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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Monday’s special Labor Day card features two $100,000, dirt stakes races — the one-mile Tranquility Lakes for older fillies and mares and the Generous Portion, a 5½-furlong sprint for Cal-bred 2-year-old fillies. Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025 Rather than running to complete that term, De La Vega chose to pursue Seat 6, leaving Seat 4 wide open—and further intensifying what is already a high-stakes race. Veronica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2025 The meet features 64 stakes races, including 18 Grade 1s, and is packed with deep maiden special weights, competitive allowance races, and hard-to-predict turf contests. Jared Welch, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 With just two career starts, neither in a stakes race, this is not your typical Baffert entry. Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for stakes race

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stakes race.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stakes%20race. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.

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