The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association today presented its listing of U.S. Graded and Listed Stakes Races for February 2022 through January 2023, the results of its annual grading session conducted Jan. 26 and 27.
The Committee reviewed 891 U.S. stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000, and assigned Graded status to 449 of them, four more than were graded in 2021, and Listed status to 204 races. Eight Graded races were upgraded; three new Grade 1 and five new Grade 2 races were named; 13 new Grade 3 races were identified. Twenty new Listed races and two new Listed-Restricted races were upgraded from non-Listed Black Type status.
Three races were upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland and New York S. at Belmont Park.
The Blue Grass Stakes was last run as a Grade 1 in 2016. The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint is being upgraded to Grade 1 status for the first time since its debut in 2018.
Two races were downgraded from Grade 1 to Grade 2 status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Secretariat S. at Arlington Park and Flower Bowl S. at Saratoga.
Five races were upgraded to Grade 2 status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Lukas Classic S. at Churchill Downs; Wonder Again S. and Bed o' Roses S. at Belmont Park; Fanduel Turf Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs; and Shuvee S. at Saratoga.
Four races were downgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 3 status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Falls City S. at Churchill Downs; Best Pal S. at Del Mar; and Adirondack S. and Bernard Baruch H. at Saratoga.
Thirteen races were upgraded to Grade 3 status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Jockey Club Derby Invitational S., Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. and Pebbles S. at Belmont Park; Street Sense S. at Churchill Downs; Del Mar Juvenile Turf S. at Del Mar; Bryan Station S. at Keeneland; Dueling Grounds Derby and Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon S. at Kentucky Downs; Essex H., Hot Springs S. and Oaklawn Mile S. at Oaklawn Park; and Surfer Girl S. and Zuma Beach S. at Santa Anita Park.
Nine races were downgraded from Grade 3 to Listed status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Excelsior S. at Aqueduct; Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs; Longacres Mile H. at Emerald Downs; Gulfstream Park Sprint S. at Gulfstream Park; Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash S. at Laurel Park; Los Alamitos Derby at Los Alamitos Race Course; Parx Dash S. at Parx Racing; and Astra S. and Lazaro Barrera S. at Santa Anita Park.
Twenty races were upgraded to Listed status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Awad S. and Winter Memories S. at Aqueduct; Blame S., Kelly's Landing S., Mamzelle Overnight S., Mighty Beau Overnight S., Opening Verse Overnight S., Shawnee S., and Unbridled Sidney S. at Churchill Downs; Marie G. Krantz Memorial S. at Fair Grounds; Limestone Turf Sprint S., Palisades Turf Sprint S., and Perryville S. at Keeneland; Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile S. and Music City S. at Kentucky Downs; Temperence Hill S. at Oaklawn Park; Prince George's County S. at Pimlico; Baffle S. and Speakeasy S. at Santa Anita Park; and Galway S. at Saratoga.
Two races were upgraded to Listed-Restricted status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Oceanside S. at Del Mar and One Dreamer S. at Kentucky Downs.
Nine races were downgraded from Listed to non-Listed Black Type status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Arlington-Washington Futurity at Arlington Park; Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury Park; Indiana General Assembly Distaff S., Indiana Grand S. and Mari Hulman George Memorial S. at Indiana Grand; Dave's Friend S. at Laurel Park; Satin and Lace S. at Presque Isle Downs; She's All In S. at Remington Park; and Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park.
All Graded and Listed races from 2021 maintained their eligibility for February 2022 through January 2023.
Following is a summary breakdown of all grade levels and a complete list of all upgraded and downgraded U.S. races for the period from February 2022 through January 2023 as well as the complete list of February 2022 through January 2023 Graded and Listed stakes.
2022-23 Gr. Stakes Number % Graded %Eligible Change from 2021
Grade I 101 22.5% +1
Grade II 135 30.1% –
Grade III 213 47.4% +3
All Graded 449 50.4%
Listed 192 21.5%
Listed – Restricted 12 1.3%
Non-Listed Eligible 238 26.7%
All Gr., L & NLE Races 891
TOBA American Graded Stakes Committee Summary of Decisions Made at January 26 and 27, 2022 Grading Session
RACES UPGRADED FOR FEBRUARY 2022 through JANUARY 2023:
Two-Year-Old Fillies
Surfer Girl S. (T) (Santa Anita Park) Listed to Grade III
Three-Year-Old Fillies
Wonder Again S. (T) (Belmont Park) Grade III to Grade II
Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. (T) (Belmont Park) non-Listed Black Type to Grade III
Pebbles S. (T) (Belmont Park) Listed to Grade III
Winter Memories S. (T) (Aqueduct) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Mamzelle Overnight S. (T) (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Limestone Turf Sprint S. (T) (Keeneland) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Music City S. (T) (Kentucky Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Galway S. (T) (Saratoga) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Older Fillies and Mares
New York S. (T) (Belmont Park) Grade II to Grade I
Shuvee S. (Saratoga) Grade III to Grade II
Bed o' Roses S. (Belmont Park) Grade III to Grade II
Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon S. (T) (Kentucky Downs) Listed to Grade III
Shawnee S. (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Unbridled Sidney S. (T) (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Marie G. Krantz Memorial S. (T) (Fair Grounds) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
One Dreamer S. (T) (Kentucky Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed-Restricted
Two-Year-Olds
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (T) (Breeders' Cup) Grade II to Grade I
Street Sense S. (Churchill Downs) Listed to Grade III
Del Mar Juvenile Turf S. (T) (Del Mar) Listed to Grade III
Zuma Beach S. (T) (Santa Anita Park) Listed to Grade III
Awad S. (T) (Aqueduct) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile S. (T) (Kentucky Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Speakeasy S. (T) (Santa Anita Park) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Three-Year-Olds
Toyota Blue Grass S. (Keeneland) Grade II to Grade I
Jockey Club Derby Invitational S. (T) (Belmont Park) non-Listed Black Type to Grade III
Bryan Station S. (T) (Keeneland) non-Listed Black Type to Grade III
Dueling Grounds Derby (T) (Kentucky Downs) Listed to Grade III
Perryville S. (Keeneland) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Palisades Turf Sprint S. (T) (Keeneland) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Baffle S. (T) (Santa Anita Park) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Oceanside S. (T) (Del Mar) non-Listed Black Type to Listed-Restricted
Older Horses
Lukas Classic S. (Churchill Downs) Grade III to Grade II
Fanduel Turf Sprint S. (T) (Kentucky Downs) Grade III to Grade II
Essex H. (Oaklawn Park) Listed to Grade III
Oaklawn Park Mile S. (Oaklawn Park) Listed to Grade III
Hot Springs S. (Oaklawn Park) Listed to Grade III
Blame S. (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Temperence Hill S. (Oaklawn Park) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Opening Verse Overnight S. (T) (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Prince George's County S. (T) (Pimlico) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Kelly's Landing S. (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
Mighty Beau Overnight S. (T) (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed
RACES DOWNGRADED FOR FEBRUARY 2022 through JANUARY 2023:
Two-Year-Old Fillies
Adirondack S. (Saratoga) Grade II to Grade III
Three-Year-Old Fillies
Bourbonette Oaks (Turfway Park) Listed to non-Listed Black Type
Indiana Grand S. (T) (Indiana Grand) Listed to non-Listed Black Type
Older Fillies and Mares
Flower Bowl S. (T) (Saratoga) Grade I to Grade II
Falls City S. (Churchill Downs) Grade II to Grade III
Astra S. (T) (Santa Anita Park) Grade III to Listed
Mari Hulman George Memorial S. (Indiana Grand) Listed to non-Listed Black Type
She's All In S. (Remington Park) Listed to non-Listed Black Type
Indiana General Assembly Distaff S. (T) (Indiana Grand) Listed to non-Listed Black Type
Satin and Lace S. (Presque Isle Downs) Listed to non-Listed Black Type
Two-Year-Olds
Best Pal S. (Del Mar) Grade II to Grade III
Bashford Manor S. (Churchill Downs) Grade III to Listed
Arlington-Washington Futurity (Arlington Park) Listed to non-Listed Black Type
Three-Year-Olds
Secretariat S. (T) (Arlington Park) Grade I to Grade II
Los Alamitos Derby (Los Alamitos) Grade III to Listed
Lazaro Barrera S. (Santa Anita Park) Grade III to Listed
Mystic Lake Derby (T) (Canterbury Park) Listed to non-Listed Black Type
Older Horses
Bernard Baruch H. (T) (Saratoga) Grade II to Grade III
Excelsior S. (Aqueduct) Grade III to Listed
Longacres Mile H. (Emerald Downs) Grade III to Listed
Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash S. (Laurel Park) Grade III to Listed
Gulfstream Park Sprint S. (Gulfstream Park) Grade III to Listed
Parx Dash S. (T) (Parx Racing) Grade III to Listed
Dave's Friend S. (Laurel Park) Listed to non-Listed Black Type
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