Turf Classic Stakes Betting Guide: Strategies, Statistics & Picks (Derby Week)

2024 Turf Classic Stakes Preview

Inaugurated in 1987 as the Early Times Turf Classic Stakes, this Grade 1 takes place on the same day as the Kentucky Derby in May of each year at the Churchill Downs Racetrack.

The Turf Classic Stakes is open to runners aged four or older who compete over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the turf.

Turf Classic Stakes Picks

We also have a dedicated Churchill Downs Betting Picks page that will cover this race as well as all of the other races on the day of the race, see which runners the OLBG handicappers are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. Remember to bookmark the racing picks page so you can get easy access to the OLBG racing picks daily.

Turf Classic Stakes Content

• Turf Classic Stakes Past Winners
• Turf Classic Stakes Trainer Statistics
• Turf Classic Stakes Jockey Statistics
• 2024 Turf Classic Stakes Trends
• Turf Classic Stakes Trend Analysis
• Turf Classic Stakes Trend Shortlist
• Other Graded races at Churchill Downs Racetrack

Quickest Run Turf Classic Stakes Renewals

Over the last 10 renewals, it was Finnegans Wake, trained by Peter Miller and ridden by Victor Espinoza who set the fastest winning time in the Turf Classic Stakes, the runner won the race in a time of 1:47.24 when winning the race in 2015. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer William Mott and jockey Jose L Ortiz with Yoshida who set the slowest winning time, the race-winning time was 1:54.64 in the 2018 renewal. Below are the top three quickest-run Turf Classic Stakes over the last 10 renewals.

1. Finnegans Wake (1:47.24) in 2015
2. Up To The Mark (1:47.31) in 2023
3. Divisidero (1:47.37) in 2016

Turf Classic Stakes Past Winners

Here are the Turf Classic Stakes past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the winning time, and the horse that won along with the cloth number, age, sex, the weight of the horse & which starting gate the horse came from. The trainer of the horse at the time of winning the Turf Classic Stakes as well as the jockey is also displayed along with the moneyline odds the horse was sent off.

Race Notes: The 2021 renewal was a dead heat between Colonel Liam and Domestic Spending.

Where have the winning runners come from?

Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Turf Classic Stakes have been based:

• USA: 11 winners with an additional 18 placings from 89 runners
• CAN: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 10 runners
• SAF: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner

Turf Classic Stakes Trainer Statistics

The leading trainer in the Turf Classic Stakes over the last 10 renewals is Chad C Brown who has won the race 3 times. Those 3 winners came from Bricks And Mortar (2019), Digital Age (2020) & Domestic Spending (2021). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Turf Classic Stakes is Todd Pletcher (2 wins).

Here are the Turf Classic Stakes trainer statistics over the last 10 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2024 renewal, those not listed have not had a runner.

Turf Classic Stakes Jockey Statistics

The leading jockey in the Turf Classic Stakes over the last 10 renewals is Irad Ortiz Jr who has won the race 3 times. Those 3 winners came from Bricks And Mortar (2019), Colonel Liam (2021) & Up To The Mark (2023).

Here are the Turf Classic Stakes jockey statistics over the last 10 renewals for jockeys who have entries in the 2024 renewal, those not listed have not had a runner.

Turf Classic Stakes Trend Analysis

How competitive is the Turf Classic Stakes market?

When looking at the over-rounds for the last 10 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2017 when the race had an over-round of 122%. The race in 2014 was a race that was most in the bookie's favor with an over-round of 124%, whilst on average over the last 10 renewals of the Turf Classic Stakes, the over-round has been 123%, which means the bookie expects to pay out $100 for every $123 which is bet.

Post Positions of the Turf Classic Stakes Winners, Places & Shows

Here are the most recent winning draws along with those who placed and showed:

Best Course for a Turf Classic Stakes Prep Run?

The courses that have produced the most winners of the Turf Classic Stakes are Keeneland and Fair Grounds, there has been a total number of 3 winners from each of those courses.

Top Performing Stallions in the Turf Classic Stakes

Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Turf Classic Stakes, that stallion Kittens Joy has produced 2 winners (2017,2016).

Worst Performing Stallions in the Turf Classic Stakes

Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the Turf Classic Stakes, that stallion is English Channel who has failed to produce a winner from 6 runners.

Biggest Priced Winners of the Turf Classic Stakes & Performance of Favorites

Looking at the winning odds over the last 10 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Yoshida in 2018, winning for William Mott at odds of 99/10 under the guidance of Jose L Ortiz. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 10 renewals there has been a total of 5 winning favorites in the race. Ahead of the 2024 Turf Classic Stakes why not head over to the best racing handicappers page to see what the handicappers are backing today? All figures and trends above, such as the horse's previous runs are based on the information that is available on the racing post.

Turf Classic Stakes Trend Shortlist

Churchill Downs will host the 2024 renewal of the Turf Classic Stakes which will be run on Saturday 4th May 2024, below is the field in order of the number of trends passed. The Odds, Trends, and Passed/Failed figures were correct at the time of posting at 8:27 am Tuesday 30th April 2024 (ET), if no odds were available at the time of posting then forecasted odds were used.

Other Graded races at Churchill Downs Racetrack

Here are some other notable races at the Churchill Downs racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.

Races in May (Derby Week)

• Churchill Downs Stakes
• Derby City Distaff Stakes
• Kentucky Derby
• Kentucky Oaks
• La Troienne Stakes

Races in November

• Clark Stakes

Turf Classic Stakes FAQs

Where is the Turf Classic Stakes run?

The Turf Classic Stakes is run at the Churchill Downs racetrack each year, you can get Churchill Downs racing predictions all season long as well as for Turf Classic Stakes.

When is the Turf Classic Stakes?

The 2024 renewal of the Turf Classic Stakes will take place at Churchill Downs on Saturday 4th May 2024.

Who won the Turf Classic Stakes?

The 2023 renewal of the Turf Classic Stakes was won by the Todd Pletcher trained Up To The Mark who was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr in a time of 1:47.31, owned by Repole Stable St Elias Stable it was sent off at an SP of 53/20. You can view all the recent winners in the Turf Classic Stakes Past Winners section of the blog.

Who will win the Turf Classic Stakes?

On the day of the race, use the trends in this blog and then compare them to the OLBG racing handicappers' predictions for the Turf Classic Stakes, you can do this on the Churchill Downs Picks page which not only will have picks for this race but also picks for Churchill Downs throughout the season. You may also be interested in the Horse Racing Picks page where you can get daily horse racing predictions from all of the US courses.

Who is the top trainer in the Turf Classic Stakes?

With a total of three winners over the last ten renewals, it is Chad C Brown who holds the claim as the leading trainer in the Turf Classic Stakes. To see which other trainers have a good record in the race, head over to the Turf Classic Stakes Trainer Statistics section of the blog.

Who is the top jockey in the Turf Classic Stakes?

With a total of three winners over the last ten renewals, it is Irad Ortiz Jr who holds the claim as the leading jockey in the Turf Classic Stakes. To see which other jockeys have a good record in the race, head over to the Turf Classic Stakes Jockey Statistics section of the blog.

Do we have trends for the 2024 renewal of the Turf Classic Stakes?

The simple answer is Yes! We have a total of fifteen trends for the Turf Classic Stakes which can be found under the Turf Classic Stakes Trends section.