Six stakes races have been downgraded from Grade I to Grade II status for 2019, while another three will go in the opposite direction after the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's American Graded Stakes Committee's review of races for next season. A total of 450 races will be graded in 2019 (five fewer than 2018), and 187 will carry listed status. Seven graded races were upgraded and nine new Grade III races and one Grade II race were named. A total of 23 races have been upgraded to Listed status. Ten graded or listed races from 2018 are no longer eligible for grading.
The six races to be downgraded from Grade I to Grade II for next year are: Belmont's Beldame S.; Churchill Downs's Stephen Foster H.; the Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity; and the Santa Margarita S., Triple Bend S. and Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita.
The Jaipur S. and Woody Stephens S.–both on the GI Belmont S. undercard–and the Churchill Downs S. held on GI Kentucky Derby day will be Grade I events in 2019.
Five races were upgraded to Grade II status: the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint; the Twin Spires Turf Sprint S. at Churchill; the Gallant Bob S. at Parx; the Eddie D S. at Santa Anita; and the Amsterdam S. at Saratoga.
Six races will move in the opposite direction to Grade III: the Chilukki S. at Churchill; Barbara Fritchie S. at Laurel Park; Bayakoa S. at Los Alamitos; and Santa Anita's Honeymoon S., La Canada S. and Santa Ana S.
Nine races will be newly minted Grade IIIs: the Forbidden Apple S. and Futurity S. at Belmont; Green Flash H. at Del Mar; Franklin-Simpson S. at Kentucky Downs; Chick Lang S. at Pimlico; Astra S., Joe Hernandez S. and Sweet Life S. at Santa Anita; and Quick Call S. at Saratoga.
A total of 103 races, or 22.9% of all graded events, will be contested at the highest level; 131 or 29.1% will be Grade II; 216, or 48%, will be Grade III.
For 2019, a new division has been created for 3-year-olds and up turf sprints that includes races for both sexes. Previously, dirt and turf sprints were combined into one division for each sex. Turf sprints restricted to 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds remain combined with dirt sprints.
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