The Breeders' Futurity Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Currently offering a purse of $500,000, the race is open to two-year-old horses and is run at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the Polytrack. From 1997 to 2008, the race was sponsored by Lane's End Farm. Starting in 2009, the race has been sponsored by Dixiana Farm.
The race is a Road to the Kentucky Derby Prep Season qualifying race. The winner receives 10 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby.
The race is currently part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series. The winner will automatically qualify for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
It was first raced at the Kentucky Association track in Lexington in 1910 and was renewed each year thereafter through 1930. In 1931 through 1935, the race was shifted to the Latonia Race Track in Covington, Kentucky. The Futurity was revived at Keeneland in the fall of 1938 and during World War II, from 1943 through 1945 was renewed as part of the Churchill Downs fall meetings.
The race was a Grade III event from 1973-1975, a Grade II from 1976 through 2003, and became a Grade 1 stakes in 2004. Over the years, it has been raced at various distances:
- Six furlongs from 1938-1949
- Seven furlongs from 1950-1955
- Seven furlongs, 184 feet from 1956-1980
- 11/16 miles from 1981-present
Read more about Breeders' Futurity Stakes: Records (since 1938), Winners of The Breeders' Futurity Stakes Since 1938, Earlier Winners
Famous quotes containing the words futurity and/or stakes:
“The military mind is indeed a menace. Old-fashioned futurity that sees only men fighting and dying in smoke and fire; hears nothing more civilized than a cannonade; scents nothing but the stink of battle-wounds and blood.”
—Sean O’Casey (1884–1964)
“This man was very clever and quick to learn anything in his line. Our tent was of a kind new to him; but when he had once seen it pitched, it was surprising how quickly he would find and prepare the pole and forked stakes to pitch it with, cutting and placing them right the first time, though I am sure that the majority of white men would have blundered several times.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)