There was a net loss of four Grade 1 races from the 2024 racing calendar announced Saturday by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.
Five races were downgraded from Grade 1 to Grade 2 status for 2024, including the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct, the Man o’ War at Belmont at Aqueduct, the Beverly D. at Colonial Downs, the United Nations at Monmouth Park and the Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita.
The Franklin-Simpson Stakes at Kentucky Downs was the one race upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 status for 2024.
The AGSC presented its listing Saturday of U.S. graded and listed stakes races for 2024, the results of its annual grading session conducted Thursday and Friday in Lexington, Ky.
The committee reviewed 970 U.S. stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000 and assigned graded status to 429 of them, 11 fewer than were graded in 2023, and listed status to 213 races.
| 2024 graded stakes | Number | Percent | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | 93 | 21.7% | down 4 |
| Grade 2 | 137 | 31.9% | up 2 |
| Grade 3 | 199 | 46.4% | down 9 |
| All graded | 429 | 44.2% | |
| Listed | 199 | 20.5% | |
| Listed, restricted | 14 | 1.5% | |
| Non-listed eligible | 328 | 33.8% | |
| All graded, listed, NLE | 970 |
Ten graded races were upgraded, one new Grade 1 and nine new Grade 2 races were named, and four new Grade 3 races were identified. Fourteen new listed races and two new listed restricted races were upgraded from non-listed, black-type status.
| Races upgraded | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-year-old fillies | Track | 2023 | 2024 |
| None | |||
| 3-year-old fillies | Track | 2023 | 2024 |
| Charles Town Oaks | CT | 3 | 2 |
| Fantasy | OP | 3 | 2 |
| Music City (t) | KD | 3 | 2 |
| Saratoga Oaks Inv. (t) | SAR | 3 | 2 |
| Valley View (t) | KEE | 3 | 2 |
| Glen Cove (t) | AQU | NLBT | Listed |
| Seneca Overnight | CD | NLBT | Listed |
| Tepin (t) | CD | NLBT | Listed |
| Fillies & mares, 4 & up | Track | 2023 | 2024 |
| Intercontinental (t) | SAR | 3 | 2 |
| Locust Grove | CD | 3 | 2 |
| Pegasus F&M Turf (t) | GP | 3 | 2 |
| Giant's Causeway (t) | KEE | Listed | 3 |
| Unbridled Sidney (t) | CD | Listed | 3 |
| Latonia (aw) | TP | NLBT | Listed |
| Osunitas (t) | DMR | NLBT | L-R |
| 2-year-olds | Track | 2023 | 2024 |
| Central Park (t) | AQU | NLBT | Listed |
| Gun Runner | FG | NLBT | Listed |
| 3-year-olds | Track | 2023 | 2024 |
| Franklin-Simpson (t) | KD | 2 | 1 |
| Perryville | KEE | Listed | 3 |
| Maxfield Overnight | CD | NLBT | Listed |
| Robert Hilton Mem. | CT | NLBT | Listed |
| 4-year-olds & up | Track | 2023 | 2024 |
| Troy (t) | SAR | 3 | 2 |
| Ky. Cup Classic (aw) | TP | Listed | 3 |
| Big Daddy (aw) | TP | NLBT | Listed |
| Colonel Power (t) | FG | NLBT | Listed |
| Prairie Bayou (aw) | TP | NLBT | Listed |
| Sir Shackleton | GP | NLBT | Listed |
| Siren Lure (t) | SAR | NLBT | Listed |
| Tinsel | OP | NLBT | Listed |
| Knicks Go Overnight | CD | NLBT | L-R |
| aw - all-weather | |||
| t - turf | |||
| L-R - listed, restricted | |||
| NLBT - non-listed black type |
Thirty graded races were downgraded, including five Grade 1, 10 Grade 2 and 15 Grade 3 races that were demoted. Thirteen listed races were downgraded to non-listed, black type.
| Races downgraded | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-year-old fillies | Track | 2023 | 2024 |
| Schuylerville | SAR | 3 | Listed |
| 3-year-old fillies | Track | 2023 | 2024 |
| Prioress | SAR | 2 | 3 |
| Iowa Oaks | PRM | 3 | Listed |
| Rem. Park Oaks | RP | 3 | Listed |
| Penn Oaks (t) | PEN | Listed | NLBT |
| Sunland Park Oaks | SUN | Listed | NLBT |
| Christiecat (t) | BEL | NE | |
| Fillies & mares, 4 & up | Track | 2023 | 2024 |
| Beverly D. (t) | CNL | 1 | 2 |
| Goldikova (t) | SAR | 2 | 3 |
| Royal Heroine (t) | SAR | 2 | 3 |
| Sheepshead Bay (t) | BAQ | 2 | 3 |
| Sugar Swirl | GP | 3 | Listed |
| Desert Stormer | SAR | 3 | Listed |
| All Along (t) | PIM | Listed | NLBT |
| Obeah | DEL | Listed | NLBT |
| Violet (t) | MTH | Listed | NLBT |
| Willa On the Move | LRL | Listed | NLBT |
| River Memories (t) | BEL | NE | |
| Shine Again | SAR | NE | |
| 2-year-olds | Track | 2023 | 2024 |
| None | |||
| 3-year-olds | Track | 2023 | 2024 |
| Hill Prince (t) | BAQ | 2 | 3 |
| Penn Mile (t) | PEN | 2 | 3 |
| Bay Shore | AQU | 3 | Listed |
| La Jolla Hcp. (t) | DMR | 3 | Listed |
| Smarty Jones | PRX | 3 | Listed |
| Swale | GP | 3 | Listed |
| Concern | LRL | Listed | NLBT |
| Discovery | AQU | Listed | NLBT |
| Hutcheson | GP | Listed | NLBT |
| Pasadena (t) | SA | Listed | NLBT |
| Allied Forces (t) | BEL | NE | |
| 4-year-olds & up | Track | 2023 | 2024 |
| Carter Hcp | AQU | 1 | 2 |
| Hollywood Gold Cup | SA | 1 | 2 |
| Man o' War (t) | BAQ | 1 | 2 |
| United Nations (t) | MTH | 1 | 2 |
| Californian | SA | 2 | 3 |
| Forty Niner | AQU | 2 | 3 |
| T'bred Aftercare All. | SA-DMR | 2 | 3 |
| Vosburgh | BAQ | 2 | 3 |
| BWI Int'l Turf Cup (t) | PIM | 3 | Listed |
| Fall Highweight Hcp. | AQU | 3 | Listed |
| Golden Gate Hcp. (aw) | GG | 3 | Listed |
| GP Turf Sprint S. (t) | GP | 3 | Listed |
| Kona Gold | SA | 3 | Listed |
| Smile Sprint | GP | 3 | Listed |
| Japan Turf Cup (t) | LRL | Listed | NLBT |
| Red Bank (t) | MTH | Listed | NLBT |
| Turf Dash (t) | TAM | Listed | NLBT |
| GP Am. Jockey Club Inv. | BEL | NE | |
| Point of Entry (t) | BEL | NE | |
| aw - all-weather | |||
| t - turf | |||
| NLBT - non-listed black type | |||
| NE - not eligible for grading |
Nine races were upgraded to Grade 2 status, including the Intercontinental at Belmont Park, Charles Town Oaks at Charles Town, Locust Grove at Churchill Downs, Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park, Valley View at Keeneland, Music City at Kentucky Downs, Fantasy at Oaklawn and Saratoga Oaks Invitational and Troy at Saratoga.
Ten races were downgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 3 status, including the Forty Niner at Aqueduct, Hill Prince and Vosburgh at Belmont at Aqueduct, Sheepshead Bay at Belmont at Aqueduct, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance during the Breeders’ Cup, Penn Mile at Penn National, Prioress at Saratoga and Californian, Goldikova and Royal Heroine at Santa Anita.
Four races were upgraded to Grade 3 status, including the Unbridled Sidney at Churchill Downs, Giant’s Causeway and Perryville at Keeneland and Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park.
Fifteen races were downgraded from Grade 3 to listed status, including the Bay Shore and Fall Highweight Handicap at Aqueduct; La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar; Golden Gate Handicap at Golden Gate Fields; Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint, Smile Sprint, Sugar Swirl and Swale at Gulfstream Park; Smarty Jones at Parx Racing; Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup at Pimlico; Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows; Remington Park Oaks at Remington Park; Desert Stormer and Kona Gold at Santa Anita; and Schuylerville at Saratoga.
Fourteen races were upgraded to listed status for 2024, including the Central Park at Aqueduct; Glen Cove at Belmont at Aqueduct; Robert Hilton Memorial at Charles Town; Maxfield Overnight, Seneca Overnight and Tepin at Churchill Downs; Colonel Power and Gun Runner at Fair Grounds; Sir Shackleton at Gulfstream Park; Tinsel at Oaklawn; Siren Lure at Santa Anita; and Big Daddy, Latonia and Prairie Bayou at Turfway Park.
Two races were upgraded to listed-restricted status, namely the Knicks Go Overnight at Churchill Downs and Osunitas at Del Mar.
Thirteen races were downgraded from listed to non-listed, black-type status, including the Discovery at Aqueduct; Obeah at Delaware Park; Hutcheson at Gulfstream Park; Concern, Japan Turf Cup and Willa On the Move at Laurel Park; Red Bank and Violet at Monmouth Park; Penn Oaks at Penn National; All Along at Pimlico; Pasadena at Santa Anita; Sunland Park Oaks at Sunland Park; and Turf Dash at Tampa Bay Downs.
The Allied Forces, Christiecat, Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational, Point of Entry and River Memories at Belmont Park and Shine Again at Saratoga were not eligible for grading in 2024.
