The Tom Benson Memorial Stakes, scheduled for March 22, 2025, at the Fair Grounds Race Course, is a competitive turf race for fillies and mares aged four and older.
Horses and Pedigrees
- Fun With Flags (IRE)
- Sire: Zoffany (IRE)
- Dam: Marie Celeste (IRE)
- Breeder: Mrs. S.M. Rogers
- Owner: Madaket Stables LLC, Michael E. Kisber, Gainesway Stable, and Erika Gilliar Fun With Flags has a strong European pedigree, emphasizing stamina and turf performance.
- Classic Performer
- Sire: Mendelssohn
- Dam: High Performer
- Breeder: Nursery Place, Donaldson & Broadbent
- Owner: Boyd L. Byers Classic Performer combines Mendelssohn’s versatility with a solid maternal line.
- Way to Be Marie
- Sire: Not This Time
- Dam: Woman of the World
- Breeder: William B. Harrigan & Mike Pietrangelo
- Owner: Robert V. LaPenta and Madaket Stables, LLC Way to Be Marie showcases speed and resilience, traits inherited from Not This Time.
- Tufani
- Sire: Distorted Humor
- Dam: Windhoek
- Breeder: Chance Farm & Distorted Humor Syndicate
- Owner: Susan Naylor Tufani is a consistent performer with a pedigree emphasizing speed and class.
- Sabalenka
- Sire: Good Samaritan
- Dam: Darling Daughter
- Breeder: Mr. & Mrs. Al Mazzetti
- Owner: Everything’s Cricket Racing Sabalenka has shown promise, with Good Samaritan contributing stamina and versatility.
- Lakota Spirit
- Sire: Curlin
- Dam: Milam
- Breeder: WinStar Farm, LLC
- Owner: Brittlyn Stable, Inc. Lakota Spirit combines Curlin’s stamina with a strong maternal line.
- Amber Cascade
- Sire: Free Drop Billy
- Dam: Heart’s Song
- Breeder: Malibu Farm
- Owner: Maggi Moss and David Ingordo Amber Cascade is a late bloomer with potential for improvement.
- Strikingly Spun
- Sire: Hard Spun
- Dam: Smart Ashley
- Breeder: Austin Paul & Brenda Paul
- Owner: Highlander Training Center Strikingly Spun is a consistent runner with Hard Spun’s hallmark traits of speed and endurance.
- Distorted d’Oro
- Sire: Medaglia d’Oro
- Dam: Virginia Key
- Breeder: Blue Heaven Farm & Godolphin
- Owner: MKW Racing and Breeding, LLC Distorted d’Oro has a pedigree rich in turf performance and stamina.
- Wild Bout Hilary
- Sire: Midnight Lute
- Dam: Wild Bout Tiffany
- Breeder: Clearsky Farms
- Owner: 5 Finger Racing Wild Bout Hilary is a proven stakes winner with a strong pedigree for speed.
- Eastern Empress (GB)
- Sire: Dubawi (IRE)
- Dam: Intrigued (GB)
- Breeder: Denford Stud Ltd.
- Owner: Denford Stud Eastern Empress boasts a European pedigree emphasizing turf performance.
- Stir Crazy
- Sire: Vancouver (AUS)
- Dam: Mentally Unstable
- Breeder: Royal Oak Farm
- Owner: Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher Stir Crazy is a seasoned competitor with a pedigree emphasizing versatility.
- Champagne Rose (BRZ)
- Sire: Agnes Gold (JPN)
- Dam: Newport Beach (BRZ)
- Breeder: Fazenda Mondesir
- Owner: Fazenda Mondesir, Fern Circle Stables, and Brett Vasseur Champagne Rose has a unique international pedigree, combining speed and stamina.
Jockeys and Trainers
- Flavien Prat rides Fun With Flags, trained by Chad C. Brown. Prat’s skill and Brown’s expertise make this duo formidable.
- Mitchell Murrill partners with Classic Performer, under the guidance of Grant T. Forster. Murrill’s consistency complements Forster’s training style.
- Florent Geroux teams up with Way to Be Marie, trained by Rob Atras. Geroux’s tactical riding pairs well with Atras’s methods.
- Ben Curtis rides Tufani, trained by Michael Stidham. Curtis’s determination and Stidham’s insights could lead to a strong performance.
- Adam Beschizza partners with Sabalenka, trained by Joe Sharp. Beschizza’s skill and Sharp’s expertise are a winning combination.
- Jose Andres Guerrero rides Lakota Spirit, trained by Shane Wilson. Guerrero’s experience aligns with Wilson’s meticulous preparation.
- Irad Ortiz, Jr. teams up with Amber Cascade, trained by Cherie DeVaux. Ortiz’s aggressive riding style pairs well with DeVaux’s methods.
- Tyler Gaffalione rides Strikingly Spun, trained by Joe Sharp. Gaffalione’s adaptability and Sharp’s experience make this pair intriguing.
- Jose L. Ortiz partners with Distorted d’Oro, trained by Michael Stidham. Ortiz’s skill and Stidham’s expertise could yield a strong performance.
- Jareth Loveberry rides Wild Bout Hilary, trained by Tanner Tracy. Loveberry’s determination complements Tracy’s training style.
- Joel Rosario teams up with Eastern Empress, trained by Christophe Clement. Rosario’s tactical riding pairs well with Clement’s expertise.
- Luis Saez rides Stir Crazy, trained by Michael J. Maker. Saez’s consistency aligns with Maker’s meticulous preparation.
- Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. partners with Champagne Rose, trained by Kenneth G. McPeek. Hernandez’s skill and McPeek’s experience make this pair formidable.
