The La Troienne Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, age four and older, over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles held annually in early May on the Kentucky Oaks day meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky during the spring meeting.
[1] The event was inaugurated on May 3, 1986, on Kentucky Derby Day as the Louisville Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap at a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles for three-year-olds and older and was won by the favorite, five-year-old gelding Hopeful Word in small field of four starters.
[3] The event with Budweiser and Breeders' Cup sponsorship and added incentives to base purses attracted good quality runners.
[5] Of the more notable runnings of this event was the 2010 edition which saw the heavily favored 2009 US Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra returning to Churchill Downs for the first time since her 2009 Kentucky Oaks victory trying to lead all the way but was defeated by Unbridled Belle by a head.
The 2008 winner Ginger Punch won this event easily as the reigning 2007 US Champion Older Female Horse as an overwhelming favorite.