Source:  TJCIS

North American Listed Stakes Races to Undergo Further Review Annually

The North American International Catalogue Standards Committee (NAICSC) today announced that all Listed stakes races in the United States and Canada will undergo further review of their Listed status annually by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s American Graded Stakes Committee (AGSC) and the Canadian Graded Stakes Committee (CGSC), respectively, beginning in 2012. 

Currently, North American stakes races with a minimum purse value of $75,000 available to all starters that close 72 hours in advance and have no restrictions receive Listed status in catalogues for sales organized by Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers (SITA) members. Restrictions that prevent a race from receiving Listed status include any conditions that tend to exclude runners of greater quality for considerations other than sex or age.

Listed races are reviewed annually for possible upgrade to Grade III status. Under the new procedures, Listed stakes will also be reviewed for possible downgrade by removal of their Listed status. Races that lose their Listed status would still qualify for non-Listed black-type in SITA catalogues.

Listed races for 2012 in the United States and Canada will be initially reviewed at the 2012 meetings of the AGSC and the CGSC. The committees will apply the same technique and information, including fact-based statistical analysis, that is used during their annual evaluation of Graded Stakes races. Races not deemed to be of Listed quality using this process will lose their Listed status beginning in 2013.

In addition, during 2012 the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association has been charged by the NAICSC with investigating options for further quality control measures for non-Listed black-type races.