St. James's Palace Stakes

The St. James's Palace Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.

The event is named after St. James's Palace, a royal residence during the Tudor period. It was established in 1834, and the inaugural race was a walkover.

The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and for a period the St. James's Palace Stakes was classed at Group 2 level. It was promoted to Group 1 status in 1988.

The St. James's Palace Stakes usually features horses which ran previously in the 2,000 Guineas, the Poule d'Essai des Poulains or the Irish 2,000 Guineas. It is contested on the opening day of the Royal Ascot meeting.

Read more about St. James's Palace Stakes:  Records, Winners Since 1970, Earlier Winners

Famous quotes containing the words palace and/or stakes:

    The homely Nurse doth all she can
    To make her Foster-child, her Inmate Man,
    Forget the glories he hath known,
    And that imperial palace whence he came.
    William Wordsworth (1770–1850)

    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)