Dante Stakes
The Dante Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards () at York in May. History. The event is named after Dante, the Yorkshire-trained winner of the Derby substitute at Newmarket in 1945. Established in 1958, it serves as a major trial for the Derby. The first running was won by Bald Eagle. The present race grading system was introduced in 1971, and the Dante Stakes initially held Group 3 status. It was promoted to  Group 2 level in 1980. In total, ten winners of the race have achieved victory in the Derby. The first was St Paddy in 1960, and the most recent was Golden Horn in 2015. The 2014 Dante Stakes winner, The Grey Gatsby, subsequently won France's equivalent of the Derby, the Prix du Jockey-Club while the 2015 runner-up, Jack Hobbs, and 2021 winner Hurricane Lane, both won the Irish Derby. The Dante Stakes is currently staged on the second day of York's three-day Dante Festival meeting. Records. Leading jockey (6 wins): Leading trainer (7 wins): Dante