Secretariat Stakes

The Secretariat Stakes is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1 ¹⁄₄ miles (2,000 meters). Held annually in mid August, it is the brother of both the Arlington Million and the Beverly D. Stakes and is raced on the same day and on the same turf course at Arlington Park, Arlington Heights, Illinois.

The race was created in 1974 from the "Arlington Invitational" which had been run only in the previous year in order to showcase U.S. Triple Crown winner Secretariat to Chicago racing fans. Secretariat won the race with My Gallant and Our Native running second and third respectively. Both of these horses had lost to the Champion in the Triple Crown series.

The distance of the 1974 inaugural race was 1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles (1,700 meters). It was run over 1 ¹⁄₈ miles (1,800 meters) in 1975/76 and extended to 1 ¹⁄₂ miles (2,400 meters) from 1978 to 1984, before settling at its present 1 ¹⁄₄ mile distance. In 1977 the race was run on dirt and in 1985 it was held at Hawthorne Race Course. There was no race run in 1988, 1998 and 1999.

In 2005 it was included in the Grand Slam of Grass, which offered a substantial bonus to the winner of this race, the Colonial Turf Cup, the Virginia Derby and the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Records

Time record: (at current distance of 1¼ miles)

• 1:59.65 - Kitten's Joy (2004)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 - Elmendorf Farm (1974, 1977)
• 3 - Michael Tabor (1996, 2000, 2011)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 3 - Pat Day (1983, 1991, 1995)
• 3 - Kent Desormeaux (2002, 2009, 2010)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 2 - Victor J. Nickerson (1974, 1981)
• 2 - William I. Mott (1985, 2005)
• 2 - Aidan O'Brien (2000, 2011)
• 2 - Dale Romans (2004, 2010)

Winners of the Secretariat Stakes

References

• The Secretariat Stakes at Pedigree Query