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The Wise Dan Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for horses four-year-old and older run at a distance of one and one sixteenth of a mile on the turf held annually in June at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.
| Grade II race | |
| Location | Churchill Downs Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1983 (as Firecracker Handicap) |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | Churchill Downs |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1+1⁄16 miles |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Four-year-olds and older |
| Weight | 123 lbs. with allowances |
| Purse | $500,000 (2024) |
The event was inaugurated on 4 July 1983 as the Firecracker Handicap over a distance of 7 furlongs on a sloppy dirt track and was won by Shot n' Missed who defeated the odds on favorite Dave's Friend in a five horse field.[1] In the third running in 1985 the winner Rapid Gray set a new track record for the distance in a time of 1:211⁄5.[2] The event was discontinued for seven years and when it was revived in 1993 it was held on the turf course over a distance of one mile.[3]
The event was classified as Grade III in 1995, and upgraded to Grade II in 2002.[3]
The event attracted several champion turf runners including Kitten's Joy who won the event in 2004 and later that year became U.S. Champion Male Turf Horse and Miesque's Approval who won this event in 2006 and later that year would capture the Breeders' Cup Mile.
The only duel winner was Wise Dan of this event who in 2011 won in his turf debut and 2013.[4] Later in 2013 Wise Dan was crowned American Horse of the Year for the second year running.
The race was renamed as the Wise Dan Stakes in 2016[5]
The distance was increased from 1 mile to 1+1⁄16 miles also in 2016.[5]
The race was placed on hiatus in June 2022 due to the suspension of turf racing at Churchill Downs.[6]
In 2023 the event was moved to Ellis Park after Churchill Downs closed their spring meeting earlier due to a spate of injuries.[7]
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- Speed records
- 1+1⁄16 miles: 1:40.26 – Kasaqui (ARG) (2017)
- 1 mile: 1:33.78 – Jaggery John (1995)
- 7 furlongs: 1:21.20 – Rapid Gray (1985)
- Margins
- 3+1⁄2 lengths – Soviet Line (IRE) (1997)
- Most wins
- 2 – Wise Dan (2011, 2013)
- Most wins by a jockey
- 2 – Robby Albarado (1999, 2014)
- 2 – Kent J. Desormeaux (2008, 2009)
- 2 – Shane Sellers (2000, 2004)
- 2 – Pat Day (1997, 2002)
- 2 – Florent Geroux (2018, 2021)
- Most wins by a trainer
- 4 – Dale L. Romans (2003, 2004, 2008, 2014)
- Most wins by an owner
- 2 – Mason Rudd (1994, 1996)
- 2 – Gainsborough Farm (1997, 2001)
- 2 – Live Oak Plantation (2006, 2019)
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| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Churchill Downs – Wise Dan Stakes | ||||||||||
| 2024 | Ottoman Fleet (GB) | 5 | Flavien Prat | Charlie Appleby | Godolphin Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.26 | $465,000 | II | [8] |
| At Ellis Park | ||||||||||
| 2023 | Stitched | 4 | Flavien Prat | Gregory Foley | Nathan McCauley, Michael W. Olszewski & William J. Minton | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:40.97 | $395,000 | II | [9] |
| At Churchill Downs | ||||||||||
| 2022 | Race not held[6] | |||||||||
| 2021 | Set Piece (GB) | 5 | Florent Geroux | Brad H. Cox | Juddmonte Farms | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:40.50 | $300,000 | II | [10] |
| 2020 | Factor This | 5 | Shaun Bridgmohan | Brad H. Cox | Gaining Ground Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.15 | $200,000 | II | [11] |
| 2019 | March to the Arch | 4 | Tyler Gaffalione | Mark E. Casse | Live Oak Plantation | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:40.58 | $250,000 | II | [12] |
| 2018 | Mr. Misunderstood | 4 | Florent Geroux | Brad H. Cox | Flurry Racing Stables, LLC (Staton Flurry) | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.83 | $200,000 | II | [13] |
| 2017 | Kasaqui (ARG) | 7 | James Graham | Ignacio Correas IV | Wimborne Farm (Diane Perkins) | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:40.26 | $200,000 | II | [14] |
| 2016 | Pleuven (FR) | 5 | Channing Hill | Philip A. Sims | Nelson McMakin | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:40.96 | $200,000 | II | [15] |
| Firecracker Stakes | ||||||||||
| 2015 | Departing | 5 | Miguel Mena | Albert Stall Jr. | Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider | 1 mile | 1:38.16 | $200,000 | II | [16] |
| 2014 | Silver Max | 5 | Robby Albarado | Dale L. Romans | Mark Bacon & Dana Wells | 1 mile | 1:34.21 | $224,800 | II | [17] |
| Firecracker Handicap | ||||||||||
| 2013 | Wise Dan | 6 | John R. Velazquez | Charles LoPresti | Morton Fink | 1 mile | 1:39.82 | $168,450 | II | [18] |
| 2012 | Guys Reward | 5 | Corey J. Lanerie | Dale L. Romans | Michael J. Bruder | 1 mile | 1:38.46 | $165,900 | II | [19] |
| 2011 | Wise Dan | 4 | Jon Court | Charles LoPresti | Morton Fink | 1 mile | 1:34.59 | $203,000 | II | [20] |
| 2010 | Tizdejavu | 5 | Jesus Lopez Castanon | Gregory Fox | Michael L Cooper & Pamela C. Ziebart | 1 mile | 1:35.98 | $205,625 | II | [21] |
| 2009 | Mr. Sidney | 5 | Kent J. Desormeaux | William I. Mott | Circle E Racing (Lee Einsidler) | 1 mile | 1:37.28 | $167,700 | II | [22] |
| 2008 | Thorn Song | 5 | Kent J. Desormeaux | Dale L. Romans | Zayat Stables | 1 mile | 1:36.89 | $213,250 | II | [23] |
| 2007 | Remarkable News (VEN) | 5 | Ramon A. Dominguez | Angel A. Penna Jr. | Holly Rincon | 1 mile | 1:34.74 | $232,000 | II | [24] |
| 2006 | Miesque's Approval | 7 | Eddie Castro | Martin D. Wolfson | Live Oak Plantation (Charlotte C. Weber) | 1 mile | 1:34.52 | $269,500 | II | [25] |
| 2005 | Kitten's Joy | 4 | Edgar S. Prado | Dale L. Romans | Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey | 1 mile | 1:35.25 | $274,000 | II | [26] |
| 2004 | Quantum Merit | 5 | Shane Sellers | Del W. Carroll II | Very Un Stable & Joseph Gioia | 1 mile | 1:34.15 | $287,750 | II | [27] |
| 2003 | Tap the Admiral | 5 | John McKee | Del W. Carroll II | Stanley Ettinger | 1 mile | 1:35.48 | $288,500 | II | [28] |
| 2002 | Good Journey | 6 | Pat Day | Wallace Dollase | Flaxman Holdings, Jarvis Margolis et al. | 1 mile | 1:34.83 | $292,500 | II | [29] |
| 2001 | Irish Prize | 5 | Gary L. Stevens | Neil D. Drysdale | Gainsborough Farm | 1 mile | 1:34.68 | $276,000 | II | [30] |
| 2000 | Conserve | 4 | Shane Sellers | Frank L. Brothers | Claiborne Farm | 1 mile | 1:35.12 | $287,000 | II | [31] |
| 1999 | Joe Who (BRZ) | 4 | Robby Albarado | Bob Baffert | James E. Helzer | 1 mile | 1:36.78 | $238,750 | III | [32] |
| 1998 | Claire's Honor | 4 | Anthony J. D'Amico | Michael A. Tammaro | Mereworth Farm | 1 mile | 1:35.93 | $286,500 | III | [33] |
| 1997 | Soviet Line (IRE) | 7 | Pat Day | Kiaran P. McLaughlin | Gainsborough Farm | 1 mile | 1:37.67 | $203,350 | III | [34] |
| 1996 | Rare Reason | 5 | Patrick A. Johnson | Walter M. Bindner Jr. | Mason C. Rudd | 1 mile | 1:33.81 | $203,000 | III | [35] |
| 1995 | Jaggery John | 4 | Dean Kutz | Peter M. Vestal | Tom M. Carey | 1 mile | 1:33.78 | $114,400 | III | [36] |
| 1994 | First and Only | 7 | Tracy J. Hebert | Walter M. Bindner Jr. | Mason C. Rudd | 1 mile | 1:35.33 | $113,200 | Listed | [37] |
| 1993 | Cleone | 4 | Craig Perret | William I. Mott | Allen E. Paulson | 1 mile | 1:35.90 | $115,100 | Listed | [38] |
| 1986–1992 | Race not held | |||||||||
| 1985 | Rapid Gray | 4 | Larry Melancon | William I. Mott | William F. Lucas | 7 furlongs | 1:21.20 | $54,250 | [2] | |
| 1984 | Turn and Cheer | 7 | James McKnight | A. J. Foyt III | A. J. Foyt Jr. | 7 furlongs | 1:25.60 | $55,250 | [39] | |
| 1983 | Shot n' Missed | 6 | Leroy Moyers | Brenda Wilson | William F. Lucas | 7 furlongs | 1:23.20 | $44,800 | [1] | |
Legend:
Turf
Dirt
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