The Ben Ali Stakes is an American race for thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 horses run in the Spring of each year at Keeneland Race Course

Keeneland

Keeneland is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Operated by the Keeneland Association, Inc., it is also known for its reference library on the sport, which contains more than 10,000 volumes, an extensive videocassette collection, and a substantial...

 in Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...

. For 4-year-olds and up, it is a Grade III

Graded stakes race

A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...

 event set at a distance of one mile and one eighth mile on the dirt. In its 78th running in 2008, it offers a purse of $150,000.

According to the official history at Keeneland racetrack, the Ben Ali is named for James Ben Ali Haggin

James Ben Ali Haggin

James Ben Ali Haggin was an Turkish Americanattorney, rancher, investor and a major owner/breeder in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing...

 (1822-1914), a lawyer

Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

 who made a fortune during the California Gold Rush

California Gold Rush

The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...

 and who used much of that money to create the biggest horse breeding farm in the world: the Rancho Del Paso

Rancho Del Paso

Rancho Del Paso was a Mexican land grant in present day Sacramento County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Eliab Grimes. The grant extended along the north bank of the American River and was bounded roughly by today’s Northgate Boulevard, Manzanita Avenue, and Elkhorn...

 near Sacramento, California

Sacramento, California

Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...

. He also owned Elmendorf Farm

Elmendorf Farm

Elmendorf Farm is a Kentucky Thoroughbred horse farm in Fayette County, Kentucky, and has been involved with horse racing since the early 19th century...

 in Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...

 with its thousands of acres of prime Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

 bluegrass. Haggin became a noteworthy breeder of great racehorses and a fervent supporter of the sport. Haggin owned the Hall of Famers, Salvator

Salvator (horse)

Salvator was an American thoroughbred race horse considered by many to be one of the best during the latter half of the 19th Century.-California born:...

 and the filly, Firenzi.

The first running of the Ben Ali took place in 1917 at the Kentucky Association

Kentucky Association

The Kentucky Association was formed on July 23, 1826 to promote the breeding and racing of Thoroughbred horses in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. It was founded by a group of prominent locals which included Henry Clay, Jesse Bledsoe, Dr. Elisha Warfield, and Thomas F. Marshall...

 track in Lexington, and stayed there until 1922. It did not run again until it was revived at Keeneland in 1937.

Decidedly

Decidedly

Decidedly was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is best known for winning the 1962 Kentucky Derby.Ridden by Bill Hartack, Decidedly set a new Churchill Downs track record for 1¼ miles in winning the 1962 Derby. In the second leg and third legs of the U.S...

, the winner of the 1962 Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...

, won this race in 1963, and Pistols and Roses

Pistols and Roses

Pistols and Roses is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Happy Alter, he was sired by Darn That Alarm, whose sire, Jig Time, was a son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Native Dancer...

 in 1994.

Winners since 1993

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2011	Exhi Exhi Exhi was sired by Maria's Mon, and his dam was the Group 2-placed stakes winner Soldera . He is a homebred for Wertheimer et Frere and trained by Todd Pletcher....	4	Javier Castellano Javier Castellano Javier Castellano is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.Castellano began his riding career in his native Venezuela in 1996 and in June 1997 moved to the United States where rode at race tracks in southern Florida until 2001 when he moved to race on the New York State racing circuit.In...	Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher is a leading American thoroughbred horse trainer. He has won four consecutive Eclipse Awards as outstanding Trainer of the Year, while topping the leader board in purse earnings in 2004, 2005, and 2006. His horse Super Saver won the 2010 Kentucky Derby, the first of his 24 horses...	Wertheimer et Frere Wertheimer et Frère Wertheimer et Frère is a Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding business partnership between brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer of France.The Wertheimer brothers are the owners of the House of Chanel in Paris...	1:48.14
2010	Dubious Miss	6	Calvin Borel Calvin Borel Calvin H. Borel is an American jockey in thoroughbred horse racing and rode the victorious mount in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, the 2009 Kentucky Derby and the 2010 Kentucky Derby...	Paul McGee	David P. Holloway	1:49.60
2009	Parading Parading (horse) Parading is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and owned by Phipps Stable in Kentucky, he is a son of the leading stallion Pulpit, who in turn was sired by Hall of Famer and prominent sire A P Indy...	6	Kent Desormeaux Kent Desormeaux Kent Jason Desormeaux is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year, 1989.-Brief biography:...	C. R. McGaughey III	Phipps Stable	1:47.82
2008	Sterwins	5	Shaun Bridgmohan Shaun Bridgmohan Shaun X. Bridgmohan is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.At age thirteen, Bridgmohan's family emigrated to the United States, settling in South Florida where he developed an interest in horse racing...	Malcom Pierce	Melnyk Racing Eugene Melnyk Eugene Melnyk is a Ukrainian Canadian businessman who now resides in Barbados. He is the current owner, governor, and chairman of the Ottawa Senators professional ice hockey club of the National Hockey League . He also owns the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors junior-age ice hockey club...	1:48.53
2007	Jade's Revenge	4	Kent Desormeaux Kent Desormeaux Kent Jason Desormeaux is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year, 1989.-Brief biography:...	H. Graham Motion H. Graham Motion H. Graham Motion is an American horse trainer, notable for his work with 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Better Talk Now. Motion started out training and winning with his own Thoroughbred horses at age 29, his first win was with Bounding Daisy in March 1993 at Laurel Park...	Bushwood Stable	1:49.93
2006	Wanderin Boy	5	Javier Castellano Javier Castellano Javier Castellano is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.Castellano began his riding career in his native Venezuela in 1996 and in June 1997 moved to the United States where rode at race tracks in southern Florida until 2001 when he moved to race on the New York State racing circuit.In...	Nick Zito Nick Zito Nicholas Philip "Nick" Zito is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer.Zito began his career as a hot walker and worked his way up to a groom, to an assistant trainer, and to a trainer...	Arthur B. Hancock III Arthur B. Hancock III Arthur Boyd Hancock III is an American owner of Thoroughbred racehorses, the owner of Stone Farm, a 2,000 acre horse breeding operation in Paris, Kentucky, and a composer of Bluegrass music....	1:49.18
2005	Alumni Hall	6	Robby Albarado Robby Albarado Robby J. Albarado is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 12 at bush tracks in his native Louisiana and after turning professional, earned his first win at Evangeline Downs in 1990...	Neil J. Howard Neil J. Howard Neil J. Howard is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer.Howard began working for a racing stable in 1969 and went on to spend seven years as an assistant and stable foreman to future Hall of Fame trainer MacKenzie Miller before going out on his own in 1979.With Summer Squall, in 1990 Neil...	William S. Farish III	1:51.29
2004	Midway Road Midway Road Midway Road was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. A descendant of Mr. Prospector, he was sired by Jade Hunter by breeder Will Farish. Midway Road was a multiple graded stakes winner but will be remembered most for his two grade one runner-up finishes in important stake races during his career...	4	Robby Albarado Robby Albarado Robby J. Albarado is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 12 at bush tracks in his native Louisiana and after turning professional, earned his first win at Evangeline Downs in 1990...	Neil J. Howard Neil J. Howard Neil J. Howard is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer.Howard began working for a racing stable in 1969 and went on to spend seven years as an assistant and stable foreman to future Hall of Fame trainer MacKenzie Miller before going out on his own in 1979.With Summer Squall, in 1990 Neil...	William S. Farish III	1:46.78
2003	Mineshaft Mineshaft (horse) Mineshaft was a multi-millionaire American thoroughbred racehorse and successful stallion. He was sired by 1992 U.S. Horse of the Year and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee A.P. Indy, who in turn was a son of 1977 U.S. Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. His dam, Prospectors Delite, is by the...	4	Robby Albarado Robby Albarado Robby J. Albarado is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 12 at bush tracks in his native Louisiana and after turning professional, earned his first win at Evangeline Downs in 1990...	Neil J. Howard Neil J. Howard Neil J. Howard is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer.Howard began working for a racing stable in 1969 and went on to spend seven years as an assistant and stable foreman to future Hall of Fame trainer MacKenzie Miller before going out on his own in 1979.With Summer Squall, in 1990 Neil...	William S. Farish III et al.	1:48.52
2002	Duckhorn	5	Jorge F. Chavez Jorge F. Chavez Jorge F. Chavez is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.Chavez began his career in horse racing in 1982 in his native Peru and by 1987 was his country's leading rider. In April 1988 he emigrated to the United States where he raced with a great deal of success at Florida race tracks...	Patrick B. Byrne Patrick B. Byrne Patrick B. Byrne is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who has won three Breeders' Cup races and who in 1997 conditioned Favorite Trick to American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and American Horse of the Year honors and Countess Diana to American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly honors.A native of...	Michael B. Tabor	1:50.18
2001	Broken Vow	4	Edgar Prado	H. Graham Motion H. Graham Motion H. Graham Motion is an American horse trainer, notable for his work with 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Better Talk Now. Motion started out training and winning with his own Thoroughbred horses at age 29, his first win was with Bounding Daisy in March 1993 at Laurel Park...	Pin Oak Stable	1:48.47
2000	Midway Magistrate	6	Shane Sellers Shane Sellers Shane Jude Sellers is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. At age eleven, he began working around horses and in 1983 rode his first winner at Evangeline Downs....	Rick Hiles	BMH Stable	1:49.00
1999	Jazz Club	4	Pat Day Pat Day Patrick Alan "Pat" Day is an American jockey. He is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991...	Neil J. Howard Neil J. Howard Neil J. Howard is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer.Howard began working for a racing stable in 1969 and went on to spend seven years as an assistant and stable foreman to future Hall of Fame trainer MacKenzie Miller before going out on his own in 1979.With Summer Squall, in 1990 Neil...	W. S. Farish/J. Jamail	1:48.00
1998	Storm Broker	4	Robby Albarado Robby Albarado Robby J. Albarado is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 12 at bush tracks in his native Louisiana and after turning professional, earned his first win at Evangeline Downs in 1990...	James E. Baker	Woodlynn Farm	1:48.20
1997	Louis Quatorze Louis Quatorze (horse) Louis Quatorze is an American thoroughbred stallion racehorse. He was sired by Sovereign Dancer, who in turn was a son of the great 1964 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, Northern Dancer out of the mare, On To Royalty....	4	Pat Day Pat Day Patrick Alan "Pat" Day is an American jockey. He is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991...	Nick Zito Nick Zito Nicholas Philip "Nick" Zito is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer.Zito began his career as a hot walker and worked his way up to a groom, to an assistant trainer, and to a trainer...	William J. Condren et al.	1:49.60
1996	Knockadoon	4	Jerry Bailey	Anthony Reinstedler	William K. Warren, Jr.	1:48.80
1995	Wildly Joyous	4	Mickey Walls Mickey Walls Mickey K. Walls is a retired Thoroughbred horse racing jockey who was a Champion in both the United States and Canada....	James E. Baker	Woodlynn Farm	1:49.60
1994	Pistols and Roses	5	Mike E. Smith	George Gianos	Willis Family Stables, Inc.	1:51.60
1993	Sunny Sunrise	6	Rick Wilson	Bud Delp Bud Delp Grover Greer "Bud" Delp was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse trainer best remembered for his conditioning of Hall of Fame colt, Spectacular Bid....	Harry Meyerhoff	1:48.80