The Alysheba Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three and older over a distance of . It is held annually in early May on the dirt on the Kentucky Oaks day meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, during the spring meeting.
History
The Alysheba became the most recent addition to the Derby Week stakes with the inaugural running on 30 April 2004 as the sixth race on the undercard of the Kentucky Oaks day meeting. It was the first stakes to join the Derby Week lineup since 1997.
The event is named for the talented 1987 Kentucky Derby winner and United States Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Alysheba, who returned to the Downs in 1988 to win the Breeders' Cup Classic. His victory marked the first time a Derby winner had returned to Churchill to win a stakes since Whirlaway took the 1942 Clark Handicap.
The event received graded status in 2007 and was upgrade to Grade II in 2012.
The 2012 winner Successful Dan broke the track record for the distance and held it until Fierceness broke it in 2025 in a time of 1:40.76.
Records
Speed record miles: 1:40.66 – Fierceness (2025) (new track record)
Margins 6 lengths – Take Charge Indy (2013)
Most wins by a jockey 4 – John Velazquez (2004, 2005, 2015, 2025)
Most wins by a trainer 3 – Todd Pletcher (2005, 2015, 2025)
Most wins by an owner 2 – Godolphin (2021, 2024)
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade Ref2026Corporate Power5José OrtizSteven AsmussenCourtlandt Farms (Donald Adam) miles1:41.82$750,000II2025Fierceness 4John R. Velazquez Todd A. PletcherRepole Stables miles1:40.66 $750,000II2024First Mission4Florent Geroux Brad H. Cox Godolphin miles 1:42.03$730,000II2023Smile Happy4Brian Hernandez Jr.Kenneth G. McPeekLucky Seven Stable miles1:41.29$600,000II2022Olympiad4Junior AlvaradoWilliam I. MottGrandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables, & LNJ Foxwoods miles1:41.60$500,000II2021Maxfield4Jose OrtizBrendan WalshGodolphin miles1:41.39$400,000II2020By My Standards4Gabriel SaezW. Bret CalhounAllied Racing Stable LLC miles1:42.24$400,000II2019McKinzie4Mike E. SmithBob BaffertKarl Watson, Michael E. Pegram & Paul Weitman miles1:41.10$400,000II20184Irad Ortiz Jr.Chad C. BrownKenneth and Sarah Ramsey miles1:41.73$400,000II2017Bird Song4Julien R. LeparouxIan R. WilkesMarylou Whitney Stables miles1:44.34$400,000II2016Majestic Harbor8Corey J. LaneriePaul J. McGeeGallant Stable miles1:43.10$400,000II2015Protonico4John R. VelazquezTodd A. PletcherSumaya U.S. Stable miles1:42.34$400,000II2014Moonshine Mullin6Calvin H. BorelRandy L. MorseRandy Patterson miles1:42.83$342,000II20134Rosie NapravnikPatrick B. ByrneWinStar Farm & Chuck & Maribeth Sandford miles1:41.41$339,900II2012Successful Dan4Julien R. LeparouxCharles LoPresti Morton Fink miles1:41.04$337,800II2011First Dude4Martin GarciaBob Baffert Donald R. Dizney miles1:42.56$358,500III2010Arson Squad7Paco LopezRichard E. Dutrow Jr.Jay Em Ess Stable miles1:43.28$169,650III2009Bullsbay5Jeremy RoseH. Graham Motion Mitchell Ranch, Frank Lewkowitz & Joe Rice miles1:44.29$170,400III2008Giant Gizmo4Rafael BejaranoRobert J. FrankelStronach Stables miles1:43.96$166,050III2007Wanderin Boy6Corey NakataniNicholas P. ZitoArthur B. Hancock III miles1:43.45$112,300III2006Gouldings Green5Corey J. LanerieAnthony L. ReinstedlerMelnyk Racing Stable miles1:42.37$114,500 Listed 2005Limehouse4John R. VelazquezTodd A. PletcherDogwood Stable miles1:42.32$112,900 Listed 2004Congrats4Adele Dilschneider & Claiborne Farm miles1:44.31$113,600 Listed
See also List of American and Canadian Graded races
References