Derby City Distaff Stakes

The Derby City Distaff Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged three and older over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held annually in early May on the Kentucky Derby day meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky during the spring meeting. The current purse is US$1,000,000.

History

The event was inaugurated on May 2, 1987, as the fifth race on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby day meeting as the Brown & Williamson Handicap sponsored by the tobacco company Brown & Williamson, which at the time had their headquarters in Louisville.

The event was a Listed race until 1990 when it was upgraded to Grade III status. It was subsequently upgraded to a Grade II event in 1999 then to its present Grade I status in 2002.

The event's name was changed in 1995 to the Humana Distaff Handicap, sponsored by Humana, an American health insurance company also based in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2007, the event was changed to the Humana Distaff Stakes, and is now run under allowance weight conditions. Humana last year of sponsorship was 2019, with Churchill Downs finding new sponsorship in 2020 with Derby City Gaming.

The first five runnings of the event the winners were ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day. Pat Day won another two more runnings of this event before retiring in 2005. In 2015, Churchill Downs renamed the Derby Trial in his honor as the Pat Day Mile which is held on the same day as this event.

Of the more notable winners of this race include 2012 winner Groupie Doll who set a new track record at Churchill Downs for the 7 furlong distance in a time of 1:20.44 and would later that year win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and be crowned the US Champion Female Sprint Horse.

Records Speed record 1:20.44 – Groupie Doll (2012)

Margins lengths – Groupie Doll (2012)

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

Most wins by a jockey 7 – Pat Day (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2001, 2004)

Most wins by a trainer 3 – Bob Baffert (2006, 2014, 2021)

Most wins by an owner: 2 – Juddmonte Farms (2003, 2017) 2 – Michael E. Pegram (2006, 2014) 2 – Lothenbach Stables (2004, 2020)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefDerby City Distaff Stakes2026R Disaster5Tyler GaffalioneSaffie Joseph Jr.Averill Racing & ATM Racing7 furlongs1:20.94 $923,000I2025Kopion 4Kazushi KimuraRichard E. MandellaSpendthrift Farm7 furlongs1:21.76$999,600I2024Vahva 4Irad Ortiz Jr.Cherie DeVauxBelladonna Racing, Edward J. Hudson Jr., West Point Thoroughbreds, LBD Stable, Nice Guys Stables, Manganaro Bloodstock, Runnels Racing, Steve Hornstock & Twin Brook Stables7 furlongs1:21.75$1,000,000I2023Matareya4Flavien PratBrad H. CoxGodolphin7 furlongs1:21.87$750,000I2022Obligatory4José L. OrtizWilliam I. MottJuddmonte Farm7 furlongs1:22.17$500,000I2021Gamine 4John R. VelazquezBob BaffertMichael Lund Petersen7 furlongs1:21.50$500,000I2020Bell's The One4Corey LanerieNeil L PessinLothenbach Stables7 furlongs1:21.07 $500,000IHumana Distaff Stakes2019Mia Mischief5Steven M. AsmussenBill & Corine Heiligbrodt, Heider Family Stables, Madaket Stables 7 furlongs1:22.33$500,000I2018American Gal5José L. OrtizSimon CallaghanKaleem Shah7 furlongs1:22.33$300,000I2017Paulassilverlining5José L. OrtizChad C. BrownJuddmonte Farms7 furlongs1:23.68$300,000I2016Taris5Flavien PratSimon CallaghanSusan Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith 7 furlongs1:21.03$300,000I2015Dame Dorothy4Javier CastellanoTodd A. PletcherBobby Flay7 furlongs1:22.67$300,000I2014Midnight Lucky4Rosie NapravnikBob BaffertKarl Watson, Mike Pegram & Paul Weitman 7 furlongs1:22.23$330,600I2013Aubby K4Edgar S. PradoRalph E. NicksJames C. Spence7 furlongs1:22.93$345,600I2012Groupie Doll4Rajiv MaraghWilliam B. Bradley Fred F. & William B. Bradley, Carl Hurst & Brent Burns 7 furlongs1:20.44$334,500I2011Sassy Image4Robby AlbaradoDale L. RomansJerry Romans7 furlongs1:21.01$345,600I2010Mona de Momma4Joel RosarioJohn W. SadlerMichael Talla7 furlongs1:22.73$336,900I2009Informed Decision4Julien R. LeparouxJonathan E. SheppardAugustin Stable7 furlongs1:23.69$335,400I2008Intangaroo4Alonso QuinonezGary SherlockTom Grether Farms7 furlongs1:22.03$334,800I2007Hystericalady4Rafael BejaranoJerry HollendorferRancho San Miguel, Tom Clark, George Todaro & Jerry Hollendorfer7 furlongs1:21.87$340,800IHumana Distaff Handicap2006Pussycat Doll4Garrett K. GomezBob BaffertMichael E. Pegram7 furlongs1:21.62$291,000I2005My Trusty Cat5Javier CastellanoDavid R. VanceCarl E. Pollard7 furlongs1:21.18$281,750I2004Mayo On the Side5Pat DayCarl A. NafzgerLothenbach Stable 7 furlongs1:22.78$272,813I2003Sightseek4Jerry D. BaileyRobert J. FrankelJuddmonte Farms7 furlongs1:22.12$222,400I2002† Celtic Melody4Mark GuidryJames A. JerkensVinery Stables7 furlongs1:22.98$228,000I2001Dream Supreme4Pat DayWilliam I. MottKinsman Stable7 furlongs1:20.70$165,000II2000Ruby Surprise5Joseph C. JudiceRobert E. HolthusJames T. Hines Jr.7 furlongs1:21.25$166,050II1999Zuppardo Ardo5Shane Sellers Bobby C. Barnett John A. Franks7 furlongs1:23.40$169,650II1998Colonial Minstrel4John R. VelazquezMark A. HennigEdward P. Evans7 furlongs1:22.12$115,000III1997Capote Belle4John R. VelazquezDaniel C. PeitzLawana & Robert Low7 furlongs1:22.38$113,000III1996In Conference4Mike E. SmithClaude R. McGaughey IIIOgden Mills Phipps7 furlongs1:23.30$112,200III1995Laura's Pistolette4Corey NakataniMurray W. JohnsonJack Smith7 furlongs1:22.24$114,500IIIBrown and Williamson Handicap1994Roamin Rachel4Mike E. SmithTri Honors Stables7 furlongs1:23.83$111,300III1993Court Hostess5Chris McCarronNeil J. HowardWilliam S. Kilroy7 furlongs1:23.18$87,000III1992Ifyoucouldseemenow4Craig PerretBrian A. MayberryJan, Mace & Samantha Siegel7 furlongs1:22.22$87,075III1991Illeria4Pat Day Michael J. Doyle Eaton Hall Farm 7 furlongs1:23.20$57,850III1990Medicine Woman5Pat Day George R. Arnold II Alex Campbell Jr. & Glencrest Farm7 furlongs1:23.40$56,450III1989Sunshine Always5Pat DayErnest P. Retamoza Sr.Jane Martin 7 furlongs1:24.40$54,500 Listed1988Le l'Argent6Pat DayPhilip M. HauswaldFares Farm 7 furlongs1:22.80 $55,800 Listed1987Lazer Show4Pat DayDonald R. WinfreeJames Devaney 7 furlongs1:22.80$40,305 Listed

Notes:

† In the 2002 running, Gold Mover won the race but was disqualified and placed second after stewards ruled she had bumped and interfered with Celtic Melody near the eighth pole.

See also Humana Distaff Handicap "top three finishers" and starters List of graded stakes at Churchill Downs List of American and Canadian Graded races

References