Four Grade 1 races in North America have been downgraded for 2020.
The American Graded Stakes Committee reviewed 844 stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000 and assigned graded status to 448 of them – two fewer than 2019 – and listed status to 196 races.
Seven graded races were upgraded, six new grade 3 races were named, and 32 new listed races were upgraded from non-listed black-type status. Thirteen races that carried graded or listed status in 2019 are no longer eligible for grading.
No races were upgraded to grade 1 status for 2020 however, four races were downgraded from grade 1 to grade 2 – the Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park as well as the Chandelier Stakes, Santa Anita Oaks, and Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes at Santa Anita Park.