Inaugurated 1983 Surface Turf Distance 1,710 m | Website Churchill Downs Track Left-handed Purse 200,000 USD | |
Location Churchill Downs
Louisville, Kentucky, United States Race type Thoroughbred - Flat racing | ||
The Wise Dan Stakes, formerly known as the Firecracker Handicap, is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually on the turf course at Churchill Downs. The Grade II event is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race one and one sixteenth of a mile and currently offers a purse of $200,000.
History
The race was first run in 1983 on the dirt at 7 furlongs, only to be discontinued in 1986. In 1993, the race was revived, now on turf at 1 mile. It became a Grade III event in 1996, and a Grade II event in 2002.
The race was renamed as the Wise Dan Stakes in 2016 in honor of two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, who won the race in 2011 in his Turf Debut. The distance was changed from 8 furlongs to 8.5 furlongs at the same time.
References
Wise Dan Handicap Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA