What is the Steve Sexton Mile Stakes?
The Steve Sexton Mile Stakes is a Grade III Thoroughbred race held annually at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. Contested at 1 mile on the dirt for horses aged three and older, it is the premier event at Lone Star Park and the only graded stakes race in the state of Texas. The race was inaugurated in 1997 as the Texas Mile Stakes and became the first graded Thoroughbred stakes race in Texas when it received Grade III status in 1999. It was renamed in 2017 to honor Steve Sexton, Lone Star Park's beloved former Vice President and General Manager, and a former president of Churchill Downs from 2002-2009. The Steve Sexton Mile is the centerpiece of Lone Star Million Day, held on Memorial Day each year, a card that has grown into one of the most important regional racing days in the South.
When is the Steve Sexton Mile Stakes in 2027?
The 2027 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes is scheduled for Monday, May 25 at Lone Star Park as the marquee event of Lone Star Million Day. Contested at 1 mile on the dirt with a $400,000 guaranteed purse, the race draws top older horses from across the country targeting one of the richest prizes on the spring regional racing calendar.
Steve Sexton Mile Stakes History & Notable Winners
Trainer Robertino Diodoro has dominated the modern era of the Steve Sexton Mile, winning the race three years in a row from 2023 through 2025. His charge Frosted Grace won the 2023 edition under Cristian Torres before Heroic Move gave Diodoro a second straight title in 2024 under Harry Hernandez in 1:37.69. Komorebino Omoide (JPN), a California Chrome son bred in Japan by his American owner Perry Martin, completed the hat trick for Diodoro in 2025 under Ramon Vazquez, rallying from an awkward start on a sloppy track to win by 2½ lengths in 1:38.29. The race's most famous recent entrant was Silver Prospector, the Steve Asmussen-trained grader who won the 2022 edition and returned as a perennial Lone Star contender in subsequent years.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Komorebino Omoide (JPN) | Ramon A. Vazquez | 1:38.29 |
| 2024 | Heroic Move | Harry Hernandez | 1:37.69 |
| 2023 | Frosted Grace | Cristian Torres | 1:37.99 |
| 2022 | Silver Prospector | Stewart Elliott | 1:37.20 |
| 2021 | Mo Mosa | Ramon Vazquez | 1:37.15 |
Last Updated on 05/05/2026
The Steve Sexton Mile is Texas's most prestigious horse race and the highlight of Lone Star Park's annual Thoroughbred season.
