Dueling Grounds Derby

The Dueling Grounds Derby is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three years olds, over a distance of one and five-sixteenths miles 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 $1,000,000 which includes $400,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

Dueling Grounds Derby
Grade III race
LocationKentucky Downs
Franklin, Kentucky, United States
Inaugurated2014
Race typeThoroughbred – Flat racing
SponsorNational Thoroughbred League (since 2023)
WebsiteKentucky Downs
Race information
Distance1+5⁄16 miles
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationThree-year-olds
Weight124 lbs with allowances
Purse$1,000,000 (since 2023)

History

The name of the event reflects the original name of the track known as the Dueling Grounds Race Course located very close to the Kentucky-Tennessee border where numerous duels were held in the 1800s. With the introduction of Instant Racing in 2011 the influx of revenue enabled the administration of the track to add new events.[1]

The inaugural running of the event was on September 6, 2014, opening day of the five-day meeting at Kentucky Downs. A field of eight entrants lined up and the event was won by the James Lawrence II trained My Afleet who started at 8/1 defeating the favorite Medal Count who earlier in the year finish third in the Belmont Stakes by a nose in a time of 2:14.10.[2] Later, My Afleet continued his career as a steeplechaser winning an event as a ten-year-old in 2021 at Willowdale in Pennsylvania and setting a new track record for the three-mile timber course.[3]

With the influx of gaming revenue at Kentucky Downs the purse for the event has risen dramatically to nearly $750,000 offered by 2020.[4]

From 2016 until 2019 the event was sponsored by the Lexington, Kentucky based Exacta Systems. Since 2021 Big Ass Fans also based in Lexington became the new sponsors of the event.[5]

In 2022 the event was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to a Grade III[6] and was to be held on September 4, but was moved to the next day, Labor Day.[7]

Records

Speed record:

  • 1+5⁄16 miles: 2:06.76 – Moon Over Miami (2020)

Margins:

  • 6+1⁄4 length – Oscar Nominated (2016)

Most wins by an owner:

  • No owner has won the event more than once

Most wins by a jockey:

  • No jockey has won the event more than once

Most wins by a trainer:

Winners
Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade Ref
2023 Anglophile Declan Cannon Brian A. Lynch LFG Racing 1+5⁄16 miles 2:08.93 $998,000 III [8]
2022 Kitodan Gerardo Corrales Eric N. Foster Foster Family Racing, Douglas E. Miller & William J. Wargel 1+5⁄16 miles 2:15.41 $750,000 III [9]
2021 Accredit Martin Garcia Pavel Matejka Bob Grayson Jr. & Pavel Matejka 1+5⁄16 miles 2:10.94 $732,375 Listed [10]
2020 Moon Over Miami Javier Castellano William I. Mott Summer Wind Equine 1+5⁄16 miles 2:06.76 $707,625 Listed [4]
2019 Social Paranoia Jose L. Ortiz Todd A. Pletcher The Elkstone Group 1+5⁄16 miles 2:08.50 $600,000 Listed [11]
2018 Channel Cat Luis Saez Todd A. Pletcher Calumet Farm 1+5⁄16 miles 2:15.51 $398,000 Listed [12]
2017 Big Bend Drayden Van Dyke Thomas Proctor Union Rags Racing 1+5⁄16 miles 2:11.57 $350,000 Listed [13]
2016 Oscar Nominated Florent Geroux Michael J. Maker Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey 1+5⁄16 miles 2:11.45 $346,710 [14]
2015 Closing Bell Jose Lezcano William I. Mott WinStar Farm 1+5⁄16 miles 2:17.60 $299,300 [15]
2014 My Afleet Leandro Goncalves James L. Lawrence II Jeffrey S. Amling & Merriefield Farm 1+5⁄16 miles 2:14.10 $230,417 [16]

Legend:
  Turf

See also

References
  1. LaMarra, Tom (September 6, 2014). "Medal Count Returns to Turf at Kentucky Downs Colt one of 10 entered in Dueling Grounds Derby on opening day program Sept. 6". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  2. BloodHorse Staff (September 6, 2014). "My Afleet Tops Medal Count at Kentucky Downs Afleet Alex gelding noses out Belmont Stakes show horse in stakes debut Sept. 6". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  3. "Willowbrook Steeplechase: Maiden Special Weight – (race 6)". Equibase. May 8, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022. Three Miles On The Timber
  4. "2020 Gun Runner Dueling Grounds Derby Listed – (race 9)". Equibase. September 10, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  5. "Big Ass Fans Dueling Grounds Derby (Gr. 3)". Equibase. 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  6. Schweigardt, Andrew (2022). "TOBA Announces U.S. Graded and Listed Stakes for February 2022 – January 2023". Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  7. "Kentucky Downs to Run Sept. 4 Card on Monday The final races of the Sept. 3 card have yet to be rescheduled". Bloodhorse.com. Kentucky Downs – Edited Press Release. September 4, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  8. "2023 National Thoroughbred League Dueling Grounds Derby Grade 3 – (race 11)". Equibase. September 3, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  9. "2022 Big Ass Fans Dueling Grounds Derby Grade 3 – (race 10)". Equibase. September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  10. "2021 Big Ass Fans Dueling Grounds Derby Listed – (race 10)". Equibase. September 5, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  11. "2019 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby Listed – (race 9)". Equibase. September 8, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  12. "2018 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby Listed – (race 9)". Equibase. September 12, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  13. "2017 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby Listed – (race 9)". Equibase. September 10, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  14. "2016 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby Black Type – (race 9)". Equibase. September 11, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  15. "2015 Dueling Grounds Derby Black Type – (race 7)". Equibase. September 14, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  16. "2014 Dueling Grounds Derby Black Type – (race 9)". Equibase. September 6, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.