The $400,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) returns Saturday, Oct. 3, as part of Keeneland’s Fall Stars Weekend; this year, it stretched from 6 furlongs to 6 ½ furlongs on the dirt.
It remains a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win, and You’re In” for the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) to be held over the same surface in a month.
The race grew out of the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes Dinner Purse (1941-1980) and became a stakes in 1981, first restricted to club members, then opened and eventually graded. It moved to the fall meet in 1995, ran on Keeneland’s failed Polytrack experiment from 2006-2013, and has been Grade 2 since 2009.
Excitable Lady (1982–83) is the only two-time winner. Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day won it five times.
So far, four Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes winners later took the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and the female sprint championship -- Informed Decision (2009), Dubai Majesty (2010), Groupie Doll (2012) and Judy the Beauty (2014).
Safely Kept won this race in 1990 after her championship year.
Recent winners include Slammed (2022), Yuugiri (2023), Zeitlos (2024), and last year’s 3-year-old upsetter Praying, who is back to defend.
Eclatant (6-5), a daughter of leading sire Into Mischief, is trained by Brad Cox. She won the Madison Stakes (G1) over this track in April and defeated Praying, then was seventh in the Ballerina Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. The Madison was a 7-furlong dirt race over this same strip, so the 6 ½-furlong Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes distance looks made for her. She typically sits just off the lead, and having Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons all combines to make her the one to beat.
Multiple graded stakes winner Echo Sound (5-2), who crushed the Regret Stakes at Monmouth by 7 ½ lengths this summer before a strong fourth in the Ballerina, returns to Keeneland for the first time since taking the 2024 Myrtlewood Stakes two years ago. The Rusty Arnold-trained daughter of Echo Town is consistent with six career wins and a confirmed sprinter: the 7 furlongs of the Ballerina likely stretched her from her comfort zone a bit, so the 6 ½ furlongs here is a better fit. Luis Saez has been her regular rider, and she won’t need much improvement to challenge the top choice.
Evanescence (4-1), a Munnings filly, was third in the Twin Bridges last out and owns two allowance wins this year. The Eddie Kennealy trainee typically is a presser or stalking type, and having jockey Jose Ortiz is a plus. The 6 ½ furlongs should suit her fine if she can sit a clean trip off the early pace.
The 2024 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes winner and last year’s third-place finisher Zeitlos (6-1) returns for a third year and second win. The 5-year-old Curlin mare went more than a year without a win, though she did earn a couple of graded stakes placings, but snapped the losing streak in the Smart and Fancy on turf at Saratoga before posting a disappointing 10th in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Sprint (G1) last out. She is a tactical closer/presser who can sit just off a hot pace. Back on the main track at a track she loves, she is the most proven Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes horse in the field besides Praying. Brian Hernandez, Jr. rides.
A year ago, the Robert Medina-trained Praying (12-1) beat elders in this race after taking the Prioress Stakes (G3), ending her standout 2025 with a seventh in the Breeders’ Cup. She has struggled this year and is winless in four starts, though she was a respectable fourth in the Madison back in April. She is a stalker who can sit mid-pack, and a return to Keeneland plus John Velazquez aboard are pluses, but the extra half-furlong, the rail draw, and a year of mixed results keep the Vekoma filly from being a lock.
Darrin Miller sends out Jersey Pearl (15-1), a stakes-winning daughter of Bee Jersey who has yet to win a race in three 2026 starts. The veteran was second in her 2026 return in the Roxelana Stakes at Churchill back in April and was fifth in the Winning Colors Stakes (G3) and Twin Bridges at Ellis Park last out. She has been a useful mid-pack sprinter for years without quite matching this group’s level. She would move up on a wet track, but it appears Friday’s rain in the area will clear out by Saturday.
Queen’s Martini (30-1) was Seventh in a Saratoga allowance optional claimer on July 23 in her last start but did win the Dig A Diamond Stakes at Oaklawn Park earlier this year. She can flash early speed, but recent figures show her a notch below the top contenders. Having Tyler Gaffalione is a plus, but the Ron Moquett trainee still needs to take a step forward.
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Praying | John Velazquez | Robert Medina | 12-1 |
| 2 | Jersey Pearl | Francisco Arrieta | Darrin Miller | 15-1 |
| 3 | Queen’s Martini | Tyler Gaffalione | Ron Moquett | 30-1 |
| 4 | Evanescence | Jose Ortiz | Eddie Kenneally | 4-1 |
| 5 | Zeitlos | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | Steve Asmussen | 6-1 |
| 6 | Eclatant | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Brad Cox | 6-5 |
| 7 | Echo Sound | Luis Saez | Rusty Arnold | 5-2 |
Last Updated on 10/01/2026
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
