What is the Shawnee Stakes?
The Shawnee Stakes is a Grade II Thoroughbred race held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Contested at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt for fillies and mares aged four and older, it is one of the premier distaff dirt tests on the Churchill Downs Spring Meet calendar and a key early-summer benchmark for older fillies and mares targeting the Grade I Beldame Stakes and Breeders' Cup Distaff trail. The race is named in honor of the Shawnee, the Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands in the region where Louisville now stands. Originally inaugurated in 1983, the Shawnee was dormant for 36 years before being reintroduced in 2020. It received Grade III status in 2023 and was upgraded to Grade II by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association for 2026, reflecting the growing quality of its recent renewals. Juddmonte Farms is the only owner to win the Shawnee twice in its modern era, with Idiomatic (2023) and Scylla (2024).
When is the Shawnee Stakes in 2026?
The 2026 Shawnee Stakes is scheduled for Saturday, May 30 at Churchill Downs. Contested at 1 1/16 miles on the main track with a purse of $300,000, the race makes its Grade II debut in 2026 and draws the top older fillies and mares in the country targeting the summer dirt championship circuit.
Shawnee Stakes History & Notable Winners
The Shawnee Stakes has quickly established itself as one of the most competitive distaff dirt fixtures in the Midwest since its modern relaunch in 2020. Royal Spa gave trainer Rodolphe Brisset and jockey Flavien Prat a 2025 win in 1:42.20 for Breffni Farm, continuing the race's recent tradition of producing summer championship contenders. Juddmonte's Scylla gave trainer Bill Mott and jockey Javier Castellano a 2024 score in 1:42.38. Idiomatic delivered the stakes record of 1:42.13 under Florent Geroux for trainer Brad Cox in 2023, then went on to win the Grade I Beldame Stakes later that year. She's All Wolfe gave trainer Donnie Von Hemel a listed stakes win in 2022 under Francisco Arrieta in 1:43.34. Envoutante dominated by 4¼ lengths under Brian Hernandez Jr. for trainer Ken McPeek in 2021, the largest winning margin in the race's modern era.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Royal Spa | Flavien Prat | 1:42.20 |
| 2024 | Scylla | Javier Castellano | 1:42.38 |
| 2023 | Idiomatic | Florent Geroux | 1:42.13* |
| 2022 | She's All Wolfe | Francisco Arrieta | 1:43.34 |
| 2021 | Envoutante | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 1:42.59 |
* Stakes record.
The Shawnee Stakes is one of the premier distaff dirt events on the Churchill Downs Spring Meet and enters a new chapter as a Grade II race in 2026.
