The Caress Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged four years old and older held over a distance of five and one-half furlongs on the turf held annually in July at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Caress Stakes
Grade III race
LocationSaratoga Race Course
Saratoga Springs, New York, United States
Inaugurated2008 (at Belmont Park)
WebsiteNYRA
Race information
Distance5+12 furlongs
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationFilles and mares, four-year-olds and older
Weight124 lbs with allowances
PurseUS$200,000 (since 2017)

History

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The event is named in honor of mare Caress[1] who won the 1995 Grade III Poker Stakes at Belmont Park defeating male horses and also won the Grade III Beaugay Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The event's inaugural running was on 25 June 2008 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York as the third race on the race card over the seven furlong distance for fillies and mares aged three years old and older and was won by the Stormy West who was ridden by the US Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux and trained by US Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in a blanket photo finish by a head in a time of 1:21.29.[2]

In 2009 and 2011 the event was run over a shorter distance of six furlongs. The event was not held in 2010.[3]

In 2012 the event was scheduled in August at Saratoga over the sprint distance of 5+12 furlongs.[4]

In 2016 the event was moved off the turf due to rain affected track and held on a sealed sloppy dirt track.[5]

In 2021 the event was upgraded in classification by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's American Graded Stakes Committee to Grade III.[6]

Records

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Speed record:

  • 5+12 furlongs: 1:00.82 Thieves Guild (2015)

Margins:

  • 2+12 lengths – Miss Ella (2016)

Most wins:

  • 2 – Miss Ella (2016, 2017)

Most wins by an owner:

  • 2 – Jack Swain III (2016, 2017)

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Winners

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Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade Ref
At Saratoga – Caress Stakes
2024 Dontlookbackatall 4 Irad Ortiz Jr. Christophe Clement West Point Thoroughbreds, Scarlet Oak Racing & Titletown Racing Stables 5+12 furlongs 1:01.39 $200,000 III [7]
2023 Roses for Debra 4 Irad Ortiz Jr. Christophe Clement John O'Meara 5+12 furlongs 1:02.39 $194,000 III [8]
2022 Robin Sparkles 5 Javier Castellano Bruce R. Brown Michael Schrader 5+12 furlongs 1:01:98 $200,000 III [9]
2021 Caravel 4 Irad Ortiz Jr. Elizabeth M. Merryman Bobby Flay & Elizabeth M. Merryman 5+12 furlongs 1:02.38 $200,000 III [10]
2020 Cariba 4 Irad Ortiz Jr. Christophe Clement Cheyenne Stable 5+12 furlongs 1:01.53 $200,000 Listed [11]
2019 Mominou 4 Kendrick Carmouche James J. Toner Sean Shay 5+12 furlongs 1:01.54 $200,000 Listed [12]
2018 Ruby Notion 5 Florent Geroux Darrin Miller Silverton Hill 5+12 furlongs 1:06.43 $200,000 Listed [13]
2017 Miss Ella 5 Joel Rosario H. Graham Motion Jack Swain III 5+12 furlongs 1:02.30 $200,000 [14]
2016 Miss Ella 4 Joel Rosario H. Graham Motion Jack Swain III 5+12 furlongs 1:04.05 $98,000 Off turf[5]
2015 Thieves Guild 6 Jose Lezcano James J. Toner Ninety North Racing Stable 5+12 furlongs 1:00.82 $98,000 [15]
2014 Free as a Bird 5 Joel Rosario Ian R. Wilkes Elizabeth J. Valando 5+12 furlongs 1:01.98 $100,000 [16]
2013 Silverette 4 Robby Albarado Dale L. Romans Paul P. Pompa Jr. 5+12 furlongs 1:01.27 $100,000 [17]
2012 Rosa Salvaje 4 Alex O. Solis Lisa Lewis William C. Schettine 5+12 furlongs 1:03.50 $100,000 Listed [4]
At Belmont Park
2011 Quebrada Shiner (ARG) 6 Ramon A. Dominguez Robert A. Barbara James A. & Jane N. Fraser 6 furlongs 1:09.10 $60,000 [18]
2010 Race not held
2009 Jazzy (ARG) 7 Alan Garcia Mark A. Hennig Team Valor International 6 furlongs 1:12.58 $68,200 [19]
2008 Stormy West 4 Kent J. Desormeaux William I. Mott Diane & Guy B. Snowden 7 furlongs 1:21.29 $74,750 [2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "CARESS (USA) b. M, 1991 - 29 Starts, 13 Wins, 4 Places, 2 Shows Career Earnings: $666,076". Thoroughbred Pedigree Online. 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b "2008 Caress Stakes Black Type - (race 3)". Equibase. 25 June 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  3. ^ "CARESS STAKES - MULTIPLE TRACKS". Thoroughbred Pedigree Online. 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b "2012 Shakespeare Caress Stakes Listed - (race 8)". Equibase. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b "2016 Caress Stakes Black Type - (race 10)". Equibase. 31 July 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  6. ^ Schweigardt, Andrew (2021). "TOBA Announces U.S. Graded and Listed Stakes for 2021". Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  7. ^ "2024 Caress Stakes Grade III - (race 9)". Equibase. 25 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  8. ^ "2023 Caress Stakes Grade III - (race 6)". Equibase. 22 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  9. ^ "2022 Caress Stakes Grade III - (race 10)". Equibase. 23 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  10. ^ "2021 Caress Stakes Grade III - (race 10)". Equibase. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  11. ^ "2020 Caress Stakes Listed - (race 12)". Equibase. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  12. ^ "2019 Caress Stakes Listed - (race 11)". Equibase. 21 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  13. ^ "2018 Caress Stakes Listed - (race 7)". Equibase. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  14. ^ "2017 Caress Stakes Black Type - (race 8)". Equibase. 24 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  15. ^ "2015 Caress Stakes Black Type - (race 3)". Equibase. 2 August 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  16. ^ "2014 Smirnoff Sorbet Caress Stakes Black Type - (race 7)". Equibase. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  17. ^ "2013 Sportech Caress Stakes Black Type - (race 6)". Equibase. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  18. ^ "2011 Caress Stakes Black Type - (race 8)". Equibase. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  19. ^ "2009 Caress Stakes Black Type - (race 9)". Equibase. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2021.