Cradle Stakes
Encyclopedia
The Cradle Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race
for two-year-olds held annually at River Downs
in Cincinnati, Ohio
. It is currently an ungraded stakes
race run over a distance of 8.5 furlong
s on turf
.
It was originally created as a dirt race for juveniles in 1977. Miller Genuine Draft sponsered the race from the beginning and, until 2009, it was the longest continuously sponsored Thoroughbred race in the United States. During the 1980's, the Cradle Stakes grew to become the richest race for 2-year-olds in Ohio. Two Horses of the Year, a Kentucky Derby winner, two Derby second-place finishers, and a number of graded stakes winners have graduated from the Cradle Stakes.
The 2000 edition was the deepest field ever to compete. The race produced three graded stakes winners and one of the best runners of this generation. The winner that year, Ohio-bred Harlan’s Holiday, was sent away as the favorite in the 2001 Kentucky Derby after back-to-back Grade 1 wins in the Florida Derby and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. He also accounted for victories in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap and and Grade 3 Pennsylvania Derby. He traveled to Dubai where he collected a $1.2 million dollar check for the runner up spot in the World Cup. Pass Rush also came out of the 2000 “Cradle” as did Day Trader. Pass Rush won the Grade 2 San Fernando Breeders’ Cup and finished second in the 2003 Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap. Day Trader, from the D. Wayne Lukas stable, won the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Sprint.
The Cradle Stakes was moved to the turf in 2007 to serve as a prep for the new $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
for two-year-olds held annually at River Downs
in Cincinnati, Ohio
. It is currently an ungraded stakes
race run over a distance of 8.5 furlong
s on turf
.
It was originally created as a dirt race for juveniles in 1977. Miller Genuine Draft sponsered the race from the beginning and, until 2009, it was the longest continuously sponsored Thoroughbred race in the United States. During the 1980's, the Cradle Stakes grew to become the richest race for 2-year-olds in Ohio. Two Horses of the Year, a Kentucky Derby winner, two Derby second-place finishers, and a number of graded stakes winners have graduated from the Cradle Stakes.
The 2000 edition was the deepest field ever to compete. The race produced three graded stakes winners and one of the best runners of this generation. The winner that year, Ohio-bred Harlan’s Holiday, was sent away as the favorite in the 2001 Kentucky Derby after back-to-back Grade 1 wins in the Florida Derby and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. He also accounted for victories in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap and and Grade 3 Pennsylvania Derby. He traveled to Dubai where he collected a $1.2 million dollar check for the runner up spot in the World Cup. Pass Rush also came out of the 2000 “Cradle” as did Day Trader. Pass Rush won the Grade 2 San Fernando Breeders’ Cup and finished second in the 2003 Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap. Day Trader, from the D. Wayne Lukas stable, won the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Sprint.
The Cradle Stakes was moved to the turf in 2007 to serve as a prep for the new $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
for two-year-olds held annually at River Downs
in Cincinnati, Ohio
. It is currently an ungraded stakes
race run over a distance of 8.5 furlong
s on turf
.
It was originally created as a dirt race for juveniles in 1977. Miller Genuine Draft sponsered the race from the beginning and, until 2009, it was the longest continuously sponsored Thoroughbred race in the United States. During the 1980's, the Cradle Stakes grew to become the richest race for 2-year-olds in Ohio. Two Horses of the Year, a Kentucky Derby winner, two Derby second-place finishers, and a number of graded stakes winners have graduated from the Cradle Stakes.
The 2000 edition was the deepest field ever to compete. The race produced three graded stakes winners and one of the best runners of this generation. The winner that year, Ohio-bred Harlan’s Holiday, was sent away as the favorite in the 2001 Kentucky Derby after back-to-back Grade 1 wins in the Florida Derby and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. He also accounted for victories in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap and and Grade 3 Pennsylvania Derby. He traveled to Dubai where he collected a $1.2 million dollar check for the runner up spot in the World Cup. Pass Rush also came out of the 2000 “Cradle” as did Day Trader. Pass Rush won the Grade 2 San Fernando Breeders’ Cup and finished second in the 2003 Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap. Day Trader, from the D. Wayne Lukas stable, won the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Sprint.
The Cradle Stakes was moved to the turf in 2007 to serve as a prep for the new $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
for two-year-olds held annually at River Downs
River Downs
River Downs is a horse racetrack located in Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, just outside the southeast limits of Cincinnati.- History :...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. It is currently an ungraded stakes
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...
race run over a distance of 8.5 furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s on turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
.
It was originally created as a dirt race for juveniles in 1977. Miller Genuine Draft sponsered the race from the beginning and, until 2009, it was the longest continuously sponsored Thoroughbred race in the United States. During the 1980's, the Cradle Stakes grew to become the richest race for 2-year-olds in Ohio. Two Horses of the Year, a Kentucky Derby winner, two Derby second-place finishers, and a number of graded stakes winners have graduated from the Cradle Stakes.
The 2000 edition was the deepest field ever to compete. The race produced three graded stakes winners and one of the best runners of this generation. The winner that year, Ohio-bred Harlan’s Holiday, was sent away as the favorite in the 2001 Kentucky Derby after back-to-back Grade 1 wins in the Florida Derby and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. He also accounted for victories in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap and and Grade 3 Pennsylvania Derby. He traveled to Dubai where he collected a $1.2 million dollar check for the runner up spot in the World Cup. Pass Rush also came out of the 2000 “Cradle” as did Day Trader. Pass Rush won the Grade 2 San Fernando Breeders’ Cup and finished second in the 2003 Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap. Day Trader, from the D. Wayne Lukas stable, won the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Sprint.
The Cradle Stakes was moved to the turf in 2007 to serve as a prep for the new $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Winners since 1991
| Year |
Winner |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Time |
Grade |
| 2010 | Tanzana | Leandro Goncalves | Garry Simms | 1:44.60 | |
| 2009‡ | Gleam of Hope | Corey Lanerie | Anthony Reinstedler | 1:46.80 | |
| 2008 | Night Action | Victor Lebron | Michael Maker | 1:42.40 | |
| 2007 | Old Man Buck | Perry Ouzts | Kenneth McPeek Kenneth McPeek Kenneth G. McPeek is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Kenneth G. McPeek was born August 2, 1962 in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from Tates Creek High School and then the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration... |
1:42.40 | |
| 2006 | Passport Passport A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth.... |
Corey Lanerie | Frank Brothers | 1:46.00 | |
| 2005 | Laity Laity In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the... |
Corey Lanerie | Frank Brothers | 1:43.60 | |
| 2004 | Bellamy Road Bellamy Road The Bellamy Road was the first major U.S. federal highway in early territorial Florida.In 1824, only five years after Florida became a United States territory , Congress authorized the construction of its first federal highway. It would be a wide road, connecting Pensacola to St. Augustine... |
Abel Castellano Jr. | Michael Dickinson | 1:45.00 | III |
| 2003 | Tiger Hunt | Larry Melancon Larry Melancon Larry J. Melancon is an American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing who rides primarily on the Kentucky-Arkansas circuit.... |
W. Elliott Walden W. Elliott Walden W. Elliott Walden is the President and CEO of racing operations for WinStar Farm near Versailles, Kentucky and a former Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.From a racing family, Walden grew up in the industry... |
1:49.00 | |
| 2002 | Lone Star Sky | Mark Guidry Mark Guidry Mark Guidry is a retired American jockey.He began his riding career in Thoroughbred horse racing in his native Louisiana in 1974 where he remained until 1986 when he went to race in Illinois. He was the leading jockey at Hawthorne Race Course seven times, Sportsman's Park nine times, and two... |
Thomas Amoss | 1:46.80 | |
| 2001 | Harlan's Holiday | Anthony D'Amico | Kenneth McPeek Kenneth McPeek Kenneth G. McPeek is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Kenneth G. McPeek was born August 2, 1962 in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from Tates Creek High School and then the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration... |
1:46.40 | |
| 2000 | Mongoose Mongoose Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"... |
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... |
William Mott | 1:46.00 | |
| 1999 | Deputy Warlock | Fabio Arguello Jr. | Kenneth McPeek Kenneth McPeek Kenneth G. McPeek is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Kenneth G. McPeek was born August 2, 1962 in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from Tates Creek High School and then the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration... |
1:47.40 | |
| 1998 | Mountain Range Mountain range A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain... |
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... |
D. Wayne Lukas D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S... |
1:45.80 | |
| 1997 | Cowboy Dan | Dean Kutz | Danny Hutt | 1:47.40 | |
| 1996 | Haint | 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.... |
Frank Brothers | 1:46.20 | |
| 1995 | Devil's Honor | Anthony Black | Cynthia Reese | 1:45.00 | |
| 1994 | Peaks and Valleys Peaks and Valleys Peaks and Valleys is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, he was the son of Carter Handicap winner Mt. Livermore, a son of the very important Champion sire, Blushing Groom... |
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... |
James Day | 1:46.60 | |
| 1993 | Moving Van | Patricia Cooksey Patricia Cooksey Patricia Joen Cooksey is an American horse racing jockey. She first won with Turf Advisor at Waterford Park in 1979. She is a four-time Turfway Park leading rider. Cooksey has won 2,137 wins since beginning her career in 1979... |
Michael Downing Michael Downing Michael "Mike" Downing is the Sheriff of Rockingham County, New Hampshire, having been elected in 2010.Previously, Downing was a Republican member of the New Hampshire Senate, representing the 22nd District from 2006 to 2010... |
1:48.60 | |
| 1992 | Crosswood | James Bruin | Maurice Cobb | 1:47.00 | III |
| 1991 | Wolf Brigade | Sebastian Madrid | James Morgan | 1:45.50 | III |
- ‡ In 2009, the race was run off the turf.
Earlier Winners
The Cradle Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse raceThoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
for two-year-olds held annually at River Downs
River Downs
River Downs is a horse racetrack located in Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, just outside the southeast limits of Cincinnati.- History :...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. It is currently an ungraded stakes
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...
race run over a distance of 8.5 furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s on turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
.
It was originally created as a dirt race for juveniles in 1977. Miller Genuine Draft sponsered the race from the beginning and, until 2009, it was the longest continuously sponsored Thoroughbred race in the United States. During the 1980's, the Cradle Stakes grew to become the richest race for 2-year-olds in Ohio. Two Horses of the Year, a Kentucky Derby winner, two Derby second-place finishers, and a number of graded stakes winners have graduated from the Cradle Stakes.
The 2000 edition was the deepest field ever to compete. The race produced three graded stakes winners and one of the best runners of this generation. The winner that year, Ohio-bred Harlan’s Holiday, was sent away as the favorite in the 2001 Kentucky Derby after back-to-back Grade 1 wins in the Florida Derby and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. He also accounted for victories in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap and and Grade 3 Pennsylvania Derby. He traveled to Dubai where he collected a $1.2 million dollar check for the runner up spot in the World Cup. Pass Rush also came out of the 2000 “Cradle” as did Day Trader. Pass Rush won the Grade 2 San Fernando Breeders’ Cup and finished second in the 2003 Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap. Day Trader, from the D. Wayne Lukas stable, won the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Sprint.
The Cradle Stakes was moved to the turf in 2007 to serve as a prep for the new $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Winners since 1991
| Year |
Winner |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Time |
Grade |
| 2010 | Tanzana | Leandro Goncalves | Garry Simms | 1:44.60 | |
| 2009‡ | Gleam of Hope | Corey Lanerie | Anthony Reinstedler | 1:46.80 | |
| 2008 | Night Action | Victor Lebron | Michael Maker | 1:42.40 | |
| 2007 | Old Man Buck | Perry Ouzts | Kenneth McPeek Kenneth McPeek Kenneth G. McPeek is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Kenneth G. McPeek was born August 2, 1962 in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from Tates Creek High School and then the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration... |
1:42.40 | |
| 2006 | Passport Passport A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth.... |
Corey Lanerie | Frank Brothers | 1:46.00 | |
| 2005 | Laity Laity In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the... |
Corey Lanerie | Frank Brothers | 1:43.60 | |
| 2004 | Bellamy Road Bellamy Road The Bellamy Road was the first major U.S. federal highway in early territorial Florida.In 1824, only five years after Florida became a United States territory , Congress authorized the construction of its first federal highway. It would be a wide road, connecting Pensacola to St. Augustine... |
Abel Castellano Jr. | Michael Dickinson | 1:45.00 | III |
| 2003 | Tiger Hunt | Larry Melancon Larry Melancon Larry J. Melancon is an American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing who rides primarily on the Kentucky-Arkansas circuit.... |
W. Elliott Walden W. Elliott Walden W. Elliott Walden is the President and CEO of racing operations for WinStar Farm near Versailles, Kentucky and a former Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.From a racing family, Walden grew up in the industry... |
1:49.00 | |
| 2002 | Lone Star Sky | Mark Guidry Mark Guidry Mark Guidry is a retired American jockey.He began his riding career in Thoroughbred horse racing in his native Louisiana in 1974 where he remained until 1986 when he went to race in Illinois. He was the leading jockey at Hawthorne Race Course seven times, Sportsman's Park nine times, and two... |
Thomas Amoss | 1:46.80 | |
| 2001 | Harlan's Holiday | Anthony D'Amico | Kenneth McPeek Kenneth McPeek Kenneth G. McPeek is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Kenneth G. McPeek was born August 2, 1962 in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from Tates Creek High School and then the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration... |
1:46.40 | |
| 2000 | Mongoose Mongoose Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"... |
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... |
William Mott | 1:46.00 | |
| 1999 | Deputy Warlock | Fabio Arguello Jr. | Kenneth McPeek Kenneth McPeek Kenneth G. McPeek is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Kenneth G. McPeek was born August 2, 1962 in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from Tates Creek High School and then the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration... |
1:47.40 | |
| 1998 | Mountain Range Mountain range A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain... |
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... |
D. Wayne Lukas D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S... |
1:45.80 | |
| 1997 | Cowboy Dan | Dean Kutz | Danny Hutt | 1:47.40 | |
| 1996 | Haint | 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.... |
Frank Brothers | 1:46.20 | |
| 1995 | Devil's Honor | Anthony Black | Cynthia Reese | 1:45.00 | |
| 1994 | Peaks and Valleys Peaks and Valleys Peaks and Valleys is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, he was the son of Carter Handicap winner Mt. Livermore, a son of the very important Champion sire, Blushing Groom... |
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... |
James Day | 1:46.60 | |
| 1993 | Moving Van | Patricia Cooksey Patricia Cooksey Patricia Joen Cooksey is an American horse racing jockey. She first won with Turf Advisor at Waterford Park in 1979. She is a four-time Turfway Park leading rider. Cooksey has won 2,137 wins since beginning her career in 1979... |
Michael Downing Michael Downing Michael "Mike" Downing is the Sheriff of Rockingham County, New Hampshire, having been elected in 2010.Previously, Downing was a Republican member of the New Hampshire Senate, representing the 22nd District from 2006 to 2010... |
1:48.60 | |
| 1992 | Crosswood | James Bruin | Maurice Cobb | 1:47.00 | III |
| 1991 | Wolf Brigade | Sebastian Madrid | James Morgan | 1:45.50 | III |
- ‡ In 2009, the race was run off the turf.
Earlier Winners
The Cradle Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse raceThoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
for two-year-olds held annually at River Downs
River Downs
River Downs is a horse racetrack located in Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, just outside the southeast limits of Cincinnati.- History :...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. It is currently an ungraded stakes
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...
race run over a distance of 8.5 furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s on turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
.
It was originally created as a dirt race for juveniles in 1977. Miller Genuine Draft sponsered the race from the beginning and, until 2009, it was the longest continuously sponsored Thoroughbred race in the United States. During the 1980's, the Cradle Stakes grew to become the richest race for 2-year-olds in Ohio. Two Horses of the Year, a Kentucky Derby winner, two Derby second-place finishers, and a number of graded stakes winners have graduated from the Cradle Stakes.
The 2000 edition was the deepest field ever to compete. The race produced three graded stakes winners and one of the best runners of this generation. The winner that year, Ohio-bred Harlan’s Holiday, was sent away as the favorite in the 2001 Kentucky Derby after back-to-back Grade 1 wins in the Florida Derby and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. He also accounted for victories in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap and and Grade 3 Pennsylvania Derby. He traveled to Dubai where he collected a $1.2 million dollar check for the runner up spot in the World Cup. Pass Rush also came out of the 2000 “Cradle” as did Day Trader. Pass Rush won the Grade 2 San Fernando Breeders’ Cup and finished second in the 2003 Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap. Day Trader, from the D. Wayne Lukas stable, won the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Sprint.
The Cradle Stakes was moved to the turf in 2007 to serve as a prep for the new $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Winners since 1991
| Year |
Winner |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Time |
Grade |
| 2010 | Tanzana | Leandro Goncalves | Garry Simms | 1:44.60 | |
| 2009‡ | Gleam of Hope | Corey Lanerie | Anthony Reinstedler | 1:46.80 | |
| 2008 | Night Action | Victor Lebron | Michael Maker | 1:42.40 | |
| 2007 | Old Man Buck | Perry Ouzts | Kenneth McPeek Kenneth McPeek Kenneth G. McPeek is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Kenneth G. McPeek was born August 2, 1962 in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from Tates Creek High School and then the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration... |
1:42.40 | |
| 2006 | Passport Passport A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth.... |
Corey Lanerie | Frank Brothers | 1:46.00 | |
| 2005 | Laity Laity In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the... |
Corey Lanerie | Frank Brothers | 1:43.60 | |
| 2004 | Bellamy Road Bellamy Road The Bellamy Road was the first major U.S. federal highway in early territorial Florida.In 1824, only five years after Florida became a United States territory , Congress authorized the construction of its first federal highway. It would be a wide road, connecting Pensacola to St. Augustine... |
Abel Castellano Jr. | Michael Dickinson | 1:45.00 | III |
| 2003 | Tiger Hunt | Larry Melancon Larry Melancon Larry J. Melancon is an American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing who rides primarily on the Kentucky-Arkansas circuit.... |
W. Elliott Walden W. Elliott Walden W. Elliott Walden is the President and CEO of racing operations for WinStar Farm near Versailles, Kentucky and a former Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.From a racing family, Walden grew up in the industry... |
1:49.00 | |
| 2002 | Lone Star Sky | Mark Guidry Mark Guidry Mark Guidry is a retired American jockey.He began his riding career in Thoroughbred horse racing in his native Louisiana in 1974 where he remained until 1986 when he went to race in Illinois. He was the leading jockey at Hawthorne Race Course seven times, Sportsman's Park nine times, and two... |
Thomas Amoss | 1:46.80 | |
| 2001 | Harlan's Holiday | Anthony D'Amico | Kenneth McPeek Kenneth McPeek Kenneth G. McPeek is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Kenneth G. McPeek was born August 2, 1962 in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from Tates Creek High School and then the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration... |
1:46.40 | |
| 2000 | Mongoose Mongoose Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"... |
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... |
William Mott | 1:46.00 | |
| 1999 | Deputy Warlock | Fabio Arguello Jr. | Kenneth McPeek Kenneth McPeek Kenneth G. McPeek is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Kenneth G. McPeek was born August 2, 1962 in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from Tates Creek High School and then the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration... |
1:47.40 | |
| 1998 | Mountain Range Mountain range A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain... |
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... |
D. Wayne Lukas D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S... |
1:45.80 | |
| 1997 | Cowboy Dan | Dean Kutz | Danny Hutt | 1:47.40 | |
| 1996 | Haint | 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.... |
Frank Brothers | 1:46.20 | |
| 1995 | Devil's Honor | Anthony Black | Cynthia Reese | 1:45.00 | |
| 1994 | Peaks and Valleys Peaks and Valleys Peaks and Valleys is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, he was the son of Carter Handicap winner Mt. Livermore, a son of the very important Champion sire, Blushing Groom... |
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... |
James Day | 1:46.60 | |
| 1993 | Moving Van | Patricia Cooksey Patricia Cooksey Patricia Joen Cooksey is an American horse racing jockey. She first won with Turf Advisor at Waterford Park in 1979. She is a four-time Turfway Park leading rider. Cooksey has won 2,137 wins since beginning her career in 1979... |
Michael Downing Michael Downing Michael "Mike" Downing is the Sheriff of Rockingham County, New Hampshire, having been elected in 2010.Previously, Downing was a Republican member of the New Hampshire Senate, representing the 22nd District from 2006 to 2010... |
1:48.60 | |
| 1992 | Crosswood | James Bruin | Maurice Cobb | 1:47.00 | III |
| 1991 | Wolf Brigade | Sebastian Madrid | James Morgan | 1:45.50 | III |
- ‡ In 2009, the race was run off the turf.
Earlier Winners
- 1990 - Wall Street Dancer
- 1989 - Table LimitTable limitThe table limit is the minimum and maximum bet that a gambler can make at a gaming table. It is a form of yield management in that the limits can be changed to optimize the profit from a gaming table. Gaming tables have a limited resource to sell, the seats used by the players.- Minimum table...
- 1988 - Bravoure
- 1987 - Cannon Dancer
- 1986 - Coaxing Chad
- 1985 - Go For It Matt
- 1984 - Spend A BuckSpend A BuckSpend A Buck was an American thoroughbred race horse.-Background:Spend A Buck was sired by Buckaroo out of the dam Belle de Jour...
- 1983 - Coax Me Chad
