What is the Louisville Stakes?
The Louisville Stakes is a Grade III Thoroughbred race held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Contested at 1½ miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course for horses aged four and older, it is one of the premier long-distance turf tests in North America and the most important mid-season stamina event on the Churchill Downs Spring Meet calendar. The race has a long and storied history dating to its inaugural running in 1895. First run on dirt and at varying distances, the Louisville was reconfigured to its current form - 1½ miles on turf - in 2007 and received Grade III status in 2002. It consistently attracts a deep field of domestic and international turf routers pointing toward summer championship events including the United Nations Stakes and Bowling Green Stakes.
When is the Louisville Stakes in 2027?
The 2027 Louisville Stakes is scheduled for Saturday, May 16 at Churchill Downs. Contested at 1½ miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course with a purse of $250,000, the race is the flagship long-distance turf event of the Churchill Downs Spring Meet and draws top older turf specialists from across North America targeting the summer stakes calendar.
Louisville Stakes History & Notable Winners
Trainer Mike Maker has dominated the modern era of the Louisville Stakes, saddling multiple winners through his trademark strategy of targeting turf marathons with recently claimed horses. His 2024 winner Sugoi - a $50,000 claim made just weeks before the race - went gate-to-wire at odds of 20-1 for jockey Julien Leparoux to deliver one of the most remarkable results in the race's recent history. Leparoux has now won the Louisville four times, the most by any jockey in the modern era. Utah Beach gave trainer Ignacio Correas IV and jockey Vincent Cheminaud a 2025 victory, surging from last on the far turn to win in a fast 2:26.70 following his Grade II Elkhorn Stakes score at Keeneland. Grade I winner Arklow launched the most recent notable run of winners in 2021 under Florent Geroux, delivering a five-wide rally on the final turn for trainer Brad Cox to win by a length in 2:27.13.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Utah Beach | Vincent Cheminaud | 2:26.70 |
| 2024 | Sugoi | Julien Leparoux | 2:30.37 |
| 2023 | Foreign Relations | Declan Cannon | 2:32.47 |
| 2022 | Cellist | Julien R. Leparoux | 2:32.12 |
| 2021 | Arklow | Florent Geroux | 2:27.13 |
Last Updated on 05/04/2026
The Louisville Stakes is the centerpiece long-distance turf event of the Churchill Downs Spring Meet and a key early-summer benchmark for turf routers across North America.
