# Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes

The Kentucky Cup Classic Stakesis a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for four-year-olds and older over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles on the polytrack track scheduled annually in late March at Turfway Park in the Cincinnati, Ohio suburb of Florence, Kentucky. The event currently offers a purse of $300,000.

## History

The inaugural running of the event was held on September 24, 1994, and was won by the 1994 Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes winning Tabasco Cat. He was ridden by ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day and trained by US Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
The following year the event was held under handicap conditions.
In 1996 the event was upgraded to Grade III status.
With the continual high purses which attracted quality runners the event was upgraded in 1999 to Grade II.
With the support of WinStar Farm, this race was suspended in 2010 due to economic challenges, but returned in 2011 and held at a shorter distance of 1+1⁄16 miles.
On August 29, 2017, after having not been run since its "revival" in 2011 and losing its graded status, general manager Daniel "Chip" Bach announced the Kentucky Cup Classic would return once again in 2018. The race was run on the Spiral Stakes undercard in March.
In 2020, Nun the Less, a gelding son of Candy Ride, became the first horse to win the race twice, having won it the first time the previous year. He also became the oldest horse to win the race, winning in 2020 at age 8. Future Prospect, a son of Giant's Causeway's full-brother Freud, had previously been the oldest horse to win, having won in 2011 at age 7.
In 2024 the event was upgraded back to Grade III by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

## Records
### Time record

* 1:47.43 - Atticus (1996)

### Margins

* 17 lengths – Silver Charm and Wild Rush (1998)
Most wins by a horse
* 2 - Nun the Less (2019, 2020)

### Most wins by an owner

* 3 - Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey (2004, 2009, 2018)

### Most wins by a jockey

* 3 - Pat Day (1994, 1998, 2003)

### Most wins by a trainer

* 3 - Bob Baffert (1997, 1998, 2000)
* 3 - Michael J. Maker (2009, 2018, 2022)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
| Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes |||||||||||
| 2024 | Cellist | 6 | Luis Saez | George R. Arnold II | Calumet Farm | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.33 | $292,000 | III | |
| 2023 | Wolfie's Dynaghost | 5 | John R. Velazquez | Jonathan Thomas | Woodslane Farm | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.09 | $299,600 | Listed | |
| 2022 | King Cause | 7 | Manuel Franco | Michael J. Maker | Nice Guys Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.63 | $247,500 | Listed | |
| 2021 | Visitant | 5 | Deshawn Parker | William E. Morey | Williamson Racing | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.12 | $139,700 | Listed | |
| 2020 | Nun the Less | 8 | Rodney A. Prescott | Cipriano Contreras | Crystal Racing Enterprises & Contreras Stable | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.80 | $140,700 | | |
| 2019 | Nun the Less | 7 | Walter De La Cruz | Cipriano Contreras | Crystal Racing Enterprises & Contreras Stable | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.79 | $100,000 | | |
| 2018 | Camelot Kitten | 5 | Rafael M. Hernandez | Michael J. Maker | Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.76 | $100,000 | | |
| 2012–2017 | 2012–2017 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| Kentucky Cup Stakes |||||||||||
| 2011 | Future Prospect | 7 | Edgar Prado | Dodson Skaggs | Dodson Skaggs | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.71 | $169,999 | II | |
| 2010 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes |||||||||||
| 2009 | Furthest Land | 4 | Garrett Gomez | Michael J. Maker | Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.41 | $195,000 | II | |
| 2008 | Zanjero | 4 | Shaun Bridgmohan | Steven M. Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.27 | $350,000 | II | |
| 2007 | Hard Spun | 3 | Mario Pino | J. Larry Jones | Fox Hill Farms | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.48 | $402,500 | II | |
| 2006 | Ball Four | 5 | Willie Martinez | Patrick L. Biancone | Derrick Smith & Michael Tabor | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.29 | $350,000 | II | |
| 2005 | Shaniko | 4 | Rafael Bejarano | Todd A. Pletcher | Aaron & Marie Jones | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.74 | $342,500 | II | |
| Kentucky Cup Classic Handicap |||||||||||
| 2004 | Roses in May | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Dale L. Romans | Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.13 | $350,000 | II | |
| 2003 | Perfect Drift | 4 | Pat Day | Murray W. Johnson | Stonecrest Farm | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.43 | $350,000 | II | |
| 2002 | Pure Prize | 4 | Mike E. Smith | Claude R. McGaughey III | Ogden Mills Phipps et al. | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.24 | $400,000 | II | |
| 2001 | Guided Tour | 5 | Larry Melancon | Niall O'Callaghan | Morton Fink | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:47.90 | $400,000 | II | |
| 2000 | Captain Steve | 3 | Shane Sellers | Bob Baffert | Michael E. Pegram | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.95 | $500,000 | II | |
| 1999 | Da Devil | 4 | Calvin Borel | Forrest Kaelin | Hall, Case, Glasscock et al. | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.54 | $500,000 | II | |
| 1998 | Silver Charm | 4 | Gary Stevens | Bob Baffert | Bob & Beverly Lewis | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:47.48 | $500,000 | III | Dead heat |
| 1998 | Wild Rush | 4 | Pat Day | Patrick B. Byrne | Stronach Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:47.48 | $500,000 | III | Dead heat |
| 1997 | Semoran | 4 | Kent Desormeaux | Bob Baffert | Donald R. Dizney | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.54 | $380,000 | III | |
| 1996 | Atticus | 4 | Corey Nakatani | Richard Mandella | La Presle Farm | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:47.43 | $490,000 | III | |
| 1995 | Thunder Gulch | 3 | Gary Stevens | D. Wayne Lukas | Michael Tabor | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.42 | $396,000 | Listed | |
| Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes |||||||||||
| 1994 | Tabasco Cat | 3 | Pat Day | D. Wayne Lukas | Overbrook Farm & David P. Reynolds | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.42 | $376,000 | Listed | |
Legend:
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