# Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes

The Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged three and older over a distance of one mile on the turf held annually in early May on the Kentucky Derby day meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky during the spring meeting.

## History

This race was inaugurated on 7 May 1983 as the Twin Spires Stakes with conditions for three year olds only over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles on the dirt. The event was won by Le Cou Cou after he was declared the winner after racing stewards disqualified High Honors who lugged in the straight and interfered with Le Cou Cou.
The event was idle for three years and was renewed in 1987 at a shorter distance of 1+1⁄16 miles. The event was renamed Capital Holding Twin Spires Stakes in 1988 the first on many name changes and was run again with that name in 1989.
In 1990, the event was moved to turf and conditions were modified to the current fillies and mares aged three and older.
The event was classified as Grade III in 1997. The American Graded Stakes Committee upgraded the race to its current Grade II status in 2009. In 2009, this race was upgraded from a Grade III to a Grade II event.
The event has had many different sponsors which have been reflected in the name of the event. In 2000, Churchill Downs administration renamed the event to the current Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes while still accepting sponsorship. With added high-profile sponsorship the event has attracted high quality runners in recent years. Tepin, dual winner of the event in 2015 and 2016 won the 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile and in 2016 the prestigious Canadian Grade I Woodbine Mile was crowned US Champion Female Turf Horse in both years.

## Records

Speed record:
* 1 mile: 1:33.96 - Heat Haze (GB) (2003)
Margins
* 5 lengths - Fast Forward (1987)
Most wins:
* 2 - Foresta (1990, 1991)
* 2 - Tepin (2015, 2016)
* 2 - Beau Recall (IRE) (2019, 2020)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 5 - Pat Day (1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1995)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 5 - Chad C. Brown (2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Most wins by an owner:
* 3 - Juddmonte Farms (2003, 2006, 2011)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
| Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Mile Stakes |||||||||||
| 2024 | Chili Flag (FR) | 5 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb & Michael E. Kisber | 1 mile | 1:35.95 | $665,000 | II | |
| 2023 | Fluffy Socks | 5 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | Head Of Plains Partners | 1 mile | 1:35.53 | $500,000 | II | |
| 2022 | Speak Of The Devil (FR) | 5 | Flavien Prat | Chad C. Brown | Peter M. Brant | 1 mile | 1:37.47 | $500,000 | II | |
| 2021 | Blowout (GB) | 5 | Flavien Prat | Chad C. Brown | Peter M. Brant | 1 mile | 1:36.30 | $500,000 | II | |
| 2020 | Beau Recall (IRE) | 6 | Manuel Franco | Brad H. Cox | Slam Dunk Racing & Medallion Racing | 1 mile | 1:35.39 | $500,000 | II | |
| 2019 | Beau Recall (IRE) | 5 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Brad H. Cox | Slam Dunk Racing & Medallion Racing | 1 mile | 1:37.12 | $400,000 | II | |
| 2018 | Proctor's Ledge | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Brendan P. Walsh | Patricia L. Moseley | 1 mile | 1:36.30 | $300,000 | II | |
| 2017 | Roca Rojo (IRE) | 5 | Florent Geroux | Chad C. Brown | Sheep Pond Partners, Newport Stables & Bradley Thoroughbreds | 1 mile | 1:37.53 | $300,000 | II | |
| 2016 | Tepin | 5 | Julien R. Leparoux | Mark E. Casse | Robert E. Masterson | 1 mile | 1:34.36 | $300,000 | II | |
| 2015 | Tepin | 4 | Julien R. Leparoux | Mark E. Casse | Robert E. Masterson | 1 mile | 1:34.12 | $300,000 | II | |
| 2014 | Coffee Clique | 4 | Javier Castellano | Brian A. Lynch | Amerman Racing | 1 mile | 1:34.66 | $336,900 | II | |
| 2013 | Stephanie's Kitten | 4 | Julien R. Leparoux | Wayne M. Catalano | Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey | 1 mile | 1:37.94 | $288,750 | II | |
| 2012 | Hungry Island | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Claude R. McGaughey III | Emory A. Hamilton | 1 mile | 1:36.20 | $223,400 | II | |
| 2011 | Aviate (GB) | 4 | Kent J. Desormeaux | William I. Mott | Juddmonte Farms | 1 mile | 1:36.67 | $227,800 | II | |
| 2010 | Phola | 4 | Ramon A. Dominguez | Todd A. Pletcher | William & Graydon Patterson, George Saufley & J.J. Pletcher | 1 mile | 1:38.35 | $223,200 | II | |
| 2009 | Tizaqueena | 4 | Jamie Theriot | Michael Stidham | Darley Stable | 1 mile | 1:38.86 | $238,600 | II | |
| 2008 | Bayou's Lassie | 5 | Edgar S. Prado | Dale L. Romans | Jacks or Better Farm | 1 mile | 1:37.70 | $169,050 | III | |
| 2007 | Take the Ribbon | 4 | Rafael Bejarano | Wallace Dollase | Eurowest Bloodstock | 1 mile | 1:36.89 | $166,350 | III | |
| 2006 | Mirabilis | 4 | Pat Valenzuela | Robert J. Frankel | Juddmonte Farms | 1 mile | 1:35.93 | $115,600 | III | |
| 2005 | Miss Terrible (ARG) | 6 | Alex O. Solis | Bradley S. Ross | Carol & Charles Hammersmith | 1 mile | 1:35.89 | $112,200 | III | |
| 2004 | Shaconage | 4 | Brice Blanc | Mitch Shirota | Andrena Van Doren | 1 mile | 1:36.10 | $113,300 | III | |
| 2003 | Heat Haze (GB) | 4 | Jose Valdivia Jr. | Robert J. Frankel | Juddmonte Farms | 1 mile | 1:33.96 | $117,000 | III | |
| 2002 | Stylish | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | The Thoroughbred Corporation | 1 mile | 1:35.72 | $115,200 | III | |
| 2001 | Iftiraas (GB) | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Gary A. Tanaka | 1 mile | 1:36.69 | $113,600 | III | |
| 2000 | Don't Be Silly | 5 | Jorge F. Chavez | Merrill R. Scherer | Robert Hall, Dan Lynch & Merrill R. Scherer | 1 mile | 1:34.78 | $115,400 | III | |
| Ashland Mile Stakes |||||||||||
| 1999 | Shires Ende | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Richard R. Scherer | Carolyn K. Friedberg | 1 mile | 1:35.43 | $119,600 | III | |
| Aegon Mile Stakes |||||||||||
| 1998 | Witchful Thinking | 4 | Shane Sellers | Niall M. O'Callaghan | Leslie R. Grimm | 1 mile | 1:37.23 | $120,800 | III | |
| Providian Mile Stakes |||||||||||
| 1997 | B. A. Valentine | 4 | Shane Sellers | Dale L. Romans | Alberta Butner | 1 mile | 1:36.98 | $115,800 | III | |
| 1996 | Apolda | 5 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Allen E. Paulson | 1 mile | 1:36.50 | $85,050 | Listed | |
| 1995 | Bold Ruritana | 5 | Pat Day | James E. Day | Minshall Farms | 1 mile | 1:34.64 | $86,325 | Listed | |
| Capital Holding Mile Stakes |||||||||||
| 1994 | Weekend Madness (IRE) | 4 | Charles R. Woods Jr. | Burk Kessinger Jr. | New Phoenix Stable | 1 mile | 1:38.58 | $85,800 | Listed | |
| 1993 | Lady Blessington (FR) | 5 | Pat Day | Mark A. Hennig | Team Valor Stable | 1 mile | 1:34.96 | $57,800 | Listed | |
| 1992 | Quilma (CHI) | 5 | Eddie Delahoussaye | D. Wayne Lukas | William S. Farish III et al. | 1 mile | 1:35.36 | $58,900 | | |
| 1991 | Foresta | 5 | Angel Cordero Jr. | Thomas K. Bohannan | Loblolly Stable | 1 mile | 1:36.30 | $59,800 | | |
| 1990 | Foresta | 4 | Angel Cordero Jr. | Thomas K. Bohannan | Loblolly Stable | 1 mile | 1:37.20 | $55,700 | | |
| Twin Spires Stakes |||||||||||
| 1989 | Classic Account | 4 | Pat Day | Terry L. Mason | Laura Leigh Stable | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.20 | $54,050 | | 3YO & older |
| 1988 | Buoy | 3 | Pat Day | Joseph M. Bollero | Lois Bollero | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.40 | $56,500 | | 3YOs only |
| 1987 | Fast Forward | 3 | Pat Day | D. Wayne Lukas | Eugene Klein | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.20 | $55,450 | | 3YOs only |
| 1984–1996 | 1984–1996 | 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 |
| 1983 | † Le Cou Cou | 3 | Donald Lee Howard | James G. Arnett | Duane Clark | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.60 | $52,500 | | 3YOs only |
Legend:
 Dirt  Turf
Notes:
† In the 1983 inaugural running, High Honors was first past the post but was disqualified for interference in the straight and Le Cou Cou was declared the winner.