The Columbia Stakes

$75,000 Columbia Stakes

Richest Purse: $75,000

2017-present

Other Notes: Talk of the Nation’s time of 1:33.45 was the second-fastest running since the race was switched to a mile on the turf in 2017. In 2022, conditioner Christophe Clement became the second three-time winner of the Columbia (formerly known as the Chris Thomas Turf Classic) with Heaven Street’s determined victory. Trainer Todd Pletcher won his second Columbia Stakes in four years in 2021, sending out Winfromwithin for a course-record effort. In 2020 Doc Boy missed the stakes record by .15 seconds, staging an impressive stretch rally under top jockey Joe Bravo. A lack of seasoning didn’t hurt the Ireland-bred 3-year-old colt Digital Age, who rallied from far back in the 2019 Columbia to post a head victory under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. Gidu lived up to his 3-5 odds by setting a stakes record in the Columbia's second running at a mile. In 2017, Sonic Boom established a stakes record of 1:34.73 for the 1-mile turf event for 3-year-olds. The race had been renamed in 2004 for Thomas, the late popular radio talk-show host who was also a Thoroughbred owner. Owner Brett Rice and trainer Don Rice won three times with Guardianofthegate in 2001, 2002, and 2003, with three different jockeys: Paula Bacon, Dodie Duys and Tommy Pompell. Restage, with jockey Jesus Castanon and trainer Thomas Proctor, was the first winner of the Chris Thomas Turf Classic when it was renamed in 2004. Proctor subsequently won the race again with Therecomesatiger in 2007 for owner Charles Patton and jockey Luis Gonzalez. Revved Up won the race twice for owner Live Oak Plantation and trainer Christophe Clement: in 2006 under Eddie Castro and in 2008 with Daniel Centeno in the irons. The winner of the 2009 Chris Thomas Turf Classic, Dinner in Odem, earned almost $450,000 in his 112-race career.