The Lexington Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in April during at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during their spring meeting. The event currently offers a purse of $400,000.^[1]

First running of the event was on 24 October 1936, closing day of Keeneland's inaugural fall meeting as a six furlong race for two-year-olds and was won by Manhasset Stable's White Tie who ran as an entry with Greentree Stable's Tattered (finished 5th) winning by in a time of 1:12 flat.^[2] In 1938 the conditions of the event were changed to a handicap for horses three-years-old and older and the distance set at 1+1⁄8 miles.^[3] In 1940 the distance was extended to 1+1⁄4 miles for two runnings in which Joe DeSoto's Steel Heels won both events including setting a new track record in 1941.^[4] In October 1942, Keeneland held its last meeting due to the track being closed during World War II, the event was run as the Lexington Purse over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles.^[5]

In 1973 Keeneland schedule an overnight allowance event as the Calumet Purse for three year old horses which was held in April during the Spring meeting prior to the signature event of the meeting - Blue Grass Stakes. The event was named after Calumet Farm, a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm in Lexington. The 1975 winner of the event, Master Derby not only completed this double but later in May of that year also won the middle leg of the U.S Triple Crown, Preakness Stakes.

In 1984 the event was renamed to the Lexington Stakes.^[5]

In 1986 the event was upgrade by the American Graded Stakes Committee to Grade III.^[6] Two years later the event was once again upgraded to Grade II and held this classification until 2010.

In 1989 the event has been scheduled after the Blue Grass Stakes and it is rare now that horses will run in both events.

The race was downgraded to Grade III status for 2011.^[7]

Since 2013 the event has been the last race with qualification points for the Road to the Kentucky Derby as a Wild Card event.

The event was not held 2020 during Keeneland's spring meeting which was moved to July and shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.^[8]

Speed record

• 1+1⁄16 miles – 1:41.00 Charismatic (1999)

Margins

• 9 lengths – Hansel (1991)

Most wins by a jockey

• 6 – Jerry Bailey (1982, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2004)

Most wins by a trainer

• 5 –Todd A. Pletcher (2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013)

Most wins by an owner

• 2 – Junius W. Bell (1941, 1942)
• 2 – Russell L. Reineman Stable (1986, 1990)
• 2 – Bob Lewis & Beverly Lewis (1999, 2003)
• 2 – Fern Circle Stables (2017, 2021)
• 2 – Godolphin (2023, 2024)

• Road to the Kentucky Derby
• List of American and Canadian Graded races

• 2021 Keeneland Media Guide