The event was inaugurated on 18 April 2009 and was won by the second favorite (16/5) Researcher who after taking the lead shortly before entering the stretch run, drawing off to win by a 2+1⁄4 margin in a time of 1:49.86.
However, Researcher was owned by a new owner, Kinross (Zohar Ben-Dov), only five days before the Classic.
[2] With the increased high stakes attributed to the racino the event immediately as attractive for four year old horses and older in the early spring.
[5] For the 2015 highly talented Shared Belief was shipped in from California and set as the 3-10 odds-on favorite but stumbled badly and was eased by his jockey Mike E. Smith.
[7] In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States the event was moved to an August schedule and the conditions were changed to allow three-year-olds to participate.