What is the Bewitch Stakes?
The Bewitch Stakes Presented by Keeneland Sales is a Grade III Thoroughbred race held annually at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. Run at 1½ miles on the turf for fillies and mares aged four and older, it is the closing-day feature of the Keeneland Spring Meet and one of the most prestigious long-distance turf tests for older distaff horses in the United States. The race is named for Bewitch, the brilliant Calumet Farm filly who won the first eight races of her career at Keeneland in 1947 and was voted U.S. Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. First run in 1962 as a sprint for juvenile fillies, the Bewitch was rerouted to its current conditions for older fillies and mares at 1½ miles on turf in the 1990s and received Grade III status in 1982.
When is the Bewitch Stakes in 2026?
The 2026 Bewitch Stakes is scheduled for Friday, April 24 at Keeneland, the final day of the Spring Meet. Contested at 1½ miles on the turf with a purse of $350,000, the race serves as the spring campaign opener for top older fillies and mares targeting summer championship events including the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
Bewitch Stakes History & Notable Winners
The Bewitch Stakes has produced some of the most dominant single-horse runs in Keeneland history. Bill Mott's War Like Goddess won the race in three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023, becoming only the third horse ever to win the same Keeneland stakes three years in a row. The English Channel mare also won two Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) titles at Belmont during that span, establishing herself as one of the premier turf mares in North America. Chop Chop ended the streak in 2024 under Axel Concepcion for trainer Brad Cox when War Like Goddess was scratched on race morning, and Forever After All followed with a winning effort for trainer Brendan Walsh and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. in 2025.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Forever After All | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 2:35.56 |
| 2024 | Chop Chop | Axel Concepcion | 2:27.80 |
| 2023 | War Like Goddess | Joel Rosario | 2:32.11 |
| 2022 | War Like Goddess | Joel Rosario | 2:31.26 |
| 2021 | War Like Goddess | Julien Leparoux | 2:29.21 |
Last Updated on 04/20/2026
The Bewitch Stakes is a signature event of the Keeneland Spring Meet and one of the premier distaff turf tests at the classic distance in North America each spring.
