The Fleur de Lis Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age three and older over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles on the dirt run annually in late-June or early-July at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
The event was inaugurated on 31 May 1975 as the Fleur de Lis Handicap and was won by the favorite Bundler defeating four other runners on a sloppy track in the time of 1:392⁄5 over the mile distance.
[2] The event is named after the English translation for the French "fleur-de-lis", a flower of the lily.
[3] The event has gained status over the recent years and has attracted some fine horses including the 2009 US Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra who easily won the race as a short favorite by the near stakes record of 10+1⁄2 lengths.
[5] In 2023 the event was moved to Ellis Park after Churchill Downs closed their spring meeting earlier due to a spate of injuries.