National Thoroughbred Racing Assn.

Contact: Eric Wing, NTRA, (914) 434-3529
Andrew Schweigardt (859) 276-2291

2010 Graded Stakes are Announced

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association today presented its listing of U.S. Graded Stakes for 2010, the results of its annual grading session conducted December 2 in Lexington.

The Committee reviewed 723 unrestricted U.S. stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000, and assigned graded status to 487 of them, two less than were graded in 2009. A total of 15 graded races were upgraded, including three new Grade I races and six new Grade II races; six new Grade III races were identified. Two races which carried Grade III status in 2009 are no longer eligible for grading.

Three races were upgraded to Grade I status for 2010: the Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga, Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park and Clark H. at Churchill Downs.

Five races were downgraded from Grade I to Grade II for 2010: the Citation H. at Hollywood Park, Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash S. at Laurel Park, Go For Wand H. at Saratoga, John C. Mabee S. at Del Mar and Santa Maria H. at Santa Anita Park.

Six races were upgraded to Grade II status for 2010: the American Turf S. at Churchill Downs, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Pocahontas S. at Churchill Downs, Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds and Sir Beaufort S. at Santa Anita Park.

Ten races were downgraded from Grade II to Grade III in 2010: the Bed O’ Roses H. at Aqueduct, Beverly Hills H. at Hollywood Park, Comely S. at Aqueduct, Illinois Derby at Hawthorne Race Course, Jefferson Cup S. at Churchill Downs, La Prevoyante H. at Calder Race Course, Ohio Derby at Thistledown, Rampart S. at Gulfstream Park, Sunset H. at Hollywood Park and Tom Fool H. at Belmont Park.

Six races were upgraded to Grade III status for 2010: the Breeders’ Cup Marathon, Cougar II H. at Del Mar, Ft. Lauderdale S. at Gulfstream Park, Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows, Monmouth S. at Monmouth Park and Sunland Derby at Sunland Park.

Eight races were downgraded from Grade III to Ungraded status for 2010: the Baldwin S. at Santa Anita, Barbaro S. at Delaware Park, Calder Derby at Calder Race Course, Cinema H. at Hollywood Park, Dallas Turf Cup S. at Lone Star Park, Adena Stallions’ Miss Preakness S. at Pimlico, Next Move S. at Aqueduct and Stuyvesant H. at Aqueduct. The Frances A. Genter S. at Calder Race Course and Safely Kept S. at Laurel Park were not eligible for grading in 2010.

Following is a summary breakdown of all grade levels and a complete list of all upgraded and downgraded U.S. races for the 2010 racing season as well as the complete list of 2010 graded stakes.

2010 Graded Stakes	Number	% Graded	%Eligible	Change from 2009
Grade I	113	23.2%		-2
Grade II	156	32.0%		-3
Grade III	218	44.8%		+3
All Graded	487		67.4%
Ungraded	236		32.6%
All Eligible Races	723

TOBA American Graded Stakes Committee
Summary of Decisions Made at December 2, 2009 Grading Session

RACES UPGRADED FOR 2010:

Two-Year-Old Fillies
Breeders’ Juvenile Fillies Turf (T) Ungraded to Grade II
Pocahontas S. (Churchill Downs) Grade III to Grade II

Three-Year-Old Fillies
None

Older Fillies and Mares
None

Two-Year-Olds
None

Three-Year-Olds Arkansas Derby (Oaklawn Park) Grade II to Grade I
American Turf S. (T) (Churchill Downs) Grade III to Grade II
Risen Star S. (Fair Grounds) Grade III to Grade II
Sir Beaufort S. (T) (Santa Anita Park) Grade III to Grade II
Iowa Derby (Prairie Meadows) Ungraded to Grade III
Sunland Derby (Sunland Park) Ungraded to Grade III

Older Horses Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (Saratoga) Grade II to Grade I
Clark H. (Churchill Downs) Grade II to Grade I
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (T) Ungraded to Grade II
Breeders’ Cup Marathon Ungraded to Grade III
Cougar II H. (Del Mar) Ungraded to Grade III
Ft. Lauderdale S. (T) (Gulfstream Park) Ungraded to Grade III
Monmouth S. (T) (Monmouth Park) Ungraded to Grade III

RACES DOWNGRADED FOR 2010:

Two-Year-Old Fillies
None

Three-Year-Old Fillies
Comely S. (Aqueduct) Grade II to Grade III
Adena Stallion’s Miss Preakness S. (Pimlico) Grade III to Ungraded
Safely Kept S. (Laurel Park) Not eligible
Frances A. Genter S. (T) (Calder Race Course) Not eligible

Older Fillies and Mares
Go For Wand H. (Saratoga) Grade I to Grade II
John C. Mabee S. (T) (Del Mar) Grade I to Grade II
Santa Maria H. (Santa Anita Park) Grade I to Grade II
Bed O’ Roses H. (Aqueduct) Grade II to Grade III
Beverly Hills H. (T) (Hollywood Park) Grade II to Grade III
La Prevoyante H. (T) (Calder Race Course) Grade II to Grade III
Rampart S. (Gulfstream Park) Grade II to Grade III
Next Move H. (Aqueduct) Grade III to Ungraded

Two-Year-Olds
None

Three-Year-Olds
Illinois Derby (Hawthorne Race Course) Grade II to Grade III
Jefferson Cup S. (T) (Churchill Downs) Grade II to Grade III
Ohio Derby (Thistledown) Grade II to Grade III
Baldwin S. (T) (Santa Anita Park) Grade III to Ungraded
Barbaro S. (Delaware Park) Grade III to Ungraded
Calder Derby (T) (Calder Race Course) Grade III to Ungraded
Cinema H. (T) (Hollywood Park) Grade III to Ungraded

Older Horses
Citation H. (T) (Hollywood Park) Grade I to Grade II
Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash S. (Laurel Park) Grade I to Grade II
Sunset H. (T) (Hollywood Park) Grade II to Grade III
Tom Fool H. (Belmont Park) Grade II to Grade III
Dallas Turf Cup S. (T) (Lone Star Park) Grade III to Ungraded
Stuyvesant H. (Aqueduct) Grade III to Ungraded

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