Penn Derby attains Grade 1 status for 2017; Wood, Blue Grass drop to Grade 2s

Edited Press Release

The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association on Friday presented its listing of U.S. Graded and Listed Stakes Races for 2017, the results of its annual grading session conducted November 30 in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Committee reviewed 790 unrestricted U.S. stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000, and assigned Graded status to 464 of them, the same as were graded in 2016, and Listed status to 172 races. Five Graded races were upgraded; eight new Grade 3 races were named; 23 new Listed races were upgraded from non-Listed Black Type status. Fourteen races which carried Graded or Listed status in 2016 are no longer eligible for grading.

One race was upgraded to Grade 1 status for 2017: the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.

Three races were downgraded from Grade 1 to Grade 2 for 2017: the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct; Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park; and Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

Four races were upgraded to Grade 2 status for 2017: the Knickerbocker Stakes and Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes at Belmont Park; Woodford Stakes at Keeneland; and Penn Mile Stakes at Penn National Race Course.

Ten races were downgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 3 in 2017: the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park; Smile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park; Indiana Derby and Indiana Oaks at Indiana Grand; Commonwealth Derby at Laurel Park; Los Alamitos Derby at Los Alamitos Race Course; Monmouth Cup Stakes at Monmouth Park; West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park; and Lake George Stakes and With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga.

Eight races were upgraded to Grade 3 status for 2017: the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes, Intercontinental Stakes and Wonder Again Stakes at Belmont Park; Lukas Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs; Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes and Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint Stakes at Kentucky Downs; Desert Stormer II Stakes at Santa Anita Park; and Ohio Derby at Thistledown.

Four races were downgraded from Grade 3 to Listed status for 2017: the Arlington-Washington Futurity at Arlington Park; Old Hat Stakes at Gulfstream Park; and Boiling Springs Stakes and Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Twenty-three races were upgraded to Listed status for 2017: the Garland of Roses Stakes and Heavenly Prize Invitational Stakes at Aqueduct; Chelsey Flower Stakes, Elusive Quality Stakes, License Fee Stakes, Memories of Silver Stakes, Soaring Softly Stakes, Temperence Hill Invitational Stakes and Wild Applause Stakes at Belmont Park; Open Mind Stakes at Churchill Downs; Sanibel Island Handicap and Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream Park; Dueling Grounds Derby and Exacta Systems Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Kentucky Downs; Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel Park; American Beauty Stakes, Bachelor Stakes and Spring Fever Stakes at Oaklawn Park; Astra Stakes, Mizdirection Stakes and Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita Park; Smart N Fancy Stakes at Saratoga; and Zia Park Oaks at Zia Park.

Ten races were downgraded from Listed to non-Listed Black Type status for 2017: the Sugar Maple Stakes and Wild and Wonderful Stakes at Charles Town; Alcatraz Stakes at Golden Gate Fields; Happy Ticket Stakes at Louisiana Downs; Mountaineer Juvenile Stakes at Mountaineer Park; Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn Park; My Juliet Stakes and Jostle Stakes at Parx Racing; Edward J. Debartolo Memorial Stakes at Remington Park; and M2 Technology La Senorita Stakes at Retama Park.

The Arlington Oaks, Arlington Sprint Stakes and Washington Park Handicap at Arlington Park; Sweet and Sassy Stakes at Delaware Park; Memorial Handicap at Gulfstream Park; Hawthorne Derby at Hawthorne Race Course; Los Alamitos Mile Stakes at Los Alamitos Race Course; Mountaineer Mile Stakes at Mountaineer Park; Cornucopia Stakes and Auld Lang Syne Stakes at Parx Racing; Inaugural Stakes and Windward Stakes at Presque Isle Downs; and American Beauty Stakes and Strub Stakes at Santa Anita Park were not eligible for grading in 2017.

Following is a summary breakdown of all grade levels and a complete list of all upgraded and downgraded U.S. races for the 2017 racing season. Click for the complete list of 2017 Graded and Listed stakes.