The La Troienne Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, age four and older, over a distance of miles held annually in early May on the Kentucky Oaks day meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky during the spring meeting. The current purse is $1,000,000.

History

The event was inaugurated on May 3, 1986, on Kentucky Derby Day as the Louisville Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap at a distance of miles for three-year-olds and older and was won by the favorite, five-year-old gelding Hopeful Word in small field of four starters.

The following year the event's conditions were changed to fillies & mares that were four years old or older.

The event with Budweiser and Breeders' Cup sponsorship and added incentives to base purses attracted good quality runners. The event was classified as a Grade III in 1988 and it was upgraded once more in 1990. The event was renamed to Louisville Breeders' Cup Stakes in 2007, Louisville Stakes in 2008 and Louisville Distaff Stakes in 2009. In 2010 the race was renamed after the famous broodmare La Troienne to the La Troienne Stakes.

This event was upgraded to a Grade I for its 2014.

Of the more notable runnings of this event was the 2010 edition which saw the heavily favored 2009 US Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra returning to Churchill Downs for the first time since her 2009 Kentucky Oaks victory trying to lead all the way but was defeated by Unbridled Belle by a head. The 1996 winner Escena went on to win the Breeders' Cup Distaff and become US Champion Older Female Horse. The 2008 winner Ginger Punch won this event easily as the reigning 2007 US Champion Older Female Horse as an overwhelming favorite.

Records Speed record 1:42.09 – Authenticity (2013)

Margins lengths – You (2003)

Most wins No horse has won this race more than once.

Most wins by a jockey 5 – Calvin Borel (1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2009)

Most wins by an owner 2 – Allen E. Paulson (1992, 1998) 2 – John A. Franks (1997, 1999) 2 – The Thoroughbred Corporation (2001, 2002)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefLa Troienne Stakes2026Shred the Gnar4Luis SaezBrian A. LynchFlying Dutchman Breeding & Racing miles1:42.24$1,000,00012025Raging Sea5Flavien Prat Chad C. Brown Alpha Delta Stables miles 1:42.91$992,000I2024Idiomatic 5Florent Geroux Brad H. Cox Juddmonte Farms miles1:43.24$1,000,000I2023Played Hard5John R. VelazquezPhilip A. BauerRigney Racing miles1:42.48$750,000I2022Pauline's Pearl 4Joel RosarioSteven M. AsmussenStonestreet Stables miles1:42.46$750,000I2021 Shedaresthedevil4Florent Geroux Brad H. Cox Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Limited & Big Aut Farms miles1:42.69$500,000I 2020Monomoy Girl5Florent Geroux Brad H. Cox Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group & Bethlehem Stables miles1:42.14$500,000I 2019She's a Julie4Ricardo Santana Jr.Steven M. AsmussenWhispering Oaks Farm, Team Hanley, Tim & Anna Cambron, Bradley Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables miles1:43.58$500,000I2018Salty4Tyler GaffalioneMark E. CasseGary Barber, Baccari Racing Stable & Chester Prince miles1:43.78$350,000I2017Big World4Florent GerouxThomas M. AmossMaggi Moss miles1:44.91$300,000I2016Curalina4John R. VelazquezTodd A. PletcherEclipse Thoroughbred Partners miles1:42.45$300,000I2015Molly Morgan6Corey J. LanerieDale L. RomansWilliam D. Cubbedge miles1:43.25$300,000I2014On Fire Baby5Joe M. JohnsonGary G. HartlageAnita Cauley miles1:43.48$327,000I2013Authenticity6John R. VelazquezTodd A. Pletcher Padua Stables miles1:42.09$335,100II2012Juanita4Michael J. MakerWilliam S. & Graydon Patterson miles1:42.82$327,000II2011Blind Luck4Garrett K. GomezJerry HollendorferMark DeDomenico, John Carver, Peter Abruzzo & Jerry Hollendorfer miles1:42.93$339,900II2010Unrivaled Belle4William I. Mott Peter Vegso & Gary Seidler miles1:42.97$418,800IILouisville Distaff Stakes2009Miss Isella4Calvin H. BorelIan R. WilkesDomino Stud of Lexington miles1:42.75$379,700IILouisville Stakes2008Ginger Punch5Rafael BejaranoRobert J. FrankelStronach Stables miles1:43.08$268,200IILouisville Breeders' Cup Stakes2007Fiery Pursuit4Calvin H. BorelD. Wayne LukasOverbrook Farm miles1:44.11$305,197IILouisville Breeders' Cup Handicap20064Rafael BejaranoTodd A. PletcherCharles H. Wacker III miles1:42.96$271,000II2005Shadow Cast4Robby AlbaradoNeil J. HowardWilliam S. Farish III miles1:42.43$336,300II2004Lead Story5Calvin H. BorelCarl A. NafzgerA. Stephen Miles Jr. miles1:44.37$327,000II2003You4Jerry D. BaileyRobert J. FrankelEdmund A. Gann miles1:43.21$325,500II2002Spain5Jerry D. BaileyD. Wayne LukasThe Thoroughbred Corporation miles1:43.93$332,700II2001Saudi Poetry4Victor EspinozaBob BaffertThe Thoroughbred Corporation miles1:42.53$279,000II2000Heritage of Gold5Shane SellersThomas M. AmossJack Garey miles1:42.99$255,250II1999Silent Eskimo4Calvin H. BorelBobby C. BarnettJohn A. Franks miles1:43.82$268,250II1998Escena5Jerry D. BaileyWilliam I. MottAllen E. Paulson miles1:44.84$287,750II1997Halo America7Calvin H. BorelBobby C. BarnettJohn A. Franks miles1:42.78$222,600II1996Jewel Princess4Chris McCarronWallace DollaseRichard J. Stephen miles1:42.50$220,000IILouisville Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap1995Fit to Lead5Kent DesormeauxRichard E. MandellaJim Colbert, Randall D. Hubbard, Connie Sczesny miles1:43.46$212,500II1994One Dreamer6Gary StevensThomas F. ProctorGlen Hill Farm miles1:43.73$210,200II1993Quilma (CHI)6José A. SantosTri-Honors Stable miles1:44.61$92,800II1992Fowda4Pat ValenzuelaRichard J. LundyAllen E. Paulson miles1:44.16$155,000II1991Fit for a Queen5Jerry D. BaileySteven C. PenrodHermitage Farm miles1:43.13$156,200II1990Connie's Gift4Pat DayNeil J. HowardWilliam S. Farish III & William S. Kilroy miles1:45.80$154,500II 1989Darien Miss4Patrick A. JohnsonGeorge R. Arnold IITaylor Asbury miles1:46.00$155,000III 1988By Land By Sea5Fernando ToroGary F. JonesJayeff B Stable miles1:43.20$154,150III1987Queen Alexandra5Don BrumfieldGeorge M. BakerRosalind Rosenthal miles1:42.80$154,300 1986Hopeful Word5Pat DayCarl BowmanJames Clifton, Robert Doll & Barrett Morris miles1:49.40$153,550

Notes:

† Inaugural event in 1986 the conditions of the event were for horses three years old and older

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races

References