Mint Millions Stakes

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Mint Millions Stakes
Grade III race
Location
Flat racing
WebsiteKentucky Downs
Race information
DistanceOne mile
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationThree years olds and older
WeightBase weights with allowances:
Older: 126 lbs.
3YOs: 122 lbs.
Purse$2,000,000 (since 2023)

The Mint Millions Stakes is a

turf held annually in September at Kentucky Downs racetrack in Franklin, Kentucky
during their short turf meeting. The event currently carries an offered purse of $2,000,000 which includes $1,000,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

History

The inaugural running of the event was on 11 October 1992 as the Sanford Duncan Stakes at a distance of about one mile.[1] The event was named after an early settler in the area, Sanford Duncan who had built an Inn in 1818 which was on the Lexington to Nashville road adjacent to where the Dueling Grounds race track is located today.[2]

The event was not held in 1996 and 1997 due to the race track being closed while it was being auctioned.[3]

In 1998 new ownership of the race track revived the event as part of the Kentucky Cup, which interlaced races from Turfway Park and the newly renamed Kentucky Downs. The event was scheduled as a handicap and was known as the Kentucky Cup Mile Handicap. In 2002 the conditions of the event were changed from handicap to stakes allowance and the name of the event was modified.[4]

In 2005 and 2006 the event was not scheduled as part of the Kentucky Cup program. In 2007 the event was revived as the Franklin Stakes and in 2008 the event was held as the Franklin-Simpson Stakes in honor of the city and county where the Kentucky Downs racetrack is located. For the 2012 and 2013 runnings the event was known as the Franklin-Simpson Mile Stakes.

In 2014 the event was renamed once again to the More Than Ready Mile Stakes in honor of

King's Bishop Stakes winner More than Ready who stood at WinStar Farm from 2013.[5] More Than Ready became the number 1 sire of Breeders' Cup wins with seven.[6] The 2014 winner Regally Ready was sired also by More Than Ready.[4]

With the influx of gaming revenue at Kentucky Downs the purse for the event has risen dramatically to $300,000 offered by 2014.

In 2017 the event was renamed to the Tourist Mile Stakes after the 2015 winner of the event, Tourist who went onto win the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita Park. Tourist was part-owned by WinStar Farm and is currently active at the stud.

In 2021 the event was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to a Grade III.[7] For the 2021 running Kentucky Downs raised the purse to $1 million and renamed the event to the Mint Million sponsored by WinStar Farm.[8] In 2023 the purse was raised to $2,000,000 and the name of the event was modified to Mint Millions.[9]

Records

Speed record:

  • 1 mile – 1:32.21 Flavius (2020)

Margins:

  • 6+12 lengths – Depeche Chat (2012)

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

  • 3 –
    Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey
    (2011, 2013, 2016)

Winners

Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade Ref
Mint Millions
2023 Ancient Rome 4 Jamie Spencer Charlie Hills Mrs. Fitriani Hay 1 mile 1:33.37 $1,994,285 III [9]
Mint Million
2022 Somelikeithotbrown 6 José Ortiz Michael J. Maker SkyChai Racing & David Koenig 1 mile 1:33.88 $707,545 III [10]
2021 Pixelate 4 Joel Rosario Michael Stidham Godolphin Stables 1 mile 1:34.04 $845,875 III [11]
Tourist Mile Stakes
2020 Flavius 5 Javier Castellano
Chad C. Brown
Juddmonte Farm
1 mile 1:32.21 $712,900 Listed [12]
2019 Snapper Sinclair 4 Julien Leparoux
Steven M. Asmussen
Bloom Racing Stable 1 mile 1:37.95 $750,000 Listed [13]
2018 Bound for Nowhere 4 Julio Garcia Wesley A. Ward Wesley A. Ward 1 mile 1:40.97 $681,400 Listed [14]
2017 Applicator 4 Jose Valdivia Jr. Mikhail Yanakov Olympia Star 1 mile 1:44.79 $270,020 Listed [15]
More Than Ready Mile Stakes
2016 Watchyourownbobber 4 Julien Leparoux Michael J. Maker
Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey
1 mile 1:38.94 $390,000 Listed [16]
2015 Tourist 6 Florent Geroux William I. Mott WinStar Farm, Wachtel Stable & Gary Barber 1 mile 1:36.17 $300,000 [17]
2014 Regally Ready 7 Rosie Napravnik
Steven M. Asmussen
Vinery Stables 1 mile 1:35.25 $200,000 [18]
Franklin-Simpson Mile Stakes
2013 Coalport 4 Channing Hill Wayne M. Catalano
Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey
1 mile 1:35.86 $123,917 [19]
2012 Depeche Chat 4 Brian Hernandez Jr. George R. Arnold III Wind River Stables 1 mile 1:51.20 $60,000 [20]
2011 Cozy Kitten 4 Julio Garcia Wesley A. Ward
Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey
1 mile 1:40.70 $50,000 [21]
2009–2010 Race not held
Franklin-Simpson Stakes
2008 Demarcation 4 Jamie Theriot Paul McGee Amerman Racing 1 mile 1:35.27 $50,000 [22]
Franklin Stakes
2007 Art Moderne 7 Jose Valdivia Jr. Martin Wolfson Edmund A. Gann 1 mile 1:36.84 $50,000 [23]
2005–2006 Race not held
Kentucky Cup Mile Stakes
2004 Missme 5 Rafael Bejarano Lynn Whiting Whippoorwill Farm 1 mile 1:37.13 $100,000 Listed [24]
2003 Hard Buck (BRZ) 4 Brice Blanc
Kenneth G. McPeek
Team Victory II 1 mile 1:37.81 $100,000 Listed [25]
2002 Jake the Flake 6 Calvin Borel Hal Wiggins Jack Murphy & Pam Slaughter 1 mile 1:40.86 $200,000 Listed [26]
Kentucky Cup Mile Handicap
2001 Minor Wisdom 5 Robby Albarado Richard Scherer Carolyn K. Friedberg 1 mile 1:37.68 $200,000 Listed [27]
2000 Glick 4 Mark Guidry William I. Mott
Allen E. Paulson Living Trust
1 mile 1:36.14 $200,000 Listed [28]
1999 Treat Me Doc 5 Jon Court Eugene Brajczewski Jr. Howard E. Nelson & Dan Johns 1 mile 1:37.20 $200,000 Listed [29]
1998 Rob 'n Gin 4 Joe Bravo Robert Barbara Sabine Stable 1 mile 1:35.00 $200,000 Listed [30]
1996–1997 Race not held
Sanford Duncan Stakes
1995 Rare Reason 4 Tracy Hebert Walter M. Bindner Jr. Mason C. Rudd abt. 1 mile 1:36.40 $100,000 Listed [31]
1994 § Little Bro Lantis 6 Shane J. Sellers Merrill Scherer Robert Hall & William McCollough abt. 1 mile 1:35.20 $100,000 Listed [32]
1993 Magesterial Cheer 5 Parker Buckley Walter M. Bindner Jr. Mason C. Rudd & Nelson Miller abt. 1 mile 1:38.60 $100,000 Listed [33]
1992 Newton's Ace 5 Fabio Arguello Jr. Jennie Riggs Estate Of Charles A. Newton abt. 1 mile 1:35.00 $100,000 Listed [1]

See also

List of American and Canadian Graded races

References

  1. ^ a b "1992 Sanford Duncan Stakes Listed - (race 4)". Equibase. 11 October 1992. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Sandford Duncan Inn". kentuckytourism.com. Kentucky Department of Tourism. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  3. ^ "From 'Ant Hills' To Upping The Ante: The History Of Kentucky Downs". Paullick Report. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  4. ^ a b "MORE THAN READY MILE STAKES - MULTIPLE TRACKS". Thoroughbred Database. 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  5. ^ "MORE THAN READY (USA) dkb/br. H, 1997 - 17 Starts, 7 Wins, 4 Places, 1 Shows Career Earnings: $1,026,229". Pedigree Online Thoroughbred Database. 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Sires of Breeders' Cup Winners". stats.breederscup.com. 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  7. ^ Schweigardt, Andrew (2021). "TOBA Announces U.S. Graded and Listed Stakes for 2021". Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  8. ^ "2021 Kentucky Downs Condition Book". equibase. Kentucky Downs. 2021. p. 4. Retrieved 10 August 2021. SECOND DAY -- Monday, September 6, 2021 Tenth Race The 24th Running of The Winstar MINT MILLION $1,000,000 Grade III
  9. ^ a b "2023 Mint Million Stakes Grade 3 - (race 10)". Equibase. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  10. ^ "2022 Mint Million Stakes Grade 3 - (race 5)". Equibase. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  11. ^ "2021 Mint Million Stakes Grade 3 - (race 10)". Equibase. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  12. ^ "2020 Tourist Mile Stakes Listed - (race 11)". Equibase. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  13. ^ "2019 Tourist Mile Stakes Listed - (race 8)". Equibase. 31 August 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  14. ^ "2018 Tourist Mile Stakes Listed - (race 8)". Equibase. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  15. ^ "2017 Tourist Mile Stakes Listed - (race 8)". Equibase. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  16. ^ "2016 More Than Ready Mile Stakes Listed - (race 7)". Equibase. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  17. ^ "2015 More Than Ready Mile Stakes Black Type - (race 9)". Equibase. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  18. ^ "2014 More Than Ready Mile Stakes Black Type - (race 7)". Equibase. 13 September 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  19. ^ "2013 Franklin-Simpson Mile Stakes Black Type - (race 8)". Equibase. 14 September 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  20. ^ "2012 Franklin-Simpson Mile Stakes Black Type - (race 7)". Equibase. 8 September 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  21. ^ "2011 Franklin-Simpson Mile Stakes Black Type - (race 6)". Equibase. 17 September 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  22. ^ "2008 Franklin-Simpson Stakes Black Type - (race 8)". Equibase. 15 September 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  23. ^ "2007 Franklin Stakes Black Type - (race 7)". Equibase. 22 September 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  24. ^ "2004 Kentucky Cup Mile Stakes Listed - (race 9)". Equibase. 25 September 2004. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  25. ^ "2003 Kentucky Cup Mile Stakes Listed - (race 9)". Equibase. 20 September 2003. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  26. ^ "2002 Kentucky Cup Mile Stakes Listed - (race 12)". Equibase. 21 September 2002. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  27. ^ "2001 Kentucky Cup Mile Handicap Listed - (race 12)". Equibase. 23 September 2001. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  28. ^ "2000 Kentucky Cup Mile Handicap Listed - (race 12)". Equibase. 23 September 2000. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  29. ^ "1999 Kentucky Cup Mile Handicap Listed - (race 8)". Equibase. 26 September 1999. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  30. ^ "1998 Kentucky Cup Mile Handicap Listed - (race 8)". Equibase. 19 September 1998. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  31. ^ "1995 Sanford Duncan Stakes Listed - (race 4)". Equibase. 9 September 1995. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  32. ^ "1994 Sanford Duncan Stakes Listed - (race 3)". Equibase. 20 September 1994. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  33. ^ "1993 Sanford Duncan Stakes Listed - (race 4)". Equibase. 26 September 1993. Retrieved 10 August 2021.