# Giant's Causeway Stakes

The Giant's Causeway Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, age three and older, over a distance of 5+1⁄2 furlongs held annually in April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. The event currently offers a purse of $300,000.

## History

In the inaugural running of the event was as the Spinning World Stakes on April 19, 1998, and the winner was the Irish-bred three-year-old filly Golden Mirage who was ridden by jockey Willie Martinez and won by three-quarters of a length in a time of 1:03.81.
Spinning World was a Three-Year-Old Champion in Ireland in 1996 and Champion Older Horse in France in 1997. In 1997 Spinning World won the Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park.
The second running of event was run in two divisions.
For the third running of the event, the race was renamed to the Stravinsky Stakes. Stravinsky was an American-bred, Irish-trained horse who won two Group 1 sprint races in England, the July Cup and the Nunthorpe Stakes.
In 2000 the winner Steal A Heart set a new track record for the 5+1⁄2 furlongs distance of 1:02.47 and the following year Confessional won in the same time equaling the track record.
The event was renamed to the current name Giant's Causeway Stakes in 2006. The event was named after Giant's Causeway, an American-bred, Irish-trained racehorse who won five Group One races in Britain and Ireland as a three-year-old in 2000. Upon retirement Giant's Causeway stood one season at Coolmore Stud in Ireland before relocating to Coolmore's United States branch Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky. Giant's Causeway was a Leading sire in North America in 2009, 2010 and 2012 and a Leading broodmare sire in North America in 2018.
The running of the event in 2011 was moved off the turf. In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Keeneland did not schedule the event in their updated and shortened summer meeting.
In 2024 the event was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to a Grade III.

## Records

Speed record
* 5+1⁄2 furlongs: 1:01.74 – Twilight Gleaming (IRE) (2023)
Margins
* 4+3⁄4 lengths – West Ocean (2010)
Most wins by a jockey
* 4 – Irad Ortiz Jr. (2017, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Most wins by a trainer
* 4 – Wesley A. Ward (2011, 2017, 2022, 2023)
Most wins by an owner
* 3 – Stonestreet Stables (2017, 2022, 2023)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
| Giant's Causeway Stakes |||||||||||
| 2024 | Roses for Debra | 4 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Christophe Clement | Cheyenne Stable & John O'Meara | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.79 | $260,713 | III | |
| 2023 | Twilight Gleaming (IRE) | 4 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Wesley A. Ward | Stonestreet Stables | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:01.74 | $214,650 | Listed | |
| 2022 | Campanelle (IRE) | 4 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Wesley A. Ward | Stonestreet Stables | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:01.98 | $162,475 | Listed | |
| 2021 | Change of Control | 5 | Colby Hernandez | Michelle Lovell | Horseshoe Racing | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:04.48 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2020 | 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 |
| 2019 | Morticia | 5 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | George R. Arnold II | G. Watts Humphrey Jr. | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:03.18 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2018 | Triple Chelsea | 5 | Adam Beschizza | Joe Sharp | Brad Grady | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.40 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2017 | Lady Aurelia | 3 | John R. Velazquez | Wesley A. Ward | Stonestreet Stables, George Bolton & Peter Leidel | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.40 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2016 | Exaggerated | 4 | Julien Leparoux | Arnaud Delacour | Lael Stables | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.81 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2015 | Katie's Eyes | 4 | Florent Geroux | Michael Stidham | Ike & Dawn Thrash, Janet & Sam Alley | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.78 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2014 | Ageless | 5 | Julien Leparoux | Arnaud Delacour | Lael Stables | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:03.18 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2013 | Sweet Cassiopeia | 5 | Joseph Rocco Jr. | William Connelly | Dan Considine & Steve C. Snowden | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:03.07 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2012 | Flash Mash | 4 | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Michael Stidham | Prime Equestrian SARL | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:03.19 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2011 | Holiday for Kitten | 3 | Juan Delgado | Wesley A. Ward | Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.78 | $100,000 | Listed | Off turf |
| 2010 | West Ocean | 4 | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | Wertheimer et Frère | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.23 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2009 | Diamondrella (GB) | 5 | Rajiv Maragh | Angel A. Penna Jr. | Castletop Stable | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.71 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2008 | Danceroftherealm (GB) | 5 | Miguel Mena | Malcolm Pierce | Richard L. Lister | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:03.33 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2007 | Forest Code | 4 | Garrett Gomez | Todd A. Pletcher | Blyar Stable | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.73 | $115,000 | Listed | |
| 2006 | Gilded Gold | 5 | Javier Castellano | Alan E. Goldberg | Bobby Flay, Robert E. Masterson & Barry L. Weisbord | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.81 | $114,600 | Listed | |
| Stravinsky Stakes |||||||||||
| 2005 | Tara's Touch (SAF) | 6 | Mike E. Smith | Niall O'Callaghan | Team Valor Stables & Margaux Farm | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:04.52 | $114,700 | Listed | |
| 2004 | Dyna Da Wyna | 4 | Pat Day | W. Elliott Walden | WinStar Farm | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.63 | $85,575 | Listed | |
| 2003 | Repository | 5 | Jerry D. Bailey | D. Wayne Lukas | Rafter L Stables | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:03.29 | $84,375 | Listed | |
| 2002 | Dianehill (IRE) | 6 | Pat Day | W. Elliott Walden | WinStar Farm | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:03.41 | $84,900 | Listed | |
| 2001 | Confessional | 5 | Edgar Prado | H. Graham Motion | Pin Oak Stable | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.47 | $84,150 | Listed | |
| 2000 | Steal A Heart | 5 | Robby Albarado | Alice Cohn | Jeffrey S. Amling | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.47 | $72,000 | Listed | |
| Spinning World Stakes |||||||||||
| 1999 | Ayrial Delight | 7 | Randy Romero | Ronald J. Taylor | Dwight M. Mentzer | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.62 | $58,750 | Listed | Division 1 |
| 1999 | Storm Alert | 4 | Francisco Torres | George R. Arnold II | G. Watts Humphrey Jr. | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:02.62 | $68,250 | Listed | Division 2 |
| 1998 | Golden Mirage (IRE) | 3 | Willie Martinez | Josie Carroll | James & Alice Sapara | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:03.81 | $55,000 | Listed | |
Legend:
 All Weather Track  Turf