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.

Giant's Causeway Stakes

Class	Grade III
Location	Keeneland Race Course Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Inaugurated	1998 (as the Spinning World Stakes)
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Website	Keeneland
Race information
Distance	5+1⁄2 furlongs
Surface	Turf
Track	left-handed
Qualification	Fillies & mares, three years old & older
Weight	Base weights with allowances: 4-year-olds and up: 126 lbs. 3-year-olds: 120 lbs.
Purse	US$300,000 (since 2024)

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.^[1]

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.^[2]

The second running of event was run in two divisions.^[3]

For the third running of the event, the race was renamed to the Stravinsky Stakes.^[4] 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^[5] and the following year Confessional won in the same time equaling the track record.^[6]

The event was renamed to the current name Giant's Causeway Stakes in 2006.^[4] 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.^[7] 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.^[8]

In 2024 the event was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to a Grade III.^[9]

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	[10]
2023	Twilight Gleaming (IRE)	4	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Wesley A. Ward	Stonestreet Stables	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:01.74	$214,650	Listed	[11]
2022	Campanelle (IRE)	4	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Wesley A. Ward	Stonestreet Stables	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:01.98	$162,475	Listed	[12]
2021	Change of Control	5	Colby Hernandez	Michelle Lovell	Horseshoe Racing	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:04.48	$100,000	Listed	[13]
2020	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	[14]
2018	Triple Chelsea	5	Adam Beschizza	Joe Sharp	Brad Grady	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.40	$100,000	Listed	[15]
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	[16]
2016	Exaggerated	4	Julien Leparoux	Arnaud Delacour	Lael Stables	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.81	$100,000	Listed	[17]
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	[18]
2014	Ageless	5	Julien Leparoux	Arnaud Delacour	Lael Stables	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.18	$100,000	Listed	[19]
2013	Sweet Cassiopeia	5	Joseph Rocco Jr.	William Connelly	Dan Considine & Steve C. Snowden	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.07	$100,000	Listed	[20]
2012	Flash Mash	4	Brian Hernandez Jr.	Michael Stidham	Prime Equestrian SARL	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.19	$100,000	Listed	[21]
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[7]
2010	West Ocean	4	Javier Castellano	Todd A. Pletcher	Wertheimer et Frère	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.23	$100,000	Listed	[22]
2009	Diamondrella (GB)	5	Rajiv Maragh	Angel A. Penna Jr.	Castletop Stable	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.71	$100,000	Listed	[23]
2008	Danceroftherealm (GB)	5	Miguel Mena	Malcolm Pierce	Richard L. Lister	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.33	$100,000	Listed	[24]
2007	Forest Code	4	Garrett Gomez	Todd A. Pletcher	Blyar Stable	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.73	$115,000	Listed	[25]
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	[26]
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	[27]
2004	Dyna Da Wyna	4	Pat Day	W. Elliott Walden	WinStar Farm	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.63	$85,575	Listed	[28]
2003	Repository	5	Jerry D. Bailey	D. Wayne Lukas	Rafter L Stables	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.29	$84,375	Listed	[29]
2002	Dianehill (IRE)	6	Pat Day	W. Elliott Walden	WinStar Farm	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.41	$84,900	Listed	[30]
2001	Confessional	5	Edgar Prado	H. Graham Motion	Pin Oak Stable	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.47	$84,150	Listed	[6]
2000	Steal A Heart	5	Robby Albarado	Alice Cohn	Jeffrey S. Amling	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.47	$72,000	Listed	[5]
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[31]
	Storm Alert	4	Francisco Torres	George R. Arnold II	G. Watts Humphrey Jr.		1:02.62	$68,250		Division 2[32]
1998	Golden Mirage (IRE)	3	Willie Martinez	Josie Carroll	James & Alice Sapara	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:03.81	$55,000	Listed	[1]

Legend:
  All Weather Track   Turf

See also

• List of American and Canadian Graded races

References

1. "1998 Spinning World Stakes Listed – (race 5)". Equibase. 19 April 1998. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
2. "Horse Profile – Spinning World (KY)". equibase.com. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
3. "SPINNING WORLD STAKES DIV 2 – KEENELAND, KY". Thoroughbred Pedigree Online. 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
4. "GIANTS CAUSEWAY STAKES – MULTIPLE TRACKS". Thoroughbred Pedigree Online. 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
5. "2000 Stravinsky Stakes Listed – (race 5)". Equibase. 20 April 2000. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
6. "2001 Stravinsky Stakes Listed – (race 7)". Equibase. 21 April 2001. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
7. "2011 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 8)". Equibase. 23 April 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
8. "Spectacular Racing Generates Total Handle of $63 Million as Historic Keeneland Summer Meet Concludes". keeneland.com. July 12, 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
9. "TOBA Announces U.S. Graded and Listed Stakes for 2024". Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
10. "2024 Giant's Causeway Stakes Grade III – (race 7)". Equibase. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
11. "2023 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 8)". Equibase. 15 April 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
12. "2022 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 8)". Equibase. 16 April 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
13. "2021 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 8)". Equibase. 10 April 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
14. "2019 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 8)". Equibase. 13 April 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
15. "2018 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 8)". Equibase. 14 April 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
16. "2017 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 8)". Equibase. 15 April 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
17. "2016 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 8)". Equibase. 16 April 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
18. "2015 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 7)". Equibase. 11 April 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
19. "2014 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 7)". Equibase. 19 April 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
20. "2013 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 8)". Equibase. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
21. "2012 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 8)". Equibase. 21 April 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
22. "2010 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 8)". Equibase. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
23. "2009 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 8)". Equibase. 18 April 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
24. "2008 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 8)". Equibase. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
25. "2007 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 7)". Equibase. 21 April 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
26. "2006 Giant's Causeway Stakes Listed – (race 7)". Equibase. 22 April 2006. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
27. "2005 Stravinsky Stakes Listed – (race 7)". Equibase. 23 April 2005. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
28. "2004 Stravinsky Stakes Listed – (race 7)". Equibase. 17 April 2004. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
29. "2003 Stravinsky Stakes Listed – (race 6)". Equibase. 19 April 2003. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
30. "2002 Stravinsky Stakes Listed – (race 6)". Equibase. 20 April 2002. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
31. "1999 Spinning World Stakes Division 1 Listed – (race 3)". Equibase. 18 April 1999. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
32. "1999 Spinning World Stakes Division 2 Listed – (race 7)". Equibase. 18 April 1999. Retrieved 23 February 2024.