The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association released on Dec. 20 a listing of U.S. graded and listed stakes races for 2020, the results of its annual grading session conducted Dec. 17-18 in Lexington.
The committee reviewed 844 U.S. stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000 and assigned graded status to 448 of them—two fewer than in 2019—and listed status to 196 races. Seven graded races were upgraded, six new grade 3 races were named, and 32 new listed races were upgraded from non-listed black-type status. Thirteen races that carried graded or listed status in 2019 are no longer eligible for grading.
No races were upgraded to grade 1 status for 2020.
However, four races were downgraded from grade 1 to grade 2 for the upcoming year: the Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park as well as the Chandelier Stakes, Santa Anita Oaks, and Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
Seven races were upgraded to grade 2 status for 2020: the Fort Marcy, Pennine Ridge, and Pilgrim stakes at Belmont; the Edgewood and Pat Day Mile stakes at Churchill Downs; the Dixiana Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland; and the Joe Hernandez Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
Six races were downgraded from grade 2 to grade 3 for next year: the Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct; Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill; Fasig-Tipton Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park; Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park; and Kona Gold and San Luis Rey stakes at Santa Anita.
Six races were upgraded to grade 3 status for 2020: the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational and Runhappy stakes at Belmont; Dogwood Stakes at Churchill; Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots; Kitten's Joy Stakes at Gulfstream; and Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
Another six races were downgraded from grade 3 to listed status for 2020: the American Derby, Arlington Matron Stakes, and Hanshin Cup Stakes at Arlington International Racecourse; All American Stakes at Golden Gate Fields; Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream; and Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth.
Thirty races were upgraded to listed status, two races were upgraded to listed-restricted status, and 12 races were downgraded from listed to non-listed black-type status.
Following is a summary breakdown of all grade levels and a complete list of all upgraded and downgraded U.S. races for the 2020 racing season as well as the complete list of 2020 graded and listed stakes.
| 2020 Graded Stakes |
Number
|
% Graded | % Eligible | Change from 2019 |
| Grade 1 |
99
|
22.10% |
-4
|
|
| Grade 2 |
135
|
30.10% |
+4
|
|
| Grade 3 |
214
|
47.80% |
-2
|
|
| All Graded |
448
|
53.10% |
|
|
| Listed |
182
|
21.60% |
|
|
| Listed – Restricted |
14
|
1.60% |
|
|
| Non-Listed Eligible |
200
|
23.70% |
|
|
| All Gr., L & NLE Races |
844
|
|
| RACES UPGRADED FOR 2020 : | ||
| 2-Year-Old Fillies | ||
| None | ||
| 3-Year-Old Fillies | ||
| Edgewood S. (T) | (Churchill Downs) | Grade 3 to Grade 2 |
| Dogwood S. | (Churchill Downs) | Listed to Grade 3 |
| Tropical Park Oaks (T) | (Gulfstream Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Unzip Me S. (T) | (Santa Anita Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Older Fillies and Mares | ||
| Albert M. Stall Memorial S. (T) | (Fair Grounds) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Daisycutter S. (T) | (Del Mar) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Dream Supreme S. | (Churchill Downs) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Lady Jacqueline S. | (Thistledown) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| She’s All In S. | (Remington Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Willa On the Move S. | (Laurel Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Via Borghese S. (T) | (Gulfstream Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| 2-Year-Olds | ||
| Dixiana Bourbon S. (T) | (Keeneland) | Grade 3 to Grade 2 |
| Pilgrim S. (T) | (Belmont Park) | Grade 3 to Grade 2 |
| Indian Summer S. (T) | (Keeneland) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint S. (T) | (Kentucky Downs) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Pulpit S. (T) | (Gulfstream Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Street Sense S. | (Churchill Downs | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| 3-Year-Olds | ||
| Pat Day Mile S. | (Churchill Downs) | Grade 3 to Grade 2 |
| Pennine Ridge S. (T) | (Belmont Park) | Grade 3 to Grade 2 |
| Kitten’s Joy S. (T) | (Gulfstream Park) | Listed to Grade 3 |
| Columbia S. (T) | (Tampa Bay Downs) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Concern S. | (Laurel Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Ellis Park Derby | (Ellis Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Gold Fever S. | (Belmont Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Manila S. (T) | (Belmont Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Paradise Creek S. (T) | (Belmont Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Older Horses | ||
| Fort Marcy S. (T) | (Belmont Park) | Grade 3 to Grade 2 |
| Joe Hernandez S. (T) | (Santa Anita Park) | Grade 3 to Grade 2 |
| Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational S. (T) | (Belmont Park) | Listed to Grade 3 |
| Challenger S. | (Tampa Bay Downs) | Listed to Grade 3 |
| Louisiana S. | (Fair Grounds) | Listed to Grade 3 |
| Runhappy S. | (Belmont Park) | Listed to Grade 3 |
| Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship S. (T) | (Aqueduct) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Bet on Sunshine S. | (Churchill Downs) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Cape Henlopen S. (T) | (Delaware Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Flat Out S. | (Belmont Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| H. Allen Jerkens S. (T) | (Gulfstream Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Janus S. (T) | (Gulfstream Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Kentucky Downs Preview Kentucky Turf Cup S. (T) | (Ellis Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint S. (T) | (Kentucky Downs) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Pelican S. | (Tampa Bay Downs) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Point of Entry S. (T) | (Belmont Park) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Tenacious S. | (Fair Grounds) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed |
| Lucky Coin S. (T) | (Saratoga) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed – Restricted |
| Tale of the Cat S. | (Saratoga) | non-Listed Black Type to Listed – Restricted |
| RACES DOWNGRADED FOR 2020 : | ||
| 2-Year-Old Fillies | ||
| Chandelier S. | (Santa Anita Park) | Grade 1 to Grade 2 |
| Pocahontas S. | (Churchill Downs) | Grade 2 to Grade 3 |
| Arlington-Washington Lassie S. | (Arlington Park) | Listed to non-Listed Black Type |
| Landaluce S. | (Santa Anita Park) | not eligible |
| 3-Year-Old Fillies | ||
| Santa Anita Oaks | (Santa Anita Park) | Grade 1 to Grade 2 |
| Gazelle S. | (Aqueduct) | Grade 2 to Grade 3 |
| Ruthless S. | (Aqueduct) | Listed to non-Listed Black Type |
| Old Hat S. | (Gulfstream Park) | not eligible |
| 2-Year-Olds | ||
| Heft S. | (Laurel Park) | Listed to non-Listed Black Type |
| Santa Anita Juvenile S. | (Santa Anita Park) | not eligible |
| 3-Year-Olds | ||
| Fasig-Tipton Holy Bull S. | (Gulfstream Park) | Grade 2 to Grade 3 |
| American Derby (T) | (Arlington Park) | Grade 3 to Listed |
| Hutcheson S. | (Gulfstream Park) | Grade 3 to Listed |
| San Pedro S. | (Santa Anita Park) | not eligible |
| Older Horses | ||
| Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. | (Santa Anita Park) | Grade 1 to Grade 2 |
| Vosburgh S. | (Belmont Park) | Grade 1 to Grade 2 |
| Kona Gold S. | (Santa Anita Park) | Grade 2 to Grade 3 |
| Monmouth S. (T) | (Monmouth Park) | Grade 2 to Grade 3 |
| San Luis Rey S. (T) | (Santa Anita Park) | Grade 2 to Grade 3 |
| All American S. | (Golden Gate Fields) | Grade 3 to Listed |
| Hanshin Cup S. | (Arlington Park) | Grade 3 to Listed |
| Oceanport S. (T) | (Monmouth Park | Grade 3 to Listed |
| Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint S. (T) | (Gulfstream Park) | Listed to non-Listed Black Type |
| David M. Vance S. | Remington Park) | Listed to non-Listed Black Type |
| Iowa Sprint H. | (Prairie Meadows) | Listed to non-Listed Black Type |
| Laurel Dash S. (T) | (Laurel Park) | Listed to non-Listed Black Type |
| Senator Robert C. Byrd Memorial S | (Mountaineer Park) | Listed to non-Listed Black Type |
| Swatara S. | (Penn National) | Listed to non-Listed Black Type |
| Zia Park Championship H. | (Zia Park) | Listed to non-Listed Black Type |
| American St. Leger S. (T) | (Arlington Park) | not eligible |
| Arcadia S. (T) | (Santa Anita Park) | not eligible |
| Clocker’s Corner S. (T) | (Santa Anita Park) | not eligible |
| Donald Levine Memorial S. | (Parx Racing) | not eligible |
| Los Angeles S. | (Santa Anita Park) | not eligible |
| Miami Mile S. (T) | (Gulfstream Park) | not eligible |
| Mountainview S. | (Penn National) | not eligible |
| Sir Shackleton S. | (Gulfstream Park) | not eligible |
