Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes


The Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are three years old or older, over a distance of 1 mile on the turf held annually in September at Kentucky Downs racetrack in Franklin, Kentucky during their short turf meeting. The event currently carries a purse of $1,500,000 which includes $600,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

History

The race was inaugurated in 1992 as the Rachel Jackson Stakes in honor of Rachel Jackson the wife of Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United States. Her family moved close to the area where the Kentucky Downs racetrack is located on the border of Kentucky and Tennessee.
The event was not run for 2 years and when it resumed in 1998 it was run as the Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf Handicap. The event was renamed to its current name Ladies Turf Stakes in 2011.
In 2017 the event was upgraded to a Grade III.
With the influx of gaming revenue at Kentucky Downs the purse for the event has risen dramatically to nearly $500,000 offered by 2019.
In December 2025 it was announced by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association that the event would be upgraded to Grade II for 2026.

Records

Speed record:
  • 1 mile: 1:32.40 – Special Wan
Margins:
Most wins by a jockey
Most wins by a trainer
Most wins by an owner: