Shawnee Stakes


The Shawnee Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged four and older, on the dirt over a distance of miles held annually in late May or early June at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The event currently offers a purse of $275,000.

History

The event is named after the Shawnee, who are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands where currently Louisville is located.
The event was inaugurated on 23 July 1983 as an event for fillies and mares of age three and older, and run over a distance of one mile and was won by Everett Lowrance's Leader Miss. Leader Miss was a longshot starting at odds of 12/1 was ridden by jockey Keith Allen, led almost all the way, opening up a lead of three lengths before winning by a length over Kitchen with Queen Of Song in third place in a time of 1:36.
The following year the event was won by the Grade I winning mare Try Something New who started as a short 3/10 odds-on favorite.
The event was discontinued and was idle for thirty-six years when in 2020 it was reintroduced over slightly longer distance of miles.
In 2023 the event was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to a Grade III. It would be upgraded again to Grade II status in 2026.

Records

Speed record
  • miles: 1:42.13 – Idiomatic
  • 1 mile: 1:36.70 – Leader Miss
Margins
  • lengths – Envoutante
Most wins by a jockey
  • No jockey has won the event more than once
Most wins by a trainer
  • No trainer has won the event more than once
Most wins by an owner