2023 Whitney Stakes Preview

A bid to the Breeders’ Cup Classic is at stake Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in the $1 million Whitney Stakes, a 1 ⅛-mile race for older horses. The race takes its name from the Whitney family, scions of horse racing in New York. Whitney-owned horses have won many of the biggest races of the American turf, and both Harry Payne Whitney and C. V. Whitney owned horses who won this race in the days when it was known as the Whitney Handicap.

Though the early August handicap division feature drew a field of just six, some of the best horses in training are in the running, befitting its status as a major race in the older dirt division. Cody’s Wish, the best dirt horse in training, leads the field. He comes off of a tour de force win in the Met Mile, but still needs to prove he can get 1 ⅛ miles. Stars like Zandon, Charge It, and White Abarrio will make sure it is not an easy task.

Whitney Stakes Information

• Race Date: Saturday, August 5
• Track: Saratoga Race Course
• Post Time: 5:42 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 ⅛ miles
• Age/Sex: four-year-olds and upward
• Where to Watch: Fox, TVG.com
• Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

2023 Whitney Stakes Draw and Odds

This is the field for the Whitney at Del Mar.

Whitney Stakes Prep Race Results

The field for the Whitney comes out of four different races, all of which are graded stakes. The top three from the Met Mile (G1) on Belmont Stakes day each stretch out for the Whitney. The winner of that race was Cody’s Wish, who settled near the rear and made a breathtaking rally to win by 3 ¼ lengths. Second-place Zandon, who also got a closing run that day, returns for the rematch. White Abarrio, who chased midfield after a poor start, chased on for third behind that pair.

The only other runner to come out of Grade 1 company, and the only one to come out of an off-the-board finish, is Last Samurai; he most recently ran fourth behind the now-retired West Will Power in the Foster (G1) on July 1. Charge It, who ran fourth in the Met Mile this year, has run once since: he got back into winning form when stretching out for the Suburban (G2) at Belmont Park on July 8. Giant Game, the last-out winner of the Cornhusker (G3) over Skippylongstocking at Prairie Meadows, rounds out the field.

Whitney Stakes Contenders

These are the six contenders in the 2023 Whitney Stakes, in order of post position.

1. Zandon: Zandon has not won a race since the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland last spring, over the same distance as the Whitney, but has not won in seven starts since. He has been consistent, never out of the superfecta in any of those seven starts. Those include a second-place finish in the Jim Dandy (G2) over this course and distance last year. The Chad Brown trainee is also versatile enough to be able to get a good trip from near the pace, at the rear, or anywhere in between. But, he always gets bet, he always comes up a bit short, and he makes more sense for underneath rungs yet again.
2. Charge It: Conditioned by New York stalwart Todd Pletcher, he has built a reputation as a bit of a money burner after it took so long for him to win again after his 23-length Dwyer (G3) romp last year at Belmont. The good news is, he finally got the job done last out in the Suburban (G2). And, his races consistently come back fast enough to be a factor against this field. The bad news is, that was also at Belmont, which raises questions about whether he can find his best elsewhere. That was also at 1 ¼ miles against a softer field. All in all, he will probably be an underlay on top once again, though he would be no surprise for a piece of exotics.
3. Giant Game: After two straight wins against softer company, Giant Game tries top-level company for the first time since a third-place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) in 2021. The Dale Romans trainee set the pace in each of those last two races, suggesting that is where aggressive rider Luis Saez will send him. Drawn outside of Charge It, he has a good chance to get the lead if he wants, though his maiden race suggests that he could possibly do well with an outside stalking trip, too. More than anything, the question is whether his last race was for real: if he can replicate or build upon that big first-off-the-lay effort, he fits. If he regresses, he won’t.
4. Last Samurai: This D. Wayne Lukas trainee is better at Oaklawn than anywhere else, which is a concern here. To his credit, his late-chasing fourth in the Foster at Ellis last out was not bad, and he has racked up over a million dollars going nine furlongs. Even so, the Oaklawn version of Last Samurai would need to show up while racing at Saratoga, and this five-year-old is experienced enough to suggest that is unlikely to happen.
5. White Abarrio: Last year’s Florida Derby (G1) winner made good account in his first start since switching from the Saffie Joseph, Jr. barn to the Rick Dutrow barn, chasing on for third behind Cody’s Wish in the Met Mile despite a tough start. However, he has been hit or miss at this nine-furlong distance: he won the Florida Derby over this trip and was second in the Ohio Derby, but has also been off the board three times at the trip. It is a positive to see him paired with Irad Ortiz, Jr., though: not only is he the leading rider at the Spa, but they paired up to finish a good, tactical third in the Cigar Mile last year.
6. Cody’s Wish: On form, he is the one to beat. He should get a clean outside trip, he has never finished off the board in 13 career starts, and his only defeat in his last ten came when he was second beaten a neck in the Challenger (G3) last year. However, the Challenger was his last start at more than a mile, and he was a well-beaten third in a maiden race at Saratoga Race Course in his only nine-furlong try. On paper, this son of Curlin should handle the distance, and he has improved enough in the last year to suggest he is a far different horse than he was the last time he tried over a mile. He is the most likely winner of the race, but the distance question makes the odds-on price less than appealing.

Whitney Stakes FAQ

Q: When is the Whitney Stakes?
A: The Whitney takes place Saturday, August 5, 2023, at 5:42 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race is carded as the tenth of 12 on the Saturday card.

Q: Where is the Whitney Stakes?
A: It takes place at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Whitney Stakes?
A: John M. Gaver. Sr. won the Whitney five times between 1942 and 1958, including with stars like Tom Fool and Devil Diver. Among trainers entered in the 2023 edition, Todd Pletcher leads with four victories between 2002 and 2022. He sends out Charge It. D. Wayne Lukas (Last Samurai) is the only other trainer with multiple wins, as he has taken the Whitney twice; Dale Romans (Giant Game) has won once.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Whitney Stakes?
A: Cody’s Wish is the 1-2 morning line favorite. Given his dominant recent form, and despite the distance questions, he should be a heavy favorite at post time.

Q: Who is the best Whitney Stakes jockey?
A: Pat Day and Jerry Bailey, both retired, lead all jockeys with five wins in the Whitney. Among jockeys in this year’s race, John Velazquez leads with four wins between 2022 and 2013. Three of those came for Todd Pletcher, who trains his mount this year, Charge It. Irad Ortiz, Jr. (White Abarrio) has won this race three times, Joel Rosario (Zandon) has won twice, and Junior Alvarado (Cody’s Wish) has won once.

Q: Who won the Whitney Stakes in 2022?
A: Life Is Good won the 2022 Whitney Stakes for trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. Pletcher sends out Charge It in 2023 with John Velazquez in the saddle; Ortiz takes the call on White Abarrio for Rick Dutrow.