Phoenix Stakes (United States)

History

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. 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.

The 2016 Phoenix Stakes was won by A. P. Indian while establishing a track record for the new dirt surface.

Records

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)

Winners since 1972

Earlier winners

• 1971 - Great Mystery
• 1970 - Paderoso
• 1969 - Lithiot
• 1968 - Miracle Hill
• 1967 - Moccasin
• 1966 - Bay Phantom
• 1965 - Gallant Romeo
• 1964 - Choker
• 1963 - Editorialist (always race without a whip)
• 1962 - Editorialist
• 1961 - Eight Again
• 1960 - Court Affair
• 1959 - Bumpy Road
• 1958 - Ezgo
• 1957 - Bandit
• 1956 - Sea O' Erin
• 1955 - Sea O' Erin (raced for years)
• 1954 - Pomace
• 1953 - Pet Bully
• 1952 - Hill Gail
• 1951 - Mount Marcy
• 1950 - Mount Marcy
• 1949 - Miss Neal (Filly)
• 1948 - Coaltown
• 1947 - George Gains
• 1946 - Sirius
• 1945 - Best Effort
• 1944 - Roman Sox (Filly)
• 1943 - Miss Dogwood (Filly)
• 1942 - Devil Diver
• 1941 - Cherry Jam
• 1940 - Easy Mon
• 1939 - Torchy
• 1938 - Main Man
• 1937 - Preeminent
• 1931 to 1936 - RACE NOT RUN
• 1930 - Montanaro
• 1928 - Luxembourg
• 1927 - Percentage
• 1926 - Marconi
• 1925 - Almadel
• 1924 - Chacolet (Filly)
• 1923 - Minto II (Laverne Fator)
• 1922 - Advocate
• 1921 - General Haig
• 1920 - Buford
• 1919 - Opportunity
• 1918 - Embroidery (Filly)
• 1917 - Grover Hughes
• 1913 - Flora Fina (Filly) (Champion Handicap Female)
• 1912 - Mockler
• 1911 - Countless
• 1906 to 1910 - no race
• 1905 - Agile
• 1898 to 1904 - no race
• 1897 - Goshen
• 1896 - Prince Leif
• 1895 - Halma
• 1894 - Chant
• 1893 - Clifford
• 1892 - Wadsworth
• 1891 - Kingman
• 1890 - Ban Chief
• 1889 - Once Again (3rd in the 1889 Kentucky Derby)
• 1888 - The Chevalier
• 1887 - Banburg
• 1886 - Grimaldi
• 1885 - Bersan
• 1884 - Admiral
• 1883 - Lord Raglan
• 1882 - Freeland
• 1881 - Sligo
• 1880 - Fonso (won the 1880 Kentucky Derby)
• 1879 - Falsetto
• 1878 - Himyar
• 1877 - Brademante (Filly)
• 1876 - Vagrant (Champion 2-Year-Old Male & Champion 3-Year-Old Male)
• 1875 - Ten Broeck
• 1874 - Aaron Pennington
• 1873 - Artist
• 1872 - Planatarium (Filly)
• 1871 - Molly Cad (Filly)
• 1870 - Enquirer
• 1868 - Crossland
• 1867 - Phoenix Belle (Filly)
• 1866 - Norway
• 1865 - Gold Ring (Filly)
• 1860 - Solferino
• 1856 - Parachute (Filly)
• 1855 - Balloon (Filly)
• 1854 - Charlie Ball
• 1853 - Lexington
• 1852 - Star Davis
• 1841 - Zenith
• 1840 - Berthune
• 1839 - Minstrel (Filly)
• 1838 - Mary Brennan (Filly)
• 1832 - Virginia (Filly)
• 1831 - McDonough

Sire lines

• the Darley Arabian (1700c) sire line (all branched through the Eclipse (1764) line) produced 111 Stakes winners (72 colts/horses, 29 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
  • 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
  • the Potoooooooo (1773) branch produced 94 winners (all branched through the Waxy (1790) line). The primary branch of this sire line is through Whalebone (1807), which has produced 84 winners. In turn, the primary branch continues through Sir Hercules (1826), which has produced 63 winners, and then the Birdcatcher (1833) branch which produced 57 winners. From Birdcatcher, the branch of The Baron (1842) has produced 51 winners (exclusively through the Stockwell (1849) line). Birdcatcher's grandson Doncaster (1870) sired Bend Or (1877), whose sire line accounts for 46 winners. The main branch of the Bend Or sire line continued through his son Bona Vista (1889) with 39 winners, exclusively through the Phalaris (1913) line, which has dominated in the last several decades (including all winners from 2018 to present), primarily through his son Pharos (1920) with 26 winners (exclusively through the Nearco (1935) line), most recently Federal Judge in 2024.
    • 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). A third branch through Waverley (exclusively through the Iago (1843) line) produced 5 winners, most recently Bumpy Road in 1959.
      • 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.
      • 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.
      • 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.
      • 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 produced 25 winners (18 colts/horses, 2 geldings, 5 fillies/mares). 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
    • 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
      • the Virginian (1815) branch produced 1 winner, most recently Berthune in 1840
      • the Sir Charles (1816) branch produced 1 winner, most recently Charley Ball in 1854
      • the Bertrand (1820) branch produced 2 winners, most recently Mary Brennan in 1838
      • 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, and 6 progeny winners, most recently Sligo in 1881
  • 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
    • 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
      • the Glencoe (1831) branch produced 5 winners (nearly exclusively through the Vandal (1850) line with 4 winners), most recently Grover Hughes in 1917
• the Godolphin Arabian (1724c) sire line 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
  • the Australian (1858) branch produced 4 winners, including:
    • Phoenix Belle (1864), winner of the 1867 Phoenix Stakes
    • the Spendthrift (1876) branch produced 3 winners, (all branched through the Intentionally (1956) line) most recently Carload in 1988

;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)
• Lexington (1853 winner) – 6 winners (4 colts/horses; 2 fillies/mares); most recently Sligo (1881)
• Ten Broeck (1875 winner) – 2 colts/horses; most recently Bersan (1885)
• Enquirer (1870 winner) – 2 colts/horses; most recently Chant (1894)
• Gallant Romeo (1965 winner) – 2 winners (1 colt/horse; 1 gelding); most recently Momsfurrari (1989)
• Falsetto (1879 winner) – 1 colt/horse; Chant (1894)

Footnotes

References

• The 2007 Phoenix Stakes at the NTRA

References

1. "Phoenix Stakes Data".
2. [https://saratogaliving.com/travers-stakes-oldest-something/ It’s True (We Think): The Travers Stakes Has to Be the Oldest…Something]
3. "Keeneland Debuts New Dirt Surface on Main Race Track".
4. "No Denying A. P. Indian in Phoenix".
5. [https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/race/usa/kee/2024/10/4/7/stoll-keenon-ogden-phoenix-s-g2 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. (G2) Race 7 at Keeneland on October 4, 2024]
6. [https://racingdudes.com/2023-phoenix-stakes-replay-analysis-hoist-the-gold-finally-makes-the-grade-in-keeneland-sprint-prep/ 2023 Phoenix Stakes Replay Analysis. Hoist The Gold Finally Makes The Grade In Keeneland Sprint Prep]
7. "Sire Lines".
8. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/planetarium6 Planetarium Pedigree]
9. "Sire Lines King Fergus".
10. "St. Simon Sire Line".
11. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/whitmore2 Whitmore Pedigree]
12. "Pot8os Sire Line".
13. "Birdcatcher Sire Line".
14. "Stockwell Sire Line".
15. "Bend Or Sire Line".
16. "Phalaris Sire Line".
17. "Nearco Sire Line".
18. "Camel Sire Line".
19. "Himyar's Other Line".
20. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/bumpy+road Bumpy Road Pedigree]
21. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/chant Chant Pedigree]
22. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/eight+again Eight Again Pedigree]
23. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/british+banker British Banker Pedigree]
24. "Thoroughbred Bloodlines Sire Lines Byerley Turk".
25. "Thoroughbred Bloodlines Sire Lines Byerley Turk King Herod".
26. "Thoroughbred Bloodlines Sire Lines Byerley Turk King Herod Buzzard Selim".
27. [https://www.tbheritage.com/TurfHallmarks/racecharts/USA/Phoenix.html Phoenix Stakes Winners]
28. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/minstrel3 Minstrel]
29. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/zenith5 Zenith]
30. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/berthune Berthune]
31. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/charley+ball Charley Ball]
32. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/mcdonough McDonough]
33. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/mary+brennan Mary Brennan]
34. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/lexington Lexington]
35. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/gold+ring Gold Ring]
36. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/norway6 Norway]
37. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/crossland3 Crossland]
38. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/mollie+cad Mollie Cad]
39. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/artist6 Artist]
40. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/aaron+pennington Aaron Pennington]
41. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/brademante Brademante]
42. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/sligo Sligo]
43. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/kingman Kingman]
44. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/bay+phantom Bay Phantom]
45. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/paderoso Paderoso]
46. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/harry+n+bill Harry N Bill]
47. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/star+davis Star Davis]
48. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/vagrant Vagrant]
49. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/halma Halma]
50. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/countless Countless]
51. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/grover+hughes Grover Hughes]
52. "Matchem Sire Line".
53. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/flora+fina Flora Fina Pedigree]
54. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/marconi Marconi Pedigree]
55. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/phoenix+belle Phoenix Belle Pedigree]
56. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/shelter+half Shelter Half Pedigree]
57. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/diapason Diapason Pedigree]
58. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/carload Carload Pedigree]
59. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/embroidery Embroidery Pedigree]
60. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/almadel Almadel Pedigree]
61. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/luxembourg Luxembourg Pedigree]
62. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/preeminent Preeminent Pedigree]
63. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/pet+bully Pet Bully Pedigree]
64. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/choker Choker Pedigree]
65. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/great+mystery Great Mystery Pedigree]
66. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/honey+jay Honey Jay Pedigree]
67. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/lord+raglan Lord Raglan Pedigree]
68. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/ten+broeck Ten Broeck Pedigree]
69. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/falsetto Falsetto Pedigree]
70. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/gallant+bob Gallant Bob Pedigree]
71. [https://www.pedigreequery.com/momsfurrari Momsfurarri Pedigree]