2009 Graded Stakes List

The annual grading session of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association was conducted on Wednesday December 2 in Lexington, and the 2010 list of U.S. Graded Stakes was released the following day. The Committee reviewed 723 unrestricted U.S. stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000, and assigned graded status to 487 of them, two less than were graded in 2009. A total of 15 graded races were upgraded, including 3 new Grade 1 races and 6 new Grade 2 races; 6 new Grade 3 races were identified. Two races which carried Grade 3 status in 2009 are no longer eligible for grading.

Three races were upgraded to Grade 1 status for 2010: the Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga, Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park and Clark H. at Churchill Downs.

Five races were downgraded from Grade 1 to Grade 2 for 2010: the Citation H. at Hollywood Park, Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash S. at Laurel Park, Go For Wand H. at Saratoga, John C. Mabee S. at Del Mar and Santa Maria H. at Santa Anita Park.

Six races were upgraded to Grade 2 status for 2010: the American Turf S. at Churchill Downs, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Pocahontas S. at Churchill Downs, Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds and Sir Beaufort S. at Santa Anita Park.

Ten races were downgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 3 in 2010: the Bed O' Roses H. at Aqueduct, Beverly Hills H. at Hollywood Park, Comely S. at Aqueduct, Illinois Derby at Hawthorne Race Course, Jefferson Cup S. at Churchill Downs, La Prevoyante H. at Calder Race Course, Ohio Derby at Thistledown, Rampart S. at Gulfstream Park, Sunset H. at Hollywood Park and Tom Fool H. at Belmont Park.

Six races were upgraded to Grade 3 status for 2010: the Breeders' Cup Marathon, Cougar II H. at Del Mar, Ft. Lauderdale S. at Gulfstream Park, Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows, Monmouth S. at Monmouth Park and Sunland Derby at Sunland Park.

Eight races were downgraded from Grade 3 to Ungraded status for 2010: the Baldwin S. at Santa Anita, Barbaro S. at Delaware Park, Calder Derby at Calder Race Course, Cinema H. at Hollywood Park, Dallas Turf Cup S. at Lone Star Park, Miss Preakness S. at Pimlico, Next Move S. at Aqueduct and Stuyvesant H. at Aqueduct.

The Frances A. Genter S. at Calder Race Course and Safely Kept S. at Laurel Park were not eligible for grading in 2010.

2010 Graded Stakes Summary:

• G1: 113 races, down 2 from 2009
• G2: 156 races, down 3 from 2009
• G3: 218 races, up 3 from 2009
• 487 total graded stakes
• 236 total ungraded stakes
• 723 total eligible races

Below is a list of all the changes for the 2010 racing season. The complete list of all 487 graded stakes for 2010 can be viewed here.

From a TOBA press release