La Troienne Stakes elevated to Grade I

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Lexington, KY (SportsNetwork.com) - The La Troienne Stakes has been assigned the highest classification for a stakes race in the United States. The 1 1/16- mile race for fillies and mares is now a Grade I stakes, an advancement from Grade II.

The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association announced its listing of U.S. Graded Stakes for 2014. The committee had its annual meeting Wednesday in Lexington.

The $300,000 La Troienne is the only stakes to be moved up to Grade I for the coming racing year.

Following a review of 713 unrestricted stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000, the committee assigned graded status to 455 races, a reduction of two from 2013.

The four stakes upgraded from Grade III to II are the Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park along with Gulfstream Park's Sabin, Holy Bull and Swale Stakes.

Gaining Grade III for 2014 are the Charles Town Oaks at Charles Town Races, Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar and Santa Anita's L.A. Woman Stakes.

Dropping from Grade I to II are the Prioress Stakes at Saratoga Race Course and Princess Rooney Handicap at Calder Race Course.

Seven races, the same number as last year, have been demoted from Grade II to III: Go For Wand Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, Santa Barbara Handicap at Santa Anita, Vagrancy Handicap and Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park, Sanford Stakes at Saratoga, La Jolla Stakes at Del Mar and Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Two races lost their Grade III status and will be ungraded for 2013: the Sapling Stakes at Monmouth Park and Thistledown's Ohio Derby.