American Graded Stakes Committee releases 2013 U.S. graded, listed stakes list

American Graded Stakes Committee releases 2013 U.S. graded,

listed stakes list

The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders

Association (TOBA) on Friday presented its listing of U.S. Graded and listed

stakes for 2013, the results of its annual grading session conducted November 28

in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Committee reviewed 673 unrestricted U.S. stakes races with a purse of at

least $75,000, and assigned graded status to 457 of them, eight fewer than were

graded in 2012, and listed status to 201 races.

This is the first year the Committee is responsible for assigning listed

status.

A total of five graded races were upgraded, including two new Grade 1 races

and three new Grade 2 races; one new Grade 2 race and six new Grade 3 races were

upgraded from listed status. Nine races which carried graded status in 2012 are

no longer eligible for grading.

Two races were upgraded to Grade 1 status for 2013 -- the Hopeful Stakes at

Saratoga and Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park.

Three races were downgraded from Grade 1 to Grade 2 for 2013 -- the Charles

Whittingham Memorial Handicap at Hollywood Park, Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct and

Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

Four races were upgraded to Grade 2 status for 2013 -- the Ft. Lauderdale

Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Colonial Turf Cup Stakes (from listed) at Colonial

Downs, Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar and Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

Seven races were downgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 3 in 2013 -- the Red Smith

Handicap at Aqueduct, W. L. McKnight Handicap at Calder Race Course, General

George Handicap at Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship Stakes at

Gulfstream Park, Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park and Robert J. Frankel Stakes at

Santa Anita Park. The Kentucky Cup Stakes at Turfway Park was not eligible for

grading in 2013.

Six races were upgraded to Grade 3 status for 2013 -- the Dania Beach Stakes

at Gulfstream Park, Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park, Arlington Classic Stakes

at Arlington Park, Gallant Bob Stakes and Parx Dash Handicap at Parx Racing and

Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs.

Six races were downgraded from Grade 3 to listed status for 2013 -- the

Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes and Railbird Stakes at Hollywood Park,

Spend A Buck Handicap at Calder Race Course, Debutante Stakes at Churchill

Downs, Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes at Arlington Park and Cicada Stakes at

Aqueduct.

The La Habra Stakes, San Rafael Stakes and Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita

Park; Kentucky Cup Stakes, Kentucky Cup Distaff Stakes, Kentucky Cup Sprint

Stakes and Turfway Park Fall Championship Stakes at Turfway Park; and Kentucky

Juvenile Stakes and Locust Grove Handicap at Churchill Downs were not eligible

for grading in 2013.

Fifteen races were downgraded from listed to non-listed black-type status for

2013 -- the Gold Rush Futurity at Arapahoe Park; Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland

Park; Zia Park Derby at Zia Park; Sophomore Sprint Stakes, Memorial Day

Handicap, Summer Finale Stakes, Decoration Day Handicap and Firecracker Stakes

at Mountaineer Park; Bachelor Stakes at Oaklawn Park; Rumson Stakes at Monmouth

Park; San Juan County Commissioners Handicap at SunRay Park; Brandywine Stakes

at Parx Racing; Prairie Gold Lassie Stakes at Prairie Meadows; and Femme Fatale

Stakes and Red Carpet Stakes at Penn National Race Course.

Following is a summary breakdown of all grade levels. Click

here for a complete list of all upgraded and downgraded U.S. races for the

2013 racing season and

here for the complete list of 2013 graded and listed stakes.

2013 Graded Stakes		Number		% Graded		% Eligible		Change from 2012
Grade 1		111		24.3%				-1
Grade 2		148		32.4%				-3
Grade 3		198		43.3%				-4
All Graded		457				67.9%
Listed		201				29.9%
All Graded and Listed Races		658

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