AQHA ANNOUNCES 2009 GRADED STAKES RACES

The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal, September 10, 2008 – The 2009 AQHA Graded Stakes have been announced and include changes to the grading process that the AQHA Racing Committee approved at the 2008 AQHA Annual Convention.

The new grading process was developed as an objective measurement of race quality. Stakes races are analyzed to determine the quality of the races and accomplishments of the horses competing in the stakes. The Graded Stakes Task Force developed “The Grading Session Workbook” to provide hard data to aid, inform and support the evaluation process. The task force also compiled a white paper to explain the grading process and revised criteria. The paper and a complete list of the 2009 Graded Stakes are available at http://racing.aqha.com/racing/horsemaninfo/index.aspx.

“For the betterment of American Quarter Horse racing, the Graded Stakes Task Force and Committee made difficult decisions to modernize and streamline AQHA’s stakes grading system,” said Trey Buck, AQHA’s executive director of racing. “The 2009 grades reflect the quality of the stakes and are a better measurement of class for horsemen and fans of the sport.”

Members of the Graded Stakes Task Force are Frank Merrill, Matt Witman, Jim Helzer, Billy Smith, Dick Monahan, Frank “Scoop” Vessels, Jerry Windham, Jack Peters, Lee Mills, Walt Knorpp and Edward C. Allred.

The American Quarter Horse Graded Stakes Committee grades races in three divisions, evaluating the quality of the field of each eligible race in a given division relative to the quality of the field of other races in that division. These divisions are 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, and 3-year-olds and up.

For 2-year-old races in 2009, 41 stakes received grades, and 37 stakes received restricted grades. Open stakes for 3-year-olds in 2009 received 37 grades and 21 restricted grades. For 2009, open stakes for older runners received 62 grades, and 29 stakes received restricted grades. With the stricter requirements in place for 2009, 21 open stakes races received a lower grade than they did for 2008, and 37 open stakes lost their grade from the previous year.

The American Quarter Horse Graded Stakes Committee’s nine members are appointed by the Racing Council and approved by the Executive Committee.  The committee must have at least six at-large AQHA members in good standing, two people in racetrack management and no more than one trainer, with rotating three-year terms. Any racing member on the committee whose employment status changes significantly during his/her tenure on the committee will automatically be reviewed by the Racing Council.

Serving on the Graded Stakes Committee are Chairman Frank “Scoop” Vessels, Billy Smith, Eric Johnston, Bill Hoburg, Ross Brigden, Kelvin Childers, Melodie Knuchell, Tony Patterson and Barry Cooper.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal, The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal or America’s Horse, visit www.aqha.com/magazines.