The Mint Millions Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three years olds and older, over a distance of one mile on the turf held annually in September at Kentucky Downs racetrack in Franklin, Kentucky during their short turf meeting. The event currently carries an offered purse of $2,000,000 which includes $1,000,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund. History The inaugural running of the event was on 11 October 1992 as the Sanford Duncan Stakes at a distance of about one mile. The event was named after an early settler in the area, Sanford Duncan who had built an Inn in 1818 which was on the Lexington to Nashville road adjacent to where the Dueling Grounds race track is located today.

The event was not held in 1996 and 1997 due to the race track being closed while it was being auctioned.

In 1998 new ownership of the race track revived the event as part of the Kentucky Cup, which interlaced races from Turfway Park and the newly renamed Kentucky Downs. The event was scheduled as a handicap and was known as the Kentucky Cup Mile Handicap. In 2002 the conditions of the event were changed from handicap to stakes allowance and the name of the event was modified.

In 2005 and 2006 the event was not scheduled as part of the Kentucky Cup program. In 2007 the event was revived as the Franklin Stakes and in 2008 the event was held as the Franklin-Simpson Stakes in honor of the city and county where the Kentucky Downs racetrack is located. For the 2012 and 2013 runnings the event was known as the Franklin-Simpson Mile Stakes.

In 2014 the event was renamed once again to the More Than Ready Mile Stakes in honor of G1 King's Bishop Stakes winner More than Ready who stood at WinStar Farm from 2013. More Than Ready became the number 1 sire of Breeders' Cup wins with seven. The 2014 winner Regally Ready was sired also by More Than Ready.

With the influx of gaming revenue at Kentucky Downs the purse for the event has risen dramatically to $300,000 offered by 2014.

In 2017 the event was renamed to the Tourist Mile Stakes after the 2015 winner of the event, Tourist who went onto win the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita Park. Tourist was part-owned by WinStar Farm and is currently active at the stud.

In 2021 the event was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to a Grade III. For the 2021 running Kentucky Downs raised the purse to $1 million and renamed the event to the Mint Million sponsored by WinStar Farm. In 2023 the purse was raised to $2,000,000 and the name of the event was modified to Mint Millions. ("The Mint" is the name of the gaming hall on the grounds of Kentucky Downs which features historical horse racing wagering.)

Since 2025 the event has been held as an Invitational.

Records Speed record: 1 mile – 1:32.21 Flavius (2020)

Margins: lengths – Depeche Chat (2012)

Most wins by a jockey: 2 – Jose Valdivia Jr. (2007, 2017) 2 – Julio García (2011, 2018) 2 – Julien Leparoux (2016, 2019) 2 – Jamie Spencer (2023, 2026)

Most wins by a trainer: 2 – Walter M. Bindner Jr. (1993, 1995) 2 – William I. Mott (2000, 2015) 2 – Wesley A. Ward (2011, 2018) 2 – Steven M. Asmussen (2014, 2019) 2 – Michael J. Maker (2016, 2022)

Most wins by an owner: 3 – Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey (2011, 2013, 2016)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefMint Millions Invitational Stakes2026Haatem (IRE)5Jamie SpencerRichard Hannon Jr.Wathnan Racing1 mile1:34.32$1,362,000III2025Epic Ride 4Edgar MoralesJohn EnnisWelch Racing 1 mile1:32.42$2,492,500 IIIMint Millions Stakes2024Goliad 7Flavien PratRichard E. MandellaRamona S. & Perry R. Bass II 1 mile1:33.38$1,800,000III2023Ancient Rome 4Jamie SpencerCharlie HillsMrs. Fitriani Hay 1 mile1:33.37$1,994,285IIIMint Million2022Somelikeithotbrown6José OrtizMichael J. MakerSkyChai Racing & David Koenig 1 mile1:33.88 $707,545III2021 Pixelate 4 Joel Rosario Michael Stidham Godolphin Stables 1 mile 1:34.04 $845,875III Tourist Mile Stakes2020 Flavius 5 Javier Castellano Chad C. BrownJuddmonte Farm 1 mile1:32.21 $712,900Listed 2019 Snapper Sinclair 4 Julien Leparoux Steven M. Asmussen Bloom Racing Stable 1 mile 1:37.95$750,000Listed 2018 Bound for Nowhere 4 Julio Garcia Wesley A. Ward Wesley A. Ward 1 mile 1:40.97$681,400 Listed 2017 Applicator 4 Jose Valdivia Jr. Mikhail Yanakov Olympia Star 1 mile 1:44.79$270,020 Listed More Than Ready Mile Stakes2016 Watchyourownbobber 4 Julien Leparoux Michael J. Maker Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey 1 mile 1:38.94$390,000 Listed 2015 Tourist 6 Florent Geroux William I. Mott WinStar Farm, Wachtel Stable & Gary Barber 1 mile 1:36.17$300,000 2014 Regally Ready 7 Rosie Napravnik Steven M. Asmussen Vinery Stables 1 mile 1:35.25$200,000 Franklin-Simpson Mile Stakes2013 Coalport 4 Channing Hill Wayne M. Catalano Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey 1 mile 1:35.86$123,917 2012 Depeche Chat 4 Brian Hernandez Jr. George R. Arnold III Wind River Stables 1 mile 1:51.20$60,000 2011 Cozy Kitten 4 Julio Garcia Wesley A. Ward Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey 1 mile 1:40.70$50,000 2009–2010Race not heldFranklin-Simpson Stakes2008 Demarcation 4 Jamie Theriot Paul McGee Amerman Racing 1 mile 1:35.27$50,000 Franklin Stakes2007 Art Moderne 7 Jose Valdivia Jr. Martin Wolfson Edmund A. Gann 1 mile 1:36.84$50,000 2005–2006Race not heldKentucky Cup Mile Stakes2004 Missme 5 Rafael Bejarano Lynn Whiting Whippoorwill Farm 1 mile 1:37.13$100,000 Listed 2003 Hard Buck (BRZ) 4 Brice Blanc Kenneth G. McPeek Team Victory II 1 mile1:37.81$100,000 Listed2002 Jake the Flake 6 Calvin Borel Hal Wiggins Jack Murphy & Pam Slaughter 1 mile1:40.86$200,000 ListedKentucky Cup Mile Handicap2001 Minor Wisdom 5 Robby Albarado Richard SchererCarolyn K. Friedberg 1 mile1:37.68$200,000 Listed2000 Glick 4 Mark Guidry William I. Mott Allen E. Paulson Living Trust 1 mile 1:36.14$200,000 Listed1999 Treat Me Doc 5 Jon Court Eugene Brajczewski Jr. Howard E. Nelson & Dan Johns 1 mile 1:37.20$200,000 Listed1998 Rob 'n Gin 4 Joe Bravo Robert Barbara Sabine Stable 1 mile 1:35.00 $200,000 Listed1996–1997Race not heldSanford Duncan Stakes1995 Rare Reason 4 Tracy Hebert Walter M. Bindner Jr. Mason C. Rudd abt. 1 mile 1:36.40$100,000 Listed1994 § Little Bro Lantis 6 Shane J. Sellers Merrill Scherer Robert Hall & William McCollough abt. 1 mile 1:35.20$100,000 Listed1993 Magesterial Cheer 5 Parker Buckley Walter M. Bindner Jr. Mason C. Rudd & Nelson Miller abt. 1 mile 1:38.60$100,000 Listed1992 Newton's Ace 5 Fabio Arguello Jr. Jennie Riggs Estate Of Charles A. Newton abt. 1 mile 1:35.00$100,000 Listed

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races

References