The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association announced Wednesday its listing of U.S. graded stakes for 2005, the results of its annual grading session conducted Tuesday in Lexington, Ky. The committee reviewed 742 unrestricted U.S. stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000, and assigned graded status to 467 of them, 13 less than were graded in 2004. A total of seven graded races were upgraded, including one new grade I race and six new grade II races; 11 new grade III races were identified. One grade II race and three races which carried grade III status in 2004 are no longer graded. One race was upgraded to grade I status for 2005: the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap at Santa Anita. One race was downgraded from grade I to grade II for 2005: the Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park. Six races were upgraded to grade II status for 2005: the Comely Stakes at Aqueduct, Carry Back Stakes and Smile Sprint Handicap at Calder Race Course, Shirley Jones Handicap at Gulfstream Park, and Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Breeders' Cup Handicap at Prairie Meadows. Five races were downgraded from grade II to grade III in 2005: the Knickerbocker Handicap at Aqueduct, Arlington Classic Stakes at Arlington Park, Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds, Monmouth Breeders' Cup Oaks at Monmouth Park, and Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga. The Forest Hills Handicap at Belmont Park was not eligible for grading in 2005. Eleven races were upgraded to grade III status for 2005: the Frances A. Genter Stakes at Calder Race Course, Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs, Boyd Gaming's Delta Jackpot Stakes at Delta Downs, Hurricane Bertie Handicap and Old Hat Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Jim Murray Memorial Handicap at Hollywood Park, Vinery Madison Stakes and Perryville Stakes at Keeneland, Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, Hirsch Jacobs Stakes at Pimlico, and Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita. Twenty races were downgraded from grade III to ungraded status for 2005: the Affectionately Handicap, Fall Highweight Handicap, and Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct; Arlington Breeders' Cup Oaks at Arlington Park; Lawrence Realization Stakes and Pebbles Stakes at Belmont Park; Chaposa Springs Handicap at Calder Race Course; Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs, Brown Bess Handicap and Golden Gate Derby at Golden Gate Fields; Canadian Turf Handicap and Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream Park; Landaluce Stakes at Hollywood Park; Anne Arundel Stakes at Laurel; Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park; Donald Levine Memorial Handicap at Philadelphia Park; Martha Washington Breeders' Cup Stakes at Pimlico; Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park; Miller Genuine Draft Cradle Stakes at River Downs; and San Miguel Stakes at Santa Anita. The De La Rose Handicap and Ft. Lauderdale Handicap at Gulfstream Park and New Hampshire Sweepstakes Handicap at Rockingham Park were not eligible for grading in 2005.
2005 Graded Stakes Directory