# Bourbon Stakes

The Bourbon Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles on the turf held annually in early October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during the fall meeting.

## History

The event was inaugurated on 23 October 1991 as the Hopemont Stakes and was won by the short priced 1-2 favorite Stress Buster who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day in a time of 1:44.84. The name of the event was in honor of the Hunt–Morgan House, historically known as Hopemont located in Lexington.
The event was run in two divisions in 1998.
In 2003 the event was renamed to the Bourbon County Stakes – Bourbon County is near Lexington and is home to many famous Throroughbred farms.
From 2005 to 2008, the event was run as the Bourbon Stakes, with sponsorship from Woodford Reserve which reflected in the name of the race. Since 2014, the race has been sponsored by Dixiana Farm.
In 2006, 2013 and 2017, the race was switched from turf to the main track due to weather conditions.
In 2008 the event was classified as Grade III and in 2020 was upgraded to Grade II. The race is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series. The winner of the Bourbon Stakes receives a "Win and You're In" berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

## Records

Speed record:
* 1:41.27 – Andthewinneris (2022)
Margins
* 11+1⁄4 lengths – Stage Call (IRE) (2001)
Most wins by an owner
* 3 – John C. Oxley (2000, 2015, 2017)
Most wins by a jockey
* 4 – Julien Leparoux (2010, 2012, 2015, 2017)
Most wins by a trainer
* 5 – Todd A. Pletcher (2006, 2008, 2009, 2018, 2020)
* 5 – Mark E. Casse (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2023)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
| Bourbon Stakes ||||||||||
| 2024 | Minaret Station | Cristian Torres | William Walden | OXO Equine | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.28 | $347,719 | II | |
| 2023 | Can Group | Francisco Arrieta | Mark E. Casse | D. J. Stable & Cash is King | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.73 | $350,000 | II | |
| 2022 | Andthewinneris | Flavien Prat | Wayne M. Catalano | Susan Moulton | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.27 | $348,125 | II | |
| 2021 | Tiz the Bomb | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Kenneth G. McPeek | Phoenix Thoroughbred III | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.69 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2020 | Mutasaabeq | Luis Saez | Todd A. Pletcher | Shadwell Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.13 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2019 | Peace Achieved | Miguel Mena | Mark E. Casse | JSM Equine | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.06 | $250,000 | III | |
| 2018 | Current | Jose L. Ortiz | Todd A. Pletcher | Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Robert V. LaPenta | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.10 | $250,000 | III | |
| 2017 | Flameaway | Julien R. Leparoux | Mark E. Casse | John C. Oxley | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.77 | $250,000 | III | |
| 2016 | Keep Quiet (FR) | Florent Geroux | Mark E. Casse | Gary Barber | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.92 | $250,000 | III | |
| 2015 | Airoforce | Julien R. Leparoux | Mark E. Casse | John C. Oxley | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.12 | $250,000 | III | |
| 2014 | Lawn Ranger | Chris Landeros | Kenneth G. McPeek | Turf Stable Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.41 | $250,000 | III | |
| 2013 | Poker Player | Channing Hill | Wayne M. Catalano | Gary and Mary West | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.46 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2012 | Balance the Books | Julien R. Leparoux | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables & William H. Lawrence | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.15 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2011 | Animal Spirits | Robby Albarado | Albert Stall Jr. | Klaravich Stables & William H. Lawrence | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.24 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2010 | Rogue Romance | Julien R. Leparoux | Kenneth G. McPeek | Catesby W. Clay | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.76 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2009 | Interactif | Kent J. Desormeaux | Todd A. Pletcher | Wertheimer et Frère | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.24 | $125,000 | III | |
| 2008 | Bittel Road | Rajiv Maragh | Todd A. Pletcher | James T. Scatuorchio & John Iracane | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.29 | $200,000 | III | |
| 2007 | Gio Ponti | Ramon A. Dominguez | Christophe Clement | Castleton Lyons | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.92 | $150,000 | Listed | |
| 2006 | Twilight Meteor | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Peachtree Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.25 | $125,000 | Listed | |
| 2005 | Yankee Master | Rafael Bejarano | Linda L. Rice | Team Power Play Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.85 | $125,000 | Listed | |
| Bourbon County Stakes ||||||||||
| 2004 | Rey de Cafe | Craig Perret | George R. Arnold II | G. Watts Humphrey Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.90 | $112,200 | Listed | |
| 2003 | Commendation | Cornelio Velasquez | H. Graham Motion | Courtlandt Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.99 | $112,800 | Listed | |
| Hopemont Stakes ||||||||||
| 2002 | Rapid Proof | Calvin H. Borel | Hal R. Wiggins | Dolphus C. Morrison | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.45 | $115,000 | Listed | |
| 2001 | Stage Call (IRE) | Mark Guidry | W. Elliott Walden | WinStar Farm, Richard Nip & Gloria Gaines Callum | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.85 | $111,800 | Listed | |
| 2000 | Overview | Mike E. Smith | John T. Ward Jr. | John C. Oxley | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.02 | $81,775 | Listed | |
| 1999 | Gateman (GB) | Pat Day | W. Elliott Walden | Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.42 | $70,175 | Listed | |
| 1998 | Pineaff | Pat Day | Kenneth G. McPeek | Joyce & Roy K. Monroe | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.63 | $70,100 | Listed | Division 1 |
| 1998 | Bold Caleb | Robby Albarado | Hal R. Wiggins | Ann & Charles Patterson | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.73 | $70,850 | Listed | Division 2 |
| 1997 | Reformer Rally | Craig Perret | Peter M. Vestal | Thomas M. Carey | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.91 | $67,750 | Listed | |
| 1996 | Thesaurus | Craig Perret | Peter M. Vestal | Charles J. Cella | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.49 | $55,000 | Listed | |
| 1995 | Red Shadow | Willie Martinez | Patrick B. Byrne | Prestonwood Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.71 | $54,960 | Listed | |
| 1994 | Claudius | John R. Velazquez | William I. Mott | Darley Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.50 | $53,000 | | |
| 1993 | Star of Manila | Shane Sellers | Burk Kessinger Jr. | New Phoenix Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.34 | $49,000 | | |
| 1992 | The Real Vaslav | Shane Sellers | D. Wayne Lukas | Gonzalo B. Torrealba | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.01 | $45,500 | | |
| 1991 | Stress Buster | Pat Day | Joseph H. Pierce Jr. | G. Watts Humphrey Jr. & Sheila Pierce | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.84 | $44,100 | | |
Legend:
 Turf  All Weather Track  Dirt