# Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes

The Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the turf held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during the fall meeting.

## History

The race was inaugurated on October 11, 1984, in honour of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who attended the Keeneland races, during her private visit to Central Kentucky, and who presented a trophy on that date. The event was held on the dirt track over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles with Sintra winning in a time of 1:432⁄5.
The following year the event was moved to the turf track.
The Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup was a Listed race in 1984 and 1985, and was upgraded to Grade III status in 1986. The event held this status for two runnings and was upgraded to Grade II. In 1991 was upgraded once more to Grade I.
It is an important prep race to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

## Records

Time record:
* 1+1⁄8 miles: 1:45.81 – Memories of Silver (1996)
* 1+1⁄16 miles: 1:43.20 - Graceful Darby (1987)
Margins:
* 6 lengths – She Feels Pretty (2024)
Most wins by an owner
* 2 – Henryk de Kwiatkowski (1985, 1986)
* 2 – Darby Dan Farm (1988, 1990)
* 2 – Stronach Stables (1999, 2000)
Most wins by a jockey
* 4 – John R. Velazquez (1995, 2008, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2024)
Most wins by a trainer
* 5 – Chad C. Brown (2012, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade |
| 2024 | She Feels Pretty | John R. Velazquez | Cherie DeVaux | Lael Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:46.50 | $719,375 | I |
| 2023 | Mawj (IRE) | Oisin Murphy | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.06 | $501,000 | I |
| 2022 | Gina Romantica | Flavien Prat | Chad C. Brown | Peter M. Brant | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.20 | $569,125 | I |
| 2021 | Shantisara (IRE) | Flavien Prat | Chad C. Brown | Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables & Robert V. LaPenta | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.86 | $500,000 | I |
| 2020 | Harvey's Lil Goil | Martin Garcia | William I. Mott | Harvey A. Clarke (Estate) & Paul Braverman | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.72 | $500,000 | I |
| 2019 | Cambier Parc | John R. Velazquez | Chad C. Brown | OXO Equine | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.54 | $500,000 | I |
| 2018 | Rushing Fall | Javier Castellano | Chad C. Brown | e Five Racing Thoroughbreds | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.42 | $500,000 | I |
| 2017 | La Coronel | Jose Lezcano | Mark E. Casse | John C. Oxley | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.99 | $500,000 | I |
| 2016 | Time and Motion | John R. Velazquez | James J. Toner | Phillips Racing Partnership | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.24 | $500,000 | I |
| 2015 | Her Emmynency | Florent Geroux | Michael Stidham | Dawn & Ike Thrash | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.84 | $500,000 | I |
| 2014 | Crown Queen | John R. Velazquez | William I. Mott | Besilu Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.98 | $500,000 | I |
| 2013 | Kitten's Dumplings | Julien R. Leparoux | Michael J. Maker | Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.43 | $400,000 | I |
| 2012 | Dayatthespa | Javier Castellano | Chad C. Brown | Jerry & Ronald Frankel, Steve Laymon & Bradley Thoroughbreds | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.99 | $400,000 | I |
| 2011 | Together (IRE) | Colm O'Donoghue | Aidan P. O'Brien | Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.83 | $400,000 | I |
| 2010 | Harmonious | Joel Rosario | John Shirreffs | Martin, Pam, & Emily Wygods | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.14 | $400,000 | I |
| 2009 | Hot Cha Cha | James Graham | Philip A. Sims | Nelson McMakin | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:53.09 | $500,000 | I |
| 2008 | Alwajeeha | John R. Velazquez | Kiaran P. McLaughlin | Shadwell Stable | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.09 | $500,000 | I |
| 2007 | Bit of Whimsy | Javier Castellano | Barclay Tagg | Joyce B. Young & Gerald McManis | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.73 | $500,000 | I |
| 2006 | Vacare | Carlos H. Marquez Jr. | Chris M. Block | Lothenbach Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.42 | $500,000 | I |
| 2005 | Sweet Talker | Rafael Bejarano | Helen Pitts-Blasi | Eliah & Lisa Kahn | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.20 | $500,000 | I |
| 2004 | Ticker Tape (GB) | Kent J. Desormeaux | James M. Cassidy | Jim Ford, Deron Pearson & Jack Sweesy | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.35 | $500,000 | I |
| 2003 | Film Maker | Edgar S. Prado | H. Graham Motion | Courtlandt Farm | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:47.82 | $500,000 | I |
| 2002 | Riskaverse | Mark Guidry | Patrick J. Kelly | Fox Ridge Farm (Peter G. Schiff) | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.84 | $500,000 | I |
| 2001 | Affluent | Eddie Delahoussaye | Ron McAnally | Janis R. Whitham | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.03 | $500,000 | I |
| 2000 | Collect the Cash | Shane Sellers | Joe Orseno | Stronach Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:47.94 | $500,000 | I |
| 1999 | Perfect Sting | Pat Day | Joe Orseno | Stronach Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.66 | $500,000 | I |
| 1998 | Tenski | Richard Migliore | Linda L. Rice | Richard L. Golden | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.54 | $400,000 | I |
| 1997 | Ryafan | Alex O. Solis | John Gosden | Juddmonte Farms | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:46.64 | $400,000 | I |
| 1996 | Memories of Silver | Robbie Davis | James J. Toner | Joan G. & John W. Phillips | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:45.81 | $400,000 | I |
| 1995 | Perfect Arc | John R. Velazquez | Angel A. Penna Jr. | Brazil Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.84 | $250,000 | I |
| 1994 | Danish (IRE) | Julie Krone | Christophe Clement | Harry McCalmont | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.89 | $200,000 | I |
| 1993 | Tribulation | Jean-Luc Samyn | James J. Toner | James W. Phillips & G. Arthur Seelbinder | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:53.62 | $200,000 | I |
| 1992 | Captive Miss | Julie Krone | Philip M. Serpe | Zeke Minassian | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.66 | $200,000 | I |
| 1991 | La Gueriere | Brian Dale Peck | A. Peter Perkins | Wimborne Farm | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.86 | $200,000 | I |
| 1990 | Plenty of Grace | Jerry D. Bailey | John M. Veitch | Darby Dan Farm | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.40 | $100,000 | II |
| 1989 | Coolawin | Jose A. Velez Jr. | Carl A. Nafzger | James B. Tafel | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.20 | $100,000 | II |
| 1988 | Love You by Heart | Randy Romero | John M. Veitch | Darby Dan Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.80 | $100,000 | II |
| 1987 | Graceful Darby | Jerry D. Bailey | John M. Veitch | James W. Phillips | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:47.20 | $100,000 | III |
| 1986 | Lotka | Walter Guerra | Woodford C. Stephens | Henryk de Kwiatkowski | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:50.00 | $100,000 | III |
| 1985 | Contredance | Eddie Maple | Woodford C. Stephens | Henryk de Kwiatkowski | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:47.00 | $85,550 | |
| 1984 | Sintra | Keith Allen | Steven Penrod | Cherry Valley Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.40 | $106,625 | |
Legend:
 Dirt  Turf