First Lady Stakes

The First Lady Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. A one mile (8 furlongs) race on turf, it is open to Fillies & Mares, age three and older. Run in mid October, it offers a purse of $400,000.

The race was first run in 1998 as the First Lady Stakes at a distance of 1-3/16 miles. In 2005 it was modified to its present distance of one mile. In 2000, WinStar Farm became the race's sponsor from then through 2005 and it was renamed the Galaxy Stakes. In 2006, the name reverted back to its inaugural title. A listed race in its first two years, it earned Grade III status in 2000 from the American Graded Stakes Committee who sanctioned it as a Grade II race the following year. On November 28, 2007, it was upgraded to a Grade I event. The First Lady stakes is a steppingstone to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. In 2000, Perfect Sting ran second in this race but went on to win that year's inaugural edition of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. In 2005, Intercontinental won this race and the ensuing Breeders' Cup.

Keeneland Race Course Graded Stakes Races

Stakes Race Grade Purse
Transylvania Stakes III $100,000
Ashland Stakes I $400,000
Madison Stakes I $300,000
Maker's Mark Mile Stakes I $300,000
Shakertown Stakes III $100,000
Jenny Wiley Stakes II $200,000
Commonwealth Stakes II $175,000
Blue Grass Stakes I $750,000
Beaumont Stakes II $150,000
Appalachian Stakes III $100,000
Doubledogdare Stakes III $100,000
Ben Ali Stakes III $150,000
Lexington Stakes III $200,000
Bewitch Stakes III $150,000
Elkhorn Stakes II $150,000
Phoenix Stakes III $175,000
Darley Alcibiades Stakes I $400,000
Woodford Stakes III $100,000
Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes II $200,000
First Lady Stakes I $350,000
Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes I $600,000
Dixiana Breeders' Futurity Stakes I $400,000
Bourbon Stakes III $100,000
Juddmonte Spinster Stakes I $500,000
Jessamine Stakes III $150,000
Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes I $400,000
Sycamore Stakes III $100,000
Valley View Stakes III $150,000
Raven Run Stakes II $250,000
Fayette Stakes II $150,000