The Giant's Causeway Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, age three and older, over a distance of furlongs held annually in April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. The event currently offers a purse of $350,000.

History

In the inaugural running of the event was as the Spinning World Stakes on April 19, 1998, and the winner was the Irish-bred three-year-old filly Golden Mirage who was ridden by jockey Willie Martinez and won by three-quarters of a length in a time of 1:03.81.

Spinning World was a Three-Year-Old Champion in Ireland in 1996 and Champion Older Horse in France in 1997. In 1997 Spinning World won the Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park.

The second running of event was run in two divisions.

For the third running of the event, the race was renamed to the Stravinsky Stakes. Stravinsky was an American-bred, Irish-trained horse who won two Group 1 sprint races in England, the July Cup and the Nunthorpe Stakes.

In 2000 the winner Steal A Heart set a new track record for the furlongs distance of 1:02.47 and the following year Confessional won in the same time equaling the track record.

The event was renamed to the current name Giant's Causeway Stakes in 2006. The event was named after Giant's Causeway, an American-bred, Irish-trained racehorse who won five Group One races in Britain and Ireland as a three-year-old in 2000. Upon retirement Giant's Causeway stood one season at Coolmore Stud in Ireland before relocating to Coolmore's United States branch Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky. Giant's Causeway was a Leading sire in North America in 2009, 2010 and 2012 and a Leading broodmare sire in North America in 2018.

The running of the event in 2011 was moved off the turf. In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Keeneland did not schedule the event in their updated and shortened summer meeting.

In 2024 the event was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to a Grade III. The event would be upgraded again to Grade II in 2026.

Records Speed record furlongs: 1:01.74 – Twilight Gleaming (IRE) (2023)

Margins lengths – West Ocean (2010)

Most wins by a jockey 4 – Irad Ortiz Jr. (2017, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Most wins by a trainer 4 – Wesley A. Ward (2011, 2017, 2022, 2023)

Most wins by an owner 3 – Stonestreet Stables (2017, 2022, 2023)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefGiant's Causeway Stakes2026In Our Time5Flavien PratSaffie A. Joseph Jr.Resolute Racing and Miller Racing furlongs1:02.17$393,475II2025 Future Is Now 5 Paco Lopez The Estate of R. Larry Johnson furlongs1:02.72$270,850III2024 Roses for Debra4Irad Ortiz Jr. Christophe Clement Cheyenne Stable & John O'Meara furlongs1:02.79$260,713 III2023 4Irad Ortiz Jr. Wesley A. Ward Stonestreet Stables furlongs1:01.74$214,650Listed2022Campanelle (IRE)4Irad Ortiz Jr. Wesley A. Ward Stonestreet Stables furlongs1:01.98 $162,475 Listed2021Change of Control5 Colby Hernandez Michelle Lovell Horseshoe Racing furlongs1:04.48 $100,000Listed2020Race not held 2019 Morticia5Irad Ortiz Jr. George R. Arnold II G. Watts Humphrey Jr. furlongs1:03.18 $100,000Listed2018 Triple Chelsea5 Adam Beschizza Joe Sharp Brad Grady furlongs1:02.40 $100,000Listed2017 Lady Aurelia3John R. Velazquez Wesley A. Ward Stonestreet Stables, George Bolton & Peter Leidel furlongs1:02.40 $100,000Listed2016Exaggerated 4Julien Leparoux Arnaud DelacourLael Stables furlongs1:02.81 $100,000Listed2015Katie's Eyes 4Florent Geroux Michael Stidham Ike & Dawn Thrash, Janet & Sam Alley furlongs1:02.78 $100,000Listed2014Ageless 5Julien Leparoux Arnaud DelacourLael Stables furlongs1:03.18 $100,000Listed2013Sweet Cassiopeia 5Joseph Rocco Jr. William Connelly Dan Considine & Steve C. Snowden furlongs1:03.07 $100,000Listed2012Flash Mash 4 Michael Stidham Prime Equestrian SARL furlongs 1:03.19 $100,000 Listed2011Holiday for Kitten 3 Juan Delgado Wesley A. Ward Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey furlongs 1:02.78 $100,000 Listed2010West Ocean 4 Javier Castellano Todd A. Pletcher Wertheimer et Frère furlongs 1:02.23 $100,000 Listed2009Diamondrella (GB) 5 Rajiv Maragh Angel A. Penna Jr. Castletop Stable furlongs 1:02.71 $100,000 Listed2008Danceroftherealm (GB) 5 Miguel Mena Malcolm Pierce Richard L. Lister furlongs 1:03.33 $100,000 Listed2007Forest Code 4 Garrett Gomez Todd A. Pletcher Blyar Stable furlongs 1:02.73 $115,000 Listed2006Gilded Gold 5 Javier Castellano Alan E. Goldberg Bobby Flay, Robert E. Masterson & Barry L. Weisbord furlongs 1:02.81 $114,600 ListedStravinsky Stakes2005Tara's Touch (SAF) 6 Mike E. Smith Niall O'Callaghan Team Valor Stables & Margaux Farm furlongs 1:04.52 $114,700 Listed2004Dyna Da Wyna 4 Pat Day W. Elliott Walden WinStar Farm furlongs 1:02.63 $85,575 Listed2003Repository 5 Jerry D. Bailey D. Wayne Lukas Rafter L Stables furlongs 1:03.29 $84,375 Listed2002Dianehill (IRE)6 Pat Day W. Elliott Walden WinStar Farm furlongs 1:03.41 $84,900 Listed2001Confessional 5 Edgar Prado H. Graham Motion Pin Oak Stable furlongs 1:02.47 $84,150 Listed2000Steal A Heart 5 Robby Albarado Alice Cohn Jeffrey S. Amling furlongs 1:02.47 $72,000 ListedSpinning World Stakes1999Ayrial Delight 7 Randy Romero Ronald J. Taylor Dwight M. Mentzer furlongs 1:02.62 $58,750 ListedStorm Alert 4 Francisco Torres G. Watts Humphrey Jr. 1:02.62 $68,2501998Golden Mirage (IRE)3Willie Martinez Josie Carroll James & Alice Sapara furlongs 1:03.81 $55,000 Listed

Legend:

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races

References