Music City Stakes

Music City Stakes

Grade II race
Location	Kentucky Downs Franklin, Kentucky, United States
Inaugurated	2020
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Sponsor	AGS (since 2024)
Website	kentuckydowns.com
Race information
Distance	6+1⁄2 furlongs
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-old fillies
Weight	124 lbs with allowances
Purse	$2,000,000 (2024)

The Music City Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-tear-old fillies, over a distance of 6+1⁄2 furlongs on the turf held annually in September at Kentucky Downs racetrack in Franklin, Kentucky during their short turf meeting. The event currently carries a purse of $2,000,000 which includes $1,000,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

History

The race was inaugurated in 2020[1] with an attractive purse offered of $400,000.[2] The event was won by the lightly raced West-Coast filly Lighthouse who started at the odds of 11/1 and won by 1+1⁄2 lengths in a time of 1:14.99.[2] After returning to California, Lighthouse had two more starts before beings sent to Australia where she was placed twice at Group 1 level before capturing the Group 1 Coolmore Classic.[3]

In 2023 the event was upgraded to a Grade III.[4]

With the influx of gaming revenue at Kentucky Downs the initial purse for the event has risen dramatically to nearly $500,000 offered by 2022.[5]

Records

Speed record:

• 6+1⁄2 furlongs: 1:14.75 – Tobys Heart (2021)

Margins:

• 2+3⁄4 lengths – Tobys Heart (2021)

Most wins by a jockey:

• No jockey has won this race more than once.

Most wins by a trainer:

• No trainer has won this race more than once.

Most wins by an owner:

• No owner has won this race more than once.

Winners

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
2024	Simply in Front	Luis Saez	Eddie Kenneally	Colebrook Farms	6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:16.01	$1,767,200	II	[6]
2023	Secret Money	Tyler Gaffalione	Brendan Walsh	Fortune Farm (Richard Nicolai), Robert G. Hahn & Matthew Hand	6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:15.14	$996,570	III	[7]
2022	Freedom Speaks	Jose Lezcano	Jeremiah Englehart	Reitman Stables	6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:15.35	$471,750	Listed	[5]
2021	Tobys Heart	Joel Rosario	Brian A. Lynch	Gary Barber, Terry Hamilton & Brian A. Lynch	6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:14.75	$487,950		[8]
2020	Lighthouse	Umberto Rispoli	Simon Callaghan	LNJ Foxwoods	6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:14.99	$360,385		[2]

See also

• List of American and Canadian Graded races

References

1. "MUSIC CITY STAKES – MULTIPLE TRACKS". Thoroughbred Pedigree Online. 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
2. "2020 Music City Stakes Black Type – (race 11)". Equibase. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
3. Roots, Chris (12 March 2022). "Lighthouse shines brightly for US connections in Coolmore Classic". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
4. "American Graded Stakes Committee Releases 2023 Grades; The Stephen Foster Stakes is the only new grade 1 stakes for 2023". Bloodhorse.com. Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
5. "2022 Nelson's Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey Music City Stakes Listed – (race 7)". Equibase. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
6. "2024 AGS Music City Stakes Grade II – (race 7)". Equibase. 7 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
7. "2023 Big Ass Fans Music City Stakes Grade III – (race 9)". Equibase. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
8. "2021 Nelson's Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey Music City Stakes Black Type – (race 8)". Equibase. 12 September 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2023.