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31-688: Prior to 1961 (except for 1949 and 1956), the BC Derby was run at Lansdowne Park Racetrack in Richmond, British Columbia. The BC Derby was not run in 2020 or 2021 owing to factors relating to the Covid 19 pandemic. Open to three-year-old horses, the Grade III is run on dirt at a distance of 1 + 1 ⁄ 8 miles (9 furlongs) and currently (2022) offers a purse of CDN$ 125,000, the richest and most important race at Hastings Racecourse. This horse race article

62-541: A profound impact on equine medicine are selected to deliver it. As of 2024 , Stover is a professor at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, teaching musculoskeletal anatomy, biomechanics, and pathology to veterinary students. She is also the Director of the J. D. Wheat Orthopedic Research Laboratory, and has over 200 research publications. Stover is known internationally for her research into equine bone development and its response to repetitive use. In 1994, she published

93-416: A racetrack may offer a high purse to attract better fields so the race will be upgraded in future years. The grade level is assigned by looking at data that indicates quality of the field for the last five years. In order to achieve or maintain a Grade I, it is necessary to attract a competitive field over a number of years. For graded turf races, track conditions (normally excessive rain) may sometimes force

124-423: A similar method, leading to the development of the graded stakes system by TOBA in 1973. The first list of North American Graded Stakes was published in 1974. The original purpose of grading was to identify the most competitive races, which helps horsemen make comparisons of the relative quality of bloodstock for breeding and sales purposes. When the race-grading program was being set up for its 1973 introduction by

155-401: A study on catastrophic breaks of the humerus in racehorses, showing they were most often preceded by stress fractures . She then systematically identified similar stress fractures underlying the development of most performance-related fractures in equine athletes. Another study showed that the risk of a thoroughbred suffering a catastrophic injury was increased by a factor of 16 if the horse

186-602: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is then assigned to the race, based on statistical analysis of the quality of

217-539: Is a professor of veterinary anatomy at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and director of the J.D. Wheat Veterinary Orthopedic Research Laboratory. One of the focuses of her wide-ranging research is musculoskeletal injuries in racehorses , particularly catastrophic breakdowns . Her identification of risk factors has resulted in improved early detection and changes to horse training and surgical repair methods. On July 30, 2016, Stover received

248-692: The American College of Veterinary Surgeons . In 1987, she earned her Ph.D. in comparative pathology, doing orthopedic research into dorsal metacarpal disease in Thoroughbred racehorses, colloquially known as " bucked shins ". In 2010, Washington State University presented Stover with the Distinguished Veterinary Alumnus Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research after two students that she mentored received James Wilson Awards for

279-411: The horseshoe , designed to improve traction, be no longer than 2 millimeters. This was in response to studies by Susan Stover showing that such toe grabs substantially increase the risk of catastrophic racing injuries. Recently, racing officials have also banned the use of furosemide (Lasix) in all Black Type races, which include graded and listed stakes races. A newly established race may inherit

310-741: The American Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association it was done so as to match the data formatting in use by the British system being Grade I, Grade II, Grade III. However, the advent of the Internet meant that format would eventually be mostly abandoned in favor of G1, G2, G3. Used by TOBA itself, and most significantly by Equibase Company LLC that is the official supplier of racing information and statistics to America's Best Racing , Breeders' Cup , Daily Racing Form , NTRA , The Jockey Club , TRA, TVG , and Xpressbet . A notable exception to

341-830: The Best Equine Publication by a resident or graduate student, in addition to her own distinguished research. In 2013, UC Davis honored her with the 2013 Alumni Achievement Award "for her contributions to veterinary orthopedic research, particularly toward understanding musculoskeletal injuries of racing horses and improving racetrack safety." In 2014, she received a Founders Award from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) in recognition of her wide-ranging orthopedic research, from studies of equine and small animal surgery, to basic bone biology, musculoskeletal diseases and human orthopedics. The ACVS also noted that she had provided clinical training to 26 ACVS residents,

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372-535: The Equine Injury Database showed that the synthetic surfaces were significantly safer to racehorses. For the period of January 1, 2009 through January 31, 2013: Stover helped develop a "track in a box" to see how simulated hoof impacts are affected by different surfaces. Stover said, "In the laboratory, many new factors — for example, new surfaces and horseshoes — can be studied that optimize traction while reducing injury risk. Laboratory studies also control

403-757: The Lifetime Excellence in Research Award from the American Veterinary Medical Association . In August 2016, she was selected for induction into the University of Kentucky Equine Research Hall of Fame. Stover earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Washington State University in 1976. She then completed an internship and residency in equine surgery at UC Davis. After working in private practice in Washington state, she returned to UC Davis where she became board certified by

434-565: The United States and Canada, a graded race can be dormant for one year without losing its grade. The following races have been downgraded from Grade I status since 2010: The Donn Handicap was discontinued after its 2016 edition; its Grade I status was transferred to the Pegasus World Cup , which held its first edition in 2017 The following races have been upgraded to Grade I status since 2010: Susan Stover Susan Marie Stover

465-660: The University of Kentucky announced that she had been selected for induction into their Equine Research Hall of Fame in Lexington. In 2022, Stover delivered the Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture at the annual American Association of Equine Practitioners conference, titled “Skeletal Injuries in Equine Athletes: Pathogenesis and Training Concepts for Injury Prevention.” This lecture is highly attended and only speakers with

496-441: The change in format being the three New York Racing Association tracks. Fasig-Tipto began including grading information in 1975, Keeneland Association in 1976, and Daily Racing Form in 1978. In 1998, Canada began to grade Canadian races independently. Listed stakes were first added as a level in 2013. The American Graded Stakes Committee grades only races that: In 2008, the committee began requiring that toe grabs on

527-410: The environmental circumstances, thus avoiding the confounding of the results incurred by the multiple environmental variants in natural racetrack settings." Roughly 50% of catastrophic breakdowns involve the fetlock joint, which connects the pastern and cannon bone . When a hoof strikes a racing surface, there is some slide, which helps reduce impact forces in excess of 10,000 Newtons but increases

558-612: The field in previous years, provided the race meets the minimum purse criteria for the grade in question. In Canada, a similar grading system is maintained by the Jockey Club of Canada . Graded stakes races are similar to Group races in Europe but the grading is more dynamic in North America. A high grading can also be used by racetracks to promote the race in question. When determining Eclipse Award winners, racing journalists will consider

589-487: The graded status of a discontinued race if it is held at the same facility under essentially identical conditions as the discontinued race. For example, the inaugural running of the Pegasus World Cup in January 2017 was Grade I, inheriting the status of the discontinued Donn Handicap . There are four grade levels, from Listed at the bottom to Grade I at the top. The latter are higher-class races for bigger prizes for horses of

620-465: The improved safety record, several tracks (including Santa Anita , Del Mar and Keeneland ) that installed synthetic surfaces in the mid-2000s had switched back to natural dirt by 2015, a change that made Stover ask, "Are we making decisions based on scientific evidence, or things we don’t know much about?" She added, "From my perspective, synthetic tracks are still safer. If we modify a surface, it affects every horse that’s training or racing, and we have

651-457: The number and grade of a horse's stakes wins during the year. In general, stakes race refers to the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay, which generally forms part of the prize money offered to the top finishers. Not all stakes races are eligible for grading. Notably, races that are restricted to horses bred in a specific state (e.g., the Tiznow Stakes for California-breds) or country (e.g.,

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682-473: The opportunity to make a difference – a big difference – to those horses." In addition to racing surface and horseshoeing, Stover helped identify other risk factors for the development of fractures, including: Her research has helped lead to better early detection, monitoring of at risk-horses and changes to training methods. These include: Studies directed by her have also led to improvements in surgical repair methods in both large and small animals. She

713-421: The race to be run on the main (dirt) track. If this happens, the race is automatically downgraded by one grade level for that running only. The Committee then reviews the race within five days and may restore the original grade. For example, a Grade I turf race that is switched to the dirt will be recorded as a Grade II race, unless the committee feels the quality of the race was sufficient to warrant Grade I. In

744-572: The races that make up the Canadian Triple Crown , all restricted to Canadian-breds) are excluded, regardless of the purse or quality of field. Conversely, some races that are not technically stakes races (usually invitational races where entry fees are not required by the racetrack) may be eligible for grading if they meet the quality standards. European authorities implemented the Pattern race system in 1972 and requested that North America implement

775-483: The risk of hyperextension of the joint. If the slide is too short, fractures of the first phalanx (P1) may result. This happens most frequently on turf and may be associated with studs on the horseshoe. On the other hand, Stover said that "the more hyperextension the fetlock undergoes, the higher the stresses that are put on the structures that are failing. If we can show that certain surfaces minimize hyperextension, they should minimize catastrophic injuries." Despite

806-477: The same age and sex). Furthermore, there are "conditions" races, in which horses carry weights that are set by conditions, such as having won a certain number of races, or races of a certain value. Finally, some graded stakes are " handicaps ", in which an official handicapper assigns weights to each horse in an attempt to equalize the competition. All Grade I races must have a purse of at least $ 300,000, but not all races with such high purses are Grade I. For example,

837-402: The same age group (2, 3 or 3 and up) and may further be restricted by sex. The weight conditions of the races may vary provided they meet the committee's standards to ensure competitiveness. Many grade I races are " weight-for-age ", with weights adjusted only according to age and sex, and also there are "set weights" where all horses carry the same weight (usually applicable when all horses are of

868-472: Was a research advisor for 37 ACVS residents and was an orthopedic research supervisor of 79 graduate academic and 36 DVM students. Of her trainees, 29 went on to hold faculty positions. Colleagues stated: "I believe Dr. Sue Stover's contributions to the advancement of equine musculoskeletal health and injury prevention can only be described as monumental," and "I would consider this level of advanced training to veterinarians and ACVS residents as unparalleled." She

899-758: Was asked to testify before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection on the topic "Breeding, Drugs and Breakdowns: The State of Thoroughbred Horseracing and the Welfare of the Thoroughbred" in June 2008. She stated that although the rise in breakdowns was "devastating", there were promising initial results from the switch in California to synthetic dirt surfaces . "Given time, I'm optimistic we can prevent many more injuries," she said. Subsequent data from

930-452: Was the first female surgeon and ninth overall to be so recognized. In 2016, Stover received the Lifetime Excellence in Research Award from the American Veterinary Medical Association . "Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Stover has played a pivotal role in improving our understanding of performance-related injuries in racing horses," said Dr. Joe Kinnarney, president of the AVMA. In August,

961-468: Was wearing high toe grabs (a cleat on the front of the horseshoe designed to improve traction) on the front feet. In 2008, the graded stakes committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association adopted a rule that limited the allowable height of toe grabs on racetracks that hold graded stakes races . In response to the breakdowns of Barbaro and Eight Belles in Triple Crown races, Stover

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