Transylvania Stakes
# Transylvania Stakes

The Transylvania Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles on the turf held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky during the spring meeting. It currently offers a purse of $400,000.

## History

The Transylvania Stakes is named for the heavily forested region of western Virginia known as the Transylvania Colony, which became most of Kentucky in 1792. Also Transylvania University is located in Lexington.

The event was inaugurated on 8 April 1989 and was won by Shy Tom who was trained by the Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and owned by William T. Young with strong stretch run in a time of 1:50 flat over the 1+1⁄16 miles distance. The event was shortened to a mile in 1996 and returned to the original distance in 2008.

The event was upgraded to Grade III event in 2003

In 2008 and 2014 the event was moved off the turf due to inclement weather and held on the all weather track.

## Records

Speed record

* 1+1⁄16 miles: 1:39.46 – Stormalory (2009)
* 1 mile: 1:34.65 – Dog Watch (GB) (1998)

Margins

* 5+1⁄2 lengths – Silver Max (2012)

Most wins by a jockey

* 4 – Shane Sellers (1991, 1994, 1999, 2003)

Most wins by a trainer

* 4 – William I. Mott (1995, 2001, 2007, 2009)

Most wins by an owner

* 2 - Stuart S. Janney III (2011, 2021)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2023 | Mo Stash | Luis Saez | Victoria H. Oliver | BBN Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.05 | $396,250 | III | |
| 2022 | Sy Dog | Irad Ortiz Jr. | H. Graham Motion | Head of Plains Partners | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.38 | $390,125 | III | |
| 2021 | Scarlett Sky | Joel Rosario | Claude R. McGaughey III | Stuart S. Janney III | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.89 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2020 | Field Pass | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Michael J. Maker | Three Diamonds Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.56 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2019 | Avie's Flatter | Javier Castellano | Josie Carroll | Ivan Dalos | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.86 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2018 | Analyze It | José L. Ortiz | Chad C. Brown | William H. Lawrence | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.60 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2017 | Big Score | Javier Castellano | Tim Yakteen | George Krikorian | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.23 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2016 | Shakhimat | Emma-Jayne Wilson | Roger L. Attfield | Dan Gale & Richard Hogan | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.65 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2015 | Night Prowler | Javier Castellano | Chad C. Brown | Paul Pompa Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.03 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2014 | Medal Count | Robby Albarado | Dale L. Romans | Spendthrift Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.35 | $100,000 | III | Off turf |
| 2013 | Jack Milton | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Gary Barber | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.80 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2012 | Silver Max | Robby Albarado | Dale L. Romans | Mark Bacon & Dana Wells | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.81 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2011 | Air Support | Rajiv Maragh | Claude R. McGaughey III | Stuart S. Janney III | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.99 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2010 | Nordic Truce | Julien R. Leparoux | Christophe Clement | Ammerland Stud | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.31 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2009 | Stormalory | Julien R. Leparoux | William I. Mott | Darley Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:39.46 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2008 | Boss Lafitte | Robby Albarado | Thomas M. Amoss | Uptown Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.43 | $150,000 | III | Off turf |
| 2007 | Marcavelly | Edgar S. Prado | William I. Mott | Zayat Stables | 1 mile | 1:36.98 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2006 | Chin High | Shaun Bridgmohan | Neil L. Pessin | Ike Thrash | 1 mile | 1:37.87 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2005 | Chattahoochee War | Jerry D. Bailey | Robert J. Frankel | Amerman Racing | abt. 1 mile | 1:35.28 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2004 | Timo | Edgar S. Prado | William Badgett Jr. | C. K. Woods Stable | 1 mile | 1:36.52 | $113,400 | III | |
| 2003 | White Cat | Shane Sellers | Kenneth G. McPeek | Raymond H. Cottrell Sr. | 1 mile | 1:34.98 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2002 | Flying Dash (GER) | Jerry D. Bailey | Neil D. Drysdale | Fusao Sekiguchi | 1 mile | 1:35.69 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2001 | Baptize | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Gary & Mary West Stables | 1 mile | 1:35.28 | $113,800 | Listed | |
| 2000 | Field Cat | Mike E. Smith | Kim Boniface | James S. Karp | 1 mile | 1:35.19 | $113,900 | Listed | |
| 1999 | Good Night | Shane Sellers | Frank L. Brothers | Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider | 1 mile | 1:35.00 | $113,400 | Listed | |
| 1998 | Dog Watch (GB) | Robbie Davis | Christophe Clement | Lord Hartington | 1 mile | 1:34.65 | $73,840 | Listed | |
| 1997 | Near the Bank | Pat Day | Denis W. Roberson | Clarence R. Smith & Robert W. Roberts | 1 mile | 1:36.53 | $71,370 | Listed | |
| 1996 | More Royal | Julie Krone | Jonathan E. Sheppard | Augustin Stable | 1 mile | 1:35.92 | $69,680 | Listed | |
| 1995 | † Crimson Guard | Mike E. Smith | William I. Mott | Calumet Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.04 | $68,160 | Listed | |
| 1994 | Star of Manila | Shane Sellers | Burk Kessinger Jr. | New Phoenix Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.87 | $54,250 | Listed | |
| 1993 | Proud Shot | Herb McCauley | Frank A. Alexander | Jill Robinson | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.17 | $55,425 | Listed | |
| 1992 | Casino Magistrate | Ricardo D. Lopez | Thomas J. Kelly | Blue Goose Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.62 | $54,825 | Listed | |
| 1991 | Eastern Dude | Shane Sellers | Carl A. Nafzger | Frances A Genter Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.94 | $56,175 | Listed | |
| 1990 | Izvestia | Randy Romero | Roger L. Attfield | Kinghaven Farms | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.80 | $55,450 | | |
| 1989 | Shy Tom | Randy Romero | D. Wayne Lukas | William T. Young | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:50.00 | $54,050 | | |

Legend:

Turf  All Weather Track

Notes:

† Ops Smile was first past the post but was disqualified for interference in the straight and was placed eighth. Crimson Guard was declared the winner.

