Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes Will End After '18

Spendthrift Farm announced Aug. 31 it will discontinue the Spendthrift Juvenile Stallions Stakes at Churchill Downs after 2018, citing a decision by the North American International Cataloguing Standards Committee not to award the race black-type status.

The $300,000 race for 2-year-olds is restricted to the progeny of Spendthrift Farm stallions. The race is scheduled to run for the final time Oct. 28 during Churchill's Fall meeting.

"I am disappointed that the North American International Cataloguing Standards Committee has told us they will not give black-type consideration to the Spendthrift Stallions Stakes going forward, and that significantly limits the race's ability to grow," said Spendthrift owner B. Wayne Hughes. "Because of that unwillingness, we will be discontinuing our support of the race after this year and, instead, shifting our focus to other ways we can help breeders."

Hughes noted that many sales companies have restricted stakes races that are recognized as black type, despite a relatively small number of sales graduates being eligible in most cases. In 2018, Spendthrift Farm's stallions have collectively accounted for 1,742 2-year-olds in the Northern Hemisphere, and all are automatically eligible for the Spendthrift Stallions Stakes with no nomination fees.

"When we created this race in partnership with Churchill in 2016, we believe we made a significant commitment in earnest to something that would help breeders and be a positive thing for our industry," said Hughes. "We held high expectations for what it could develop into. Our sport got to see a new race that showcased quality 2-year-olds, many of which have proven to be accomplished stakes horses including some graded winners. Field sizes averaged double digits. It gave the breeding community a rare chance to earn purse money from a race. So we felt it was a race everyone could benefit from: breeders, owners, horseplayers, Spendthrift, Churchill Downs, and, in turn, the industry."

A race is eligible for black-type status if it offers a minimum purse of $50,000 or more, has entries that close 72 hours ahead of running the race, has a fee paid by owners of the entrants, and, relative to entries, has a total purse value that equals or exceeds the minimum. North American black-type races also must have a Race Quality Score that is equal to or above the minimum score established for its division by age and sex.

A black-type race may include restrictions for state-bred status, non-winners of a sweepstakes, sales company graduates, or stallions' progeny based on the state or province location of the stallions, according to Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers guidelines.

A black-type stakes' conditions may not contain any preferences based on criteria unrelated to the quality of the horse if such preferences could possibly exclude any horses of superior quality from competing.

"The North American ICSC reviewed the conditions for the Spendthrift Stakes and agreed that for races restricted to stallion's progeny to receive black type, they should be state- or province-based," said Carl Hamilton, who is chairman of the NAICSC.

Under its agreement with Churchill, Spendthrift has supplemented the entire purse for the Spendthrift Stallions Stakes. Unlike traditional races, half the purse money gets distributed to the breeders of the top four finishers in the seven-furlong dirt race.

Graduates of last year's Spendthrift Stallions Stakes (in 2017 a filly race also was offered) include grade 2 winner and grade 1-placed Mia Mischief and grade 3 winner Ezmosh. The inaugural Spendthrift Stallions Stakes in 2016 was won by grade 3 winner and grade 1-placed Warrior's Club, who is owned by Churchill Downs Racing Club.