Dixie Stakes
The Dinner Party Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid-May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Frequently referred to as the Dixie Stakes or the Dixie Handicap, it is the eighth-oldest graded stakes race in the United States and the oldest stakes race in Maryland and all of the Mid-Atlantic states. The race is open to horses age three and up and is run one and one-eighth miles on the turf. Currently a Grade II stakes race with a purse of $250,000, at one time the Dixie was  a very important race that drew the top horses from across North America. History. First run as the "Dinner Party Stakes" when Pimlico Race Course opened in 1870, it was named for the 1868 dinner party in Saratoga Springs, New York where Maryland Governor Oden Bowie and others met and wagered, resulting in the building of the Pimlico race course for thoroughbred race horses. The inaugural event was won by Preakness, for whom the Preakness Stakes was named. In 1871, it was called the Reunion Stakes and was won in a walkover by Harry Bassett. Suspended in 1888, in 1924 , the race was revived by William P. Riggs, Maryland Jockey Club secretary. Modern era. Champions of many eras are among the Dixie's winners. Ten winners or runners-up have won the Eclipse Award or Champion, the latest being Paradise Creek in 1994. Other Dixie Stakes Champions include Sky Classic (1992), Bowl Game (1978), Fort Marcy (1970), Turbo Jet II (1964), Assault (1947), Armed (1946), Whirlaway (1942), Sarazen (1925), Duke of Magenta (1878), and Tom Ochiltree (1875). The winner of the Dixie Stakes is presented with one of the most revered trophies in American thoroughbred horseracing, a replica of the  oldest trophy in North America, the Annapolis Subscription Plate. That replica, "The Dungannon Bowl", is a perpetual trophy given annually to the winner of the Dixie Stakes, the oldest stakes race run in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic states. Run for many years as the Dixie Handicap, in 1965 it was raced in two divisions at a mile and a half. Or et Argent won the first division in a course record time of 2:30.20. A few minutes later, Flag won the second division, beating Or et Argent's record with a clocking of 2:29.00. The 2018 edition of the  race was run on dirt due to a heavy front of rain over Pimlico, and was downgraded to a Gr.III for the running. Fire Away, a half-brother to stallion Mr. Speaker, won the race. Records. Most wins: Speed record: Most wins by an owner: Most wins by a jockey: Most wins by a trainer: Winners of the Dinner Party Stakes since 1870. A # designates that the race was run in two divisions in 1965. A @ indicates that this race was run at Laurel Park Racecourse from 1915 to 1919 as the Dixie Handicap. See also. Laurel Parks's  Dixie Handicap. From 1915 through 1918, Laurel Park Racecourse hosted a Dixie Handicap. The winners were: