The Music City Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies, over a distance of furlongs on the turf held annually in September at Kentucky Downs racetrack in Franklin, Kentucky during their short turf meeting. The event currently carries a purse of $1,500,000 which includes $750,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.
History The race was inaugurated in 2020 with an attractive purse offered of $400,000. The event was won by the lightly raced West-Coast filly Lighthouse who started at the odds of 11/1 and won by lengths in a time of 1:14.99. After returning to California, Lighthouse had two more starts before beings sent to Australia where she was placed twice at Group 1 level before capturing the Group 1 Coolmore Classic.
In 2023 the event was upgraded to a Grade III.
With the influx of gaming revenue at Kentucky Downs the initial purse for the event has risen dramatically to nearly $500,000 offered by 2022.
In 2024 the event was once again upgraded to a Grade II
Records Speed record: furlongs: 1:14.54 – Shisospicy (2025)
Margins: 3 lengths – Shisospicy (2025)
Most wins by a jockey: 2 - Luis Saez (2024, 2026)
Most wins by a trainer: No trainer has won this race more than once.
Most wins by an owner: No owner has won this race more than once.
Winners
Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade Ref2026Somerset WestLuis SaezJohn W. SadlerKeith Abrahams furlongs1:15.80$1,235,400II2025Shisospicy Irad Ortiz Jr. Jose D'AngeloMorplay Racing & Qatar Racing furlongs1:14.54$1,867,100II 2024Simply in Front Luis SaezEddie KenneallyColebrook Farms furlongs1:16.01$1,767,200II 2023Secret Money Tyler GaffalioneBrendan WalshFortune Farm (Richard Nicolai), Robert G. Hahn & Matthew Hand furlongs1:15.14$996,570 III2022Freedom Speaks Jose LezcanoJeremiah EnglehartReitman Stables furlongs1:15.35$471,750 Listed2021 Tobys Heart Joel Rosario Brian A. Lynch Gary Barber, Terry Hamilton & Brian A. Lynch furlongs 1:14.75 $487,950 2020 Lighthouse Umberto Rispoli Simon Callaghan LNJ Foxwoods furlongs 1:14.99$360,385
See also List of American and Canadian Graded races
References