable	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.71	$332,000	III	[8]
2023	Caravel	6	Tyler Gaffalione	Brad H. Cox	Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel & Madaket Stables	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.47	$300,000	Listed	[5]
2022	Tobys Heart	5	Jose L. Ortiz	Brian A. Lynch	Gary Barber, Terry Hamilton & Brian A. Lynch	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:04.11	$199,835	Listed	[9]
2021	Into Mystic	5	Florent Geroux	Brendan P. Walsh	Coleman, George Chris & Brad King	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:05.89	$150,000		[10]
2020	Ambassador Luna	4	Julien Leparoux	James Gulick	Voodoomon Racing	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.56	$150,000		Off turf[11]
2019	A Little Bit Me	5	John R. Velazquez	Richard Baltas	Christopher Johnson	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:04.57	$125,000		[12]
2018	Triple Chelsea	5	Adam Beschizza	Joe Sharp	Brad Grady	5 furlongs	0:56.23	$70,865		[13]
2017	Nobody's Fault	5	Corey Lanerie	Neil L. Pessin	Lothenbach Stables	5 furlongs	0:56.65	$64,600		[14]
2016	Acapulco	3	Robby Albarado	Wesley A. Ward	Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor	5 furlongs	0:57.47	$63,433		[15]
2015	Katie's Eyes	4	Florent Geroux	Michael Stidham	Ike Thrash, Dawn, Alley, Janet Thrash & Sam Alley	5 furlongs	0:56.44	$66,029		[16]
2014	Sweet Cassiopeia	8	Joseph Rocco Jr.	William R. Connelly	Steve C. Snowden & Dan Considine	5 furlongs	0:57.58	$65,142		[17]
2013	Good Deed	4	Shaun Bridgmohan	Steven R. Margolis	Bert, Elaine & Richard Klein	5 furlongs	0:57.37	$64,418		[18]
2012	Wild About Marie	5	Shaun Bridgmohan	Jeffrey D. Thornbury	Ike & Dawn Thrash	5 furlongs	0:56.24	$57,385		[19]
2011	Little Polka Dot	5	Shaun Bridgmohan	Thomas M. Amoss	Maggi Moss	5 furlongs	0:57.34	$53,210		Off turf[20]
2010	Candy Cane	6	Garrett Gomez	Richard E. Dutrow Jr.	Michael Dubb	5 furlongs	0:57.45	$54,972		[1]

Legend:
  Dirt   Turf

See also

• List of American and Canadian Graded races

External links

• 2023 Churchill Downs Media Guide – $300,000 Unbridled Sidney presented by Turfway Park Racing & Gaming (Listed)