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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web This high-stakes race between the helicopter scout and the science rover will continue for kilometers. IEEE Spectrum, 8 Apr. 2023 Both Assembly incumbents and all but one candidate generally aligned with the current majority had wide leads in high-stakes races for several Assembly seats on the ballot in this year’s Anchorage city election, preliminary results posted Tuesday night show. Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Apr. 2023 The $1 million Florida Derby headlines the biggest day of the Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park with 10 stakes races. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 1 Apr. 2023 And the high-stakes race is the most expensive state Supreme Court race ever. Sarah Ewall-wice, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2023 Expert analysis and behind-the-scenes coverage by FanDuelTV’s staff of the 13-race card includes six stakes races. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2023 The $1 million stakes race is the lead-in to Saturday's 148th Kentucky Derby. Steve Bittenbender, The Courier-Journal, 4 May 2022 The 5-year-old horse sired by Speightstown highlights a field of 10 for the $1 million 1 ⅛ stakes race. Steve Bittenbender, The Courier-Journal, 4 May 2022 Featured stakes race comes early in Race 2 likely because Lone Rock will be 1-to-10. Ed Derosa, The Courier-Journal, 2 May 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stakes race.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stakes race was in 1895

Dictionary Entries Near stakes race

Cite this Entry

“Stakes race.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stakes%20race. Accessed 1 Jun. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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