Stepping Stone Purse Stepping Stone Purse The Stepping Stone Purse was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in the latter part of April at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Open to three-year-old horses, it was, along with the Derby Trial Stakes, one of two final prep races hosted by Churchill Downs running up to the Kentucky Derby. In 1959, Sword Dancer won the Stepping Stone Purse, then ran second in the Kentucky Derby before winning the Belmont Stakes. The following year, Bally Ache won this race then ran second in the Derby but won the Preakness Stakes. In 1969, future U.S. Racing
Delta Jackpot Stakes Delta Jackpot Stakes The Delta Jackpot Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Delta Downs in Vinton, Louisiana. A Grade III stakes open to two-year-old horses, it is raced in November over a distance of miles (8.5 Furlongs) on dirt. The inaugural running of the Delta Jackpot took place in 2002. Run over a distance of one mile (1.6 km), it carried a purse of $500,000. For the following year, the race was lengthened to its present miles and the purse was increased to $1 million to make it the second-richest race for two-year-olds in North America