The Locust Grove Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged three and older, over a distance of miles held annually on the dirt track in September during the early fall meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The current purse is $400,000.

History

The event is named after the site known as Locust Grove where a 1790 Georgian mansion is situated on 55 acres upriver from Louisville. The house was originally home to William and Lucy Clark Croghan. Lucy was the sister to explorers William Clark and George Rogers Clark. They are the ancestors to Churchill Downs founder Col. M. Lewis Clark.

The event was inaugurated on 31 May 1982 and was won by the Excitable Lady and was ridden by Champion jockey Darrel McHargue winning easily as the 3/10 odds-on favorite by 7 lengths in a time of 1:37.20 over the one mile distance.

The following year the distance of the event was increased to miles.

In 1986 the event's conditions were modified to a handicap. The following the event was held on the turf for the first time over a distance of miles and was won by longshot Luckiest Girl at 20–1. The following year the event was held at a shorter distance miles.

Previously a Listed race, it was upgraded to Grade III status for 1998 by the American Graded Stakes Committee.

In winning the 2003 running of the Locust Grove Handicap, Ipi Tombe became the first horse bred in Zimbabwe to ever win a race at Churchill Downs.

The event was idle in 2011 and 2012 and when it was renewed in 2013 the event was set back to the dirt and since then the event has been moved to the September short fall meeting the conditions allowed for three year old fillies to compete against the older mares as a stakes allowance race. Also due to not being held for to years the event lost its Graded classification. In 2016 the event regained its Grade III status once again.

In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Churchill Downs did not schedule the event in their updated meeting.

Records

Speed record miles: 1:42.86 Shedaresthedevil (2021) miles: 1:46.75 Shaconage (2004) 1 mile: 1:35.76 Genuine Devotion (IRE) (2008)

Margins 8 lengths – Frivolous (2015)

Most wins 2 - Colstar (2000, 2001)

Most wins by a trainer 4 - William I. Mott (1984, 1996, 1998, 2005)

Most wins by a jockey 2 - Charles R. Woods Jr. (1986, 1989) 2 - Shane Sellers (1995, 1998) 2 - Pat Day (1983, 2003) 2 - Brice Blanc (2004, 2005) 2 - Jon Court (2001, 2015) 2 - Julien R. Leparoux (2007, 2018) 2 - Brian Hernandez Jr. (2017, 2019) 2 - Tyler Gaffalione (2023, 2025)

Most wins by an owner 2 - Beverly R. Steinman (2000, 2001) 2 - Team Valor (1993, 2003) 2 - Glen Hill Farm (2006, 2009) 2 - G. Watts Humphrey Jr. (2015, 2017)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefLocust Grove Stakes2026Splendora5Flavien PratBob BaffertBoyd Racing (Randy Boyd) and By Talla Racing miles1:43.30$400,000II2025Royal Spa 5Tyler GaffalioneRodolphe BrissetBreffni Farm miles1:42.53$395,000II2024Musical Mischief 4Edgar MoralesMichael McCarthyStoneway Farm miles1:42.91$379,340II2023Search Results 5Tyler GaffalioneChad C. BrownKlaravich Stables miles1:42.40$397,000III2022Played Hard4 Joel RosarioPhilip A. BauerRigney Racing miles1:43.50$393,000III2021Shedaresthedevil4Florent GerouxBrad H. CoxFlurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing and Big Aut Farms miles1:42.86$400,000III2020Race not held2019Go Google Yourself5Brian Hernandez Jr.Paul J. McGeeJay Em Ess Stable miles1:44.13$200,000III2018Blue Prize (ARG)5Julien R. LeparouxIgnacio Correas IVMerriebelle Stable miles1:43.69$100,000III2017Romantic Vision5Brian Hernandez Jr.George R. Arnold IIG. Watts Humphrey Jr. miles1:43.91$100,000III2016Engaginglee5Luis SaezDale L. RomansPaul A. Lichtefeld & Jack D. Stewart miles1:46.24$100,000III2015Frivolous5Jon CourtVictoria H. OliverG. Watts Humphrey Jr. miles1:43.85$100,000 Listed 2014Don't Tell Sophia6Joseph Rocco Jr.Philip A. SimsPhilip A. Sims & Jerry Namy miles1:45.76$108,200 2013Flashy American4Corey J. LanerieKenneth G. McPeekPreston Stables miles1:43.53$111,400 2011–2012Race not heldLocust Grove Handicap 2010Danzon7Alex O. SolisJames E. BakerAlfred H. Nuckols Jr.1 mile1:37.02$116,200III2009Closeout4Robby AlbaradoThomas F. ProctorGlen Hill Farm1 mile1:38.38$114,900III20084Alan GarciaKiaran P. McLaughlinJames J. Barry1 mile1:35.76$171,750III2007Mauralakana (FR)4Julien R. LeparouxPatrick L. BianconeMaurice Hassan, Lewis Lakin, Richard Giacopelli & Fab Oak Stable miles1:47.99$162,900III2006Rich in Spirit4Mark GuidryThomas F. ProctorGlen Hill Farm miles1:50.00$165,450III2005Delta Princess6Brice BlancWilliam I. MottSaud bin Khaled miles1:48.90$164,550III2004Shaconage4Brice BlancMitch ShirotaAndrena Van Doren miles1:46.75$165,750III2003Ipi Tombe (ZIM)5Pat DayW. Elliott WaldenTeam Valor Stables, Winstar Farm & Sunmark Partners miles1:47.70$164,400III2002Voodoo Dancer4Jose A. SantosChristophe ClementGreen Hills Farm miles1:46.91$168,900III2001Colstar5Jon CourtPaul R. FoutBeverly R. Steinman miles1:48.79$172,800III2000Colstar4Alberto DelgadoPaul R. FoutBeverly R. Steinman miles1:47.44$165,000III1999Shires Ende4Willie MartinezRichard R. SchererCarolyn Friedberg miles1:49.11$173,400III1998Colcon5Shane SellersWilliam I. MottCavallix miles1:48.53$167,700III1997Romy6Francisco C. TorresMoises R. YanezWilliam Pacella, Joseph Rizza & Ronald Schwed miles1:48.89$110,700 Listed 1996Bail Out Becky4Craig PerretWilliam I. MottKenneth and Sarah Ramsey miles1:47.38$111,800 Listed 1995Memories (IRE)4Shane SellersBurk Kessinger Jr.New Phoenix Stable & Alvin Haynes miles1:47.48$110,400 Listed 1994Life Is Delicious4Jose R. Martinez Jr.Peter M. VestalWilliam I. Levy miles1:53.87$109,000 Listed 1993Lady Blessington (FR)5Corey BlackMark A. HennigTeam Valor miles1:50.16$114,450 Listed 1992Behaving Dancer5Donald Lee HowardRobert E. HolthusPrestonwood Farms miles1:47.27$115,000 Listed 1991Nice Serve4Joe M. JohnsonGary G. HartlageRonald K. Kirk miles1:51.30$113,600 Listed 1990Dibs4Aaron GryderSteven C. PenrodClaiborne Farm miles1:50.60$104,405 1989Jungle Gold4Frank L. BrothersLazy Lane Farms miles1:43.20$82,125 1988Chez Chez Chez4Jesse J. GarciaCotton JohnSummerplace Farm miles1:45.20$85,500 1987Luckiest Girl4Donald Joseph SotoLuis Albert PalaciosMaurice Miller miles1:51.60$56,100 1986Glorious View4Charles R. Woods Jr.Michael B. BallMira Ball miles1:44.00$56,450 Locust Grove Stakes1985Sintra4K. Keith AllenSteven C. PenrodCherry Valley Farm miles1:43.40$31,175 1984Heatherten5Sam MapleWilliam I. MottJohn A. Franks miles1:43.00$40,335 1983Try Something New4Pat DayJohn A. Bell III miles1:45.20$35,625 1982Excitable Lady4Darrel G. McHargueInda Eduardoa Tom Gentry1 mile1:37.20$37,100

Legend:

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races

References