Phoenix Stakes (United States)

The Phoenix Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of six furlongs and currently offers a purse of $350,000. Raced in early October, prior to 1989 it was run during the track's spring meeting. It became a Grade III event in 2000, then was upgraded to Grade II status in 2016.^[1]

Part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, the winner of the Phoenix Stakes automatically qualifies for the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Founded in 1831 with the name from the local Phoenix Hotel, it is the oldest thoroughbred horse race in North America though it has not been run continuously.^[2] Hosted by the Kentucky Association racetrack in Lexington until 1930, the event was restarted at Keeneland Race Course in 1937. From 1943 to 1945, the race was renewed as part of the Keeneland-at-Churchill Downs meetings. Over the years it has been called the Brennan, Chiles, Phoenix, Association, Phoenix Hotel Stakes and Phoenix Handicap.

The Phoenix Stakes was raced on dirt until 2006 when Keeneland Race Course installed a synthetic Polytrack surface. In 2014, the Polytrack was replaced by a new dirt surface. As a result of these changes, Keeneland maintains separate sets of track records.^[3]

The 2024 Phoenix Stakes was the 172nd running on the race. A. P. Indian won while establishing a track record for the new dirt surface.^[4]

Speed record: (at current distance of 6 furlongs)

• 1:07.60 - Anjiz (1993 on old dirt surface)
• 1:08.43 - A. P. Indian (2016 on new dirt surface)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 5 – Julio C. Espinoza (1972, 1973, 1980, 1981, 1982)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 3 – D. Wayne Lukas (1991, 1994, 1998)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 – Robert E. Lehmann (1972, 1973)
• 2 – Anthony L. Zuppardo (1980, 1981)
• 2 – Overbrook Farm (1991, 1994)
• 2 – Klaravich Stables (2012, 2013)

• the Darley Arabian (1700c) sire line (all branched through the Eclipse (1764) line)^[6] produced 110 Stakes winners (72 colts/horses, 28 geldings, 10 fillies/mares), including all winners from 1989 to present. The main branches of this sire line are:
  • the Mercury (1764) branch produced 1 winner, most recently Planetarium in 1872^[7]
  • the King Fergus (1775) branch produced 16 winners. His sire line continued primarily through his son Hambletonian (1792) with 13 winners (exclusively through the Voltigeur (1847) line), continued primarily through his descendant Vedette (1854) with 12 winners, due primarily to his son Galopin (1872) with 9 winners (exclusively through the St. Simon (1881) line), most recently Whitmore in 2017^[8][9][10]
  • the Potoooooooo (1773) branch^[11] produced 93 winners (all branched through the Waxy (1790) line). The primary branch of this sire line is through Whalebone (1807), which has produced 83 winners. In turn, the primary branch continues through Sir Hercules (1826), which has produced 62 winners, and then the Birdcatcher (1833) branch^[12] which produced 56 winners. From Birdcatcher, the branch of The Baron (1842) has produced 50 winners (exclusively through the Stockwell (1849) line).^[13] Birdcatcher's grandson Doncaster (1870) sired Bend Or (1877), whose sire line accounts for 45 winners.^[14] The main branch of the Bend Or sire line continued through his son Bona Vista (1889) with 38 winners, exclusively through the Phalaris (1913) line,^[15] which has dominated in the last several decades (including all winners from 2018 to present), primarily through his son Pharos (1920) with 25 winners (exclusively through the Nearco (1935) line),^[16] most recently Hoist the Gold in 2023.
    • special notes:
      • the Whalebone (1807) branch produced two main lines: the primary branch of Sir Hercules (1826), and the secondary branch of Camel (1822) which produced 17 winners (exclusively through the Touchstone (1831) line). The Camel branch continued primarily through two of this grandsons: the Newminster (1848) branch (8 winners, primarily through the Hyperion (1930) line with 5 winners, most recently Delta Oil in 1975), and the Orlando (1841) branch (9 winners, primarily through the Commando (1900) line with 7 winners, most recently Honey Jay in 1973).^[17][18] A third branch through Waverley (exclusively through the Iago (1843) line) produced 5 winners, most recently Bumpy Road in 1959.^[19]
      • the Sir Hercules (1826) branch produced two main lines: the primary branch of Birdcatcher (1833), and the secondary branch of Faugh-a-Ballagh (1841) which produced 6 winners (exclusively through the Leamington (1853) line), most recently 1894 Phoenix Stakes winner Chant.^[20]
      • the Birdcatcher (1833) branch produced two main lines: the primary branch of The Baron (1870), and the secondary branch of Oxford (1857) which produced 6 winners (nearly exclusively through the Swynford (1907) line with 5 winners), most recently 1961 Phoenix Stakes winner Eight Again.^[21]
      • the Bend Or (1877) branch produced two main lines: the primary branch of Bona Vista (1889), and the secondary branch of Ormonde (1883) which produced 6 winners (nearly exclusively through the Teddy (1913) line with 5 winners), most recently 1992 Phoenix Stakes winner British Banker.^[22]
      • the secondary branch of Phalaris (1913), the less common Sickle (1924) branch (11 winners exclusively through the Raise a Native (1961) line, nearly exclusively through the Mr Prospector (1970) line with 10 winners), most recently Manny Wah in 2022.
• the Byerley Turk (1680c) sire line^[23][24][25] produced 25 winners (18 colts/horses, 2 geldings, 5 fillies/mares).^[26] The main branches of this sire (all branched through the Herod (1758) line) are:
  • the Florizel (1768) branch produced 16 winners, (all branched through the Diomed (1777) line). The main branches of this sire line are:
    • the Duroc (1806) branch produced 2 winners (all branched through the American Eclipse (1814) line), most recently Zenith in 1841^[27][28]
    • the Sir Archy (1805) branch produced 14 winners. The main branches of this sire line include:
      • the Saxe Weimer (1822) branch produced 1 winner, most recently Virginia in 1832^[26]
      • the Virginian (1815) branch produced 1 winner, most recently Berthune in 1840^[29]
      • the Sir Charles (1816) branch produced 1 winner, most recently Charley Ball in 1854^[30]
      • the Bertrand (1820) branch produced 2 winners, most recently Mary Brennan in 1838^[31][32]
      • the Timoleon (1813) branch produced 9 winners (all branched through the Boston (1833) line), continued primarily through the Lexington (1850) line with 7 winners, including his win in the 1853 Phoenix Stakes,^[33] and 6 progeny winners, most recently Sligo in 1881^{[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]}
  • the Woodpecker (1773) branch produced 9 winners (all branched through the Buzzard (1787) line). The main branches of this sire line are:
    • the Castrel (1801) branch produced 1 winner, most recently Kingman in 1891^[42]
    • the Selim (1802) branch produced 8 winners (all branched through the Sultan (1816) line). The main branches of this sire line are:
      • the Bay Middleton (1833) branch produced 3 winners (exclusively through the Tourbillon (1928) line), most recently Harry 'N Bill in 1985^[43][44][45]
      • the Glencoe (1831) branch produced 5 winners (nearly exclusively through the Vandal (1850) line with 4 winners), most recently Grover Hughes in 1917^{[46][47][48][49][50]}
• the Godolphin Arabian (1724c) sire line^[51] produced 6 winners (5 colts/horses, 1 filly/mare). The main branches of this sire (all branched through the West Australian (1850) line) are:
  • the Solon (1861) branch produced 2 winners, most recently Marconi in 1926^[52][53]
  • the Australian (1858) branch produced 4 winners, including:
    • Phoenix Belle (1864), winner of the 1867 Phoenix Stakes^[54]
    • the Spendthrift (1876) branch produced 3 winners, (all branched through the Intentionally (1956) line) most recently Carload in 1988^[55][56][57]

Phoenix Stakes winners with male-line descendants including other Phoenix Stakes winners

• Himyar (1878 winner) – 8 winners (6 colts/horses; 1 gelding; 1 filly/mare); most recently Honey Jay (1972; 1973)^{[58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65]}
• Lexington (1853 winner) – 6 winners (4 colts/horses; 2 fillies/mares); most recently Sligo (1881)^{[35][36][37][38][40][41]}
• Ten Broeck (1875 winner) – 2 colts/horses; most recently Bersan (1885)^[66][67]
• Enquirer (1870 winner) – 2 colts/horses; most recently Chant (1894)^[68][20]
• Gallant Romeo (1965 winner) – 2 winners (1 colt/horse; 1 gelding); most recently Momsfurrari (1989)^[69][70]
• Falsetto (1879 winner) – 1 colt/horse; Chant (1894)^[20]

• The 2007 Phoenix Stakes at the NTRA