Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes

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Inaugurated
  
1984

Surface
  
Turf

Website
  
Keeneland

Purse
  
500,000 USD

Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes httpsdownthestretchsfileswordpresscom20151

Location
  
Keeneland Race Course Lexington, Kentucky, United States

Race type
  
Thoroughbred - Flat racing

Distance
  
1 ⁄8 miles (9.0 furlongs)

The Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies held annually since 1984 at Keeneland Race Course near Lexington, Kentucky. Run at a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the turf, the Grade I race currently offers a purse of $500,000. It is an important prep race to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

The race was inaugurated on October 11, 1984, in honour of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who attended the Keeneland races, during her private visit to Central Kentucky, and who presented a trophy on that date.

Since inception, the race has been contested at various distances:

  • 1984 - 1 116 miles (8.5 furlongs) on dirt
  • 1985-1989 - 1 116 miles (8.5 furlongs) on turf
  • 1990–present - 1 18 miles (9.0 furlongs) miles on turf
  • The Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup was a Listed race in 1984 and 1985, a Grade III race in 1986 and 1987, and a Grade II race from 1988 through 1990 after which it became a Grade I event.

    Records

    Time record: (at current 1 18 miles distance)

  • 1:45.80 - Memories of Silver (1996)
  • Most wins by an owner
  • 2 - Henryk de Kwiatkowski (1985, 1986)
  • 2 - Darby Dan Farm (1988, 1990)
  • 2 - Stronach Stables (1999, 2000)
  • Most wins by a jockey
  • 4 - John Velazquez (1995, 2008, 2014, 2016)
  • Most wins by a trainer
  • 3 - John M. Veitch (1987, 1988, 1990)
  • References

    Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes Wikipedia