The Cardinal Stakes is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares three-years-old and older over a distance of one and one eighth miles on the turf held annually in November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
The event was inaugurated on 23 November 1974, as the Kentucky Cardinal Stakes as a 1+1⁄16 miles dirt race for three year olds and was won by veterinarian Albert F. Polk Jr's Cut the Talk, who was trained by Ohio native James E. (Jim) Morgan[1] and ridden by Darrell Brown in a time of 1:451⁄5.
In the 1976 the conditions of the event were changed to fillies and mares that were three years old or older at a distance of seven furlongs as the Kentucky Cardinal Handicap.
[4] The following year the distance of the event increased to 1+1⁄8 miles but it was moved off the turf and onto the main track due to inclement weather.
† In the 1996, running Bail Out Becky was first past the post by 2+1⁄2 lengths but was disqualified for interference as the horse turned into the straight bumping the eventual second-place finisher Miss Caerleona.