Doncaster Racecourse its present location and in 1776 Colonel Anthony St. Leger founded a race in which five horses ran. This race has remained in existence and become the world's oldest classic horse race. During the first world war the racecourse was used for military purposes and substitute races were run at Newmarket from 1915 to 1918. Doncaster has the distinction of both starting and ending the flat season on turf. Every September, Doncaster hosts the prestigious four-day William Hill St. Leger Festival, which is acclaimed as the premier sporting occasion of the Autumn calendar. Doncaster has also taken over events whose
Gardenia Handicap Gardenia Handicap The Gardenia Handicap is an American Grade III Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Ellis Park Racecourse in Henderson, Kentucky. Held in mid August, the one mile race is run on dirt and is open to fillies and mares, three years old and up. Inaugurated in 1982 as the Stroh's Handicap, it was originally run at miles (9 furlongs) until 2005 when it was modified to its present one mile (8 furlongs) distance. The Gardenia Handicap became a graded race for the first time in 1988. It currently offers a purse of $150,000. Speed record: (at current 1