stakes race

noun

: a horse race in which the prize offered is made up at least in part of money (such as entry fees) put up by the owners of the horses entered

called also stake race

Examples of stakes race in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Del Mar will host three stakes races Saturday, topped by the first Grade I of the summer meeting — the $400,000 Bing Crosby. — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2026

This unpredictability was evident on opening weekend, where favorites won only three of eight stakes races. — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

Hardly a major stakes race takes place without one of their kids — or even their grandkids — in the starting gate. — Graham Cornwell, New York Times, 19 June 2026

The primary results on Tuesday have set up several likely high-stakes races that could determine control of Congress and statehouses in November, even though some of the day's top contests have yet to be decided. — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 2 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stakes race

• aerospace
• anatase
• anyplace
• commonplace
• cyberspace
• database
• diabase
• diastase
• dnase
• elastase
• fireplace
• hyperspace