Turf Classic Stakes prize money
The Turf Classic Stakes is worth $1,500,000 . That makes it the 52nd richest of the 997 races on this site and the 17th richest in the United States.
Every figure here is the money the race announces, in the currency it announces it in. The currency control at the top swaps the whole page.
What the Turf Classic Stakes is
Grade I · miles (9 furlongs) · Turf · Churchill Downs
- Racecourse
- Churchill Downs
- Country
- United States
- Grade
- Grade I
- Distance
- miles (9 furlongs)
- Surface
- Turf
- Race type
- Thoroughbred, Flat racing
- Open to
- Four-year-olds and older
- Direction
- Left-handed
- First run
- 1987
We hold the total fund for the Turf Classic Stakes and no separate winner's cheque. What the winner takes is a rule the racecourse sets rather than a national one, and it varies race by race.
Run in 1:45.96 in 2026, the Turf Classic Stakes pays $14,156 for every second of the race, which is 45th of the 611 races in horse racing prize money per second and 18th in the United States.
Every Turf Classic Stakes winner
40 runnings, 1987 to 2026, newest first
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Prize money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Rhetorical5 · 1:45.96 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | William Walden | Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable & Wachtel Stable | $1,414,000$1.4m |
| 2025 | Spirit of St Louis6 · 1:48.20 | Manuel Franco | Chad C. Brown | Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb & Richard Schermerhorn | $934,200 |
| 2024 | Program Trading (GB)4 · 1:50.30 | Flavien Prat | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables | $1,000,000 |
| 2023 | Up to the Mark4 · 1:47.31 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd A. Pletcher | Repole Stable & St. Elias Stable | $990,000 |
| 2022 | Santin4 · 1:49.72 | Tyler Gaffalione | Brendan P. Walsh | Godolphin | $1,000,000 |
| 2021 | Colonel Liam4 · 1:47.99 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd A. Pletcher | Lawana & Robert Low | $1,000,000 |
| 2020 | Digital Age (IRE)4 · 1:47.79 | Javier Castellano | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables | $1,000,000 |
| 2019 | Bricks and Mortar5 · 1:51.80 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables & William H. Lawrence | $1,000,000 |
| 2018 | Yoshida (JPN)4 · 1:54.64 | José L. Ortiz | William I. Mott | China Horse Club, WinStar Farm & Head of Plains Partners | $500,000 |
| 2017 | Divisidero5 · 1:52.42 | Julien R. Leparoux | William B. Bradley | Gunpowder Farms | $500,000 |
| 2016 | Divisidero4 · 1:47.37 | Edgar S. Prado | William B. Bradley | Gunpowder Farms | $500,000 |
| 2015 | Finnegans Wake6 · 1:47.24 | Victor Espinoza | Peter L. Miller | Donegal Racing & Rockingham Ranch | $500,000 |
| 2014 | Wise Dan7 · 1:47.73 | John R. Velazquez | Charles LoPresti | Morton Fink | $559,100 |
| 2013 | Wise Dan6 · 1:51.84 | Jose Lezcano | Charles LoPresti | Morton Fink | $546,400 |
| 2012 | Little Mike5 · 1:48.81 | Joe Bravo | Dale L. Romans | Priscilla Vaccarezza | $561,500 |
| 2011 | Get Stormy5 · 1:50.81 | Ramon A. Dominguez | Thomas M. Bush | Sullimar Stables | $581,400 |
| 2010 | General Quarters4 · 1:53.42 | Rafael Bejarano | Thomas R. McCarthy | Thomas R. McCarthy | $578,100 |
| 2009 | Einstein (BRZ)7 · 1:49.62 | Julien R. Leparoux | Helen Pitts-Blasi | Midnight Cry Stable | $557,600 |
| 2008 | Einstein (BRZ)6 · 1:50.50 | Robby Albarado | Helen Pitts-Blasi | Patricia Cunningham & Melissa Greene | $548,300 |
| 2007 | Sky Conqueror5 · 1:49.01 | Javier Castellano | Darwin D. Banach | William A. Sorokolit Sr. | $561,000 |
| 2006 | English Channel4 · 1:47.15 | Garrett K. Gomez | Todd A. Pletcher | James T. Scatuorchio | $454,900 |
| 2005 | America Alive4 · 1:47.34 | Robby Albarado | Neil J. Howard | Mill House Stable | $470,400 |
| 2004 | Stroll4 · 1:53.00 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Claiborne Farm | $453,900 |
| 2003 | Honor in War4 · 1:46.67 | David R. Flores | Paul J. McGee | 3rd Turn Stables | $445,300 |
| 2002 | Beat Hollow (GB)5 · 1:47.35 | Alex O. Solis | Robert J. Frankel | Juddmonte Farms | $452,500 |
| 2001 | White Heart (GB)6 · 1:48.75 | Gary L. Stevens | Neil D. Drysdale | Gainsborough Farms | $349,900 |
| 2000 | Manndar (IRE)4 · 1:47.91 | Corey Nakatani | C. Beau Greely | Columbine Stable, Jay M. Jones & Tom Nichols | $350,500 |
| 1999 | Wild Event6 · 1:47.25 | Shane Sellers | Louis M. Goldfine | Arthur I. Appleton | $333,300 |
| 1998 | Joyeux Danseur5 · 1:48.14 | Robby Albarado | Albert Stall Jr. | B. Wayne Hughes | $281,100 |
| 1997 | Always a Classic4 · 1:49.29 | Jerry D. Bailey | Mark R. Frostad | Sam-Son Farm | $234,400 |
| 1996 | Mecke4 · 1:49.48 | Pat Day | Emanuel Tortora | James R. Lewis Jr. | $254,200 |
| 1995 | Romarin (BRZ)5 · 1:46.86 | Corey Nakatani | Richard E. Mandella | Linneo Eduardo de Paula Machado | $246,300 |
| 1994 | Paradise Creek5 · 1:48.34 | Pat Day | William I. Mott | Masayuki Nishiyama | $233,950 |
| 1993 | Lure4 · 1:46.34 | Mike E. Smith | Claude R. McGaughey III | Claiborne Farm | $181,050 |
| 1992 | Cudas4 · 1:46.56 | Pat Valenzuela | Richard J. Lundy | Allen E. Paulson | $191,850 |
| 1991 | § Opening Verse5 · 1:47.22 | Chris McCarron | Richard J. Lundy | Allen E. Paulson | $192,400 |
| 1990 | Ten Keys6 · 1:50.80 | Kent J. Desormeaux | Michael V. Pino | Charles Linhoss | $169,900 |
| 1989 | Equalize7 · 1:51.40 | José A. Santos | Angel Penna Sr. | Alejandro Menditeguy | $175,600 |
| 1988 | Yankee Affair6 · 1:50.00 | Pat Day | Henry L. Carroll | Jujugen Stable | $186,500 |
| 1987 | Manila4 · 1:48.80 | Jacinto Vásquez | LeRoy Jolley | Bradley M. Shannon | $169,300 |
40 of the 40 runnings name the rider, 40 name the trainer and 40 name the owner, who is the one of the three the prize money actually belongs to. 40 carry the total prize money for that year, converted here the same way the purse above is.
What the Turf Classic Stakes has paid, season by season
Total prize money, 1987 to 2026
The total prize money went from $169,300 in 1987 to $1,414,000 in 2026, 8.4 times more. Every year is converted at today's rate, so the line is the money the race puts up rather than the money the exchange rate did.
Who wins the Turf Classic Stakes more than once
The fact the table above holds and cannot show
Most wins by a trainer
| Horse | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Divisidero | 2 | 2016, 2017 |
| Wise Dan | 2 | 2013, 2014 |
| Einstein | 2 | 2008, 2009 |
Races worth about the same
Either side of the Turf Classic Stakes in the world money order
| # | Race | Country | Prize money | As published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | Epsom DerbyEpsom Downs | Great Britain | $1,995,000$2.0m | £1,500,000 |
| 43 | All-Star MileFlemington Racecourse, Caulfield Racecourse and The Valley | Australia | $1,759,259$1.8m | AU$2,500,000 |
| 44 | Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint StakesKentucky Downs | United States | $1,750,000$1.7m | $1,750,000 |
| 45 | Prix du Jockey ClubChantilly Racecourse | France | $1,705,128$1.7m | €1,500,000 |
| 46 | Hong Kong Champions & Chater CupSha Tin Racecourse | Hong Kong | $1,642,550$1.6m | HK$13,000,000 |
| 47 | Centenary Sprint CupSha Tin Racecourse | Hong Kong | $1,516,200$1.5m | HK$12,000,000 |
| 48 | Hong Kong Gold CupSha Tin Racecourse | Hong Kong | $1,516,200$1.5m | HK$12,000,000 |
| 49 | Hong Kong Stewards' CupSha Tin Racecourse | Hong Kong | $1,516,200$1.5m | HK$12,000,000 |
| 50 | Queen's Silver Jubilee CupSha Tin Racecourse | Hong Kong | $1,516,200$1.5m | HK$12,000,000 |
| 51 | Kentucky OaksChurchill Downs | United States | $1,500,000$1.5m | $1,500,000 |
| 53 | Australian DerbyRandwick Racecourse | Australia | $1,407,407$1.4m | AU$2,000,000 |
| 54 | Blue Diamond StakesCaulfield Racecourse | Australia | $1,407,407$1.4m | AU$2,000,000 |
| 55 | Coolmore Stud StakesFlemington Racecourse | Australia | $1,407,407$1.4m | AU$2,000,000 |
| 56 | Hill StakesRandwick Racecourse, | Australia | $1,407,407$1.4m | AU$2,000,000 |
| 57 | Newmarket HandicapFlemington Racecourse | Australia | $1,407,407$1.4m | AU$2,000,000 |
| 58 | Spring Champion StakesRandwick Racecourse, | Australia | $1,407,407$1.4m | AU$2,000,000 |
| 59 | Sydney StakesRandwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia | Australia | $1,407,407$1.4m | AU$2,000,000 |
| 60 | Victoria DerbyFlemington Racecourse | Australia | $1,407,407$1.4m | AU$2,000,000 |
| 62 | Grand NationalAintree Racecourse | Great Britain | $1,330,000$1.3m | £1,000,000 |
| 63 | Apple Blossom HandicapOaklawn Park | United States | $1,250,000 | $1,250,000 |
The 20 races closest to the Turf Classic Stakes in what they pay, above and below it. Follow the ranking all the way up on the richest races in the world.
The rest of the money in the United States
196 races, 17th of them is this one
| Race | Racecourse | Grade | Prize money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preakness Stakes | Pimlico Race Course | Grade I | $2,000,000$2.0m |
| Stephen Foster Stakes | Churchill Downs | Grade I | $2,000,000$2.0m |
| Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint Stakes | Kentucky Downs | Grade I | $1,750,000$1.7m |
| Kentucky Oaks | Churchill Downs | Grade I | $1,500,000$1.5m |
| Apple Blossom Handicap | Oaklawn Park | Grade I | $1,250,000 |
| Arkansas Derby | Oaklawn Park Race Track, | Grade I | $1,250,000 |
| Blue Grass Stakes | Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky, USA | Grade I | $1,250,000 |
| Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes | Keeneland Race Course | Grade I | $1,250,000 |
Every race in the United States we hold a purse for is on the United States prize money list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the total Turf Classic Stakes prize money?
$1,500,000.
Where does the Turf Classic Stakes rank among the richest races in the world?
52nd of 997. 51 races pay more, the nearest of them Epsom Derby. In the United States it is 17th of 196.
Which horse has won the Turf Classic Stakes most often?
Divisidero, 2 times, in 2016, 2017.
Which jockey has won the Turf Classic Stakes most often?
Irad Ortiz Jr., with 4 wins between 2019 and 2026.
When was the Turf Classic Stakes first run?
1987. This page holds 40 runnings, from 1987 to 2026.
How far is the Turf Classic Stakes?
miles (9 furlongs), on turf, at Churchill Downs.
Where to next
The rest of the racing money