2026 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes Preview

Key Takeaways:

• The Vanderbilt brings together an evenly matched group of veteran sprinters, with several horses entering in strong form and tactical speed expected to be a key advantage.
• While Built is the deserving favorite, the race features multiple improving runners capable of challenging if they continue their recent progression.
• Hymn enters on a three-race winning streak, has the ideal stalk-and-pounce running style for six furlongs, and looks ready to step up successfully into graded company.
• Just Beat the Odds projects as the pace setter, has proven graded-stakes form, and could improve significantly second off the layoff.
• Built is the class horse of the field, returns to a fast track after a strong runner-up effort in the slop, and should get an ideal stalking trip from the outside post.

Summer at Saratoga is in full swing, and older sprinters take the spotlight in the $400,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G2), a six-furlong race on the dirt. Though the race doesn’t offer a bid to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, it often has a say in major contenders, or in the sprint championship picture – last year’s winner, Book’em Danno, took down the Eclipse in the division.

The 2026 edition drew a field of eight led by Built, who was on the Kentucky Derby trail in 2025 but has found a home in sprint races. Damon’s Mound, fourth in this race last year, has found his footing against Florida-breds in recent starts and is ready to face open company again. Another leading contender is Hymn, who has found the best form of his career and carries a three-win streak into his graded-stakes debut.

Originally inaugurated as the A Phenomenon Stakes in 1985, the race was renamed for prominent Thoroughbred owner and breeder Alfred G. Vanderbilt in 2000. It has always been run at the classic dirt sprint distance of six furlongs. Important winners of the race include prepotent sires Speightstown (2004) and War Front (2006), champion sprinter Jackie’s Warrior (2022), and two-time champion sprinter Elite Power (2023).

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes Information

• Race Date: Saturday, July 25
• Track: Saratoga Race Course
• Post Time: 5:07 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: six furlongs on the dirt
• Age/Sex: ages four and up
• Where to Watch: FanDuel Racing
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes Draw and Odds

This is the field for the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds for each runner:

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes Prep Race Results

Two runners in the Vanderbilt come out of a graded-stakes race last out: Built, who finished a close second behind slop-loving Harrodsburg in the Bango (G3) at Churchill Downs on June 27. Crazy Mason stretched out to a mile for the Hanshin (G3) at Churchill Downs on June 28; he made up some ground in the lane but finished only sixth behind Nu What’s New.

Three others come out of stakes races. Hymn romped in the De Francis Dash at Laurel last out, rolling clear by 5 ½ lengths as the favorite. Damon’s Mound also comes out of a 5 ½-length stakes victory, though his came against Florida-breds in the FHBPA Sprint at Gulfstream on April 25 and he has freshened up since. Just Beat the Odds comes out of a third-place finish behind Quint’s Brew in the Alapocas run at Delaware on June 13.

The three other runners in the race come out of allowance company. Cat On Time won his 6-year-old debut July 6 at Horseshoe Indianapolis in a six-furlong allowance-level sprint. T Kraft finished only fifth as the favorite in an allowance sprint at Aqueduct on June 28. Nutella Fella has not raced since a flat seventh in an allowance sprint at Tampa Bay Downs on November 28.

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes Contenders

These are the eight runners in the Vanderbilt, in order of their post positions:

1. Damon’s Mound: This millionaire is in some of the best form of his career, coming off of two straight victories in Florida this spring. Those came in Florida-bred company, however – and he needs to prove he can carry that form against open company. He has back form against graded-stakes company, including a win in the Bold Ruler (G3) last fall – and even though he was only fourth in this race last year, the Vanderbilt drew weaker last year than this year. He has back form at Saratoga (he won the 2022 Saratoga Special (G2)), he has tactical speed, and six furlongs is his best distance. Speed from the rail can also do well, too.
2. Crazy Mason: The mile last out was longer than he usually goes, though it was a one-turn mile, and he usually does the extended one-turn distances … 6 ½ furlongs, seven furlongs. He has won at six before, in an allowance at Aqueduct last year, but it is on the short side for him. He is also pace-dependent – he reliably makes a closing run, but he always comes from the clouds, and he is really going to need fireworks between Damon’s Mound and Just Beat the Odds (and perhaps T Kraft) in order to get the setup. He makes sense for a piece underneath but probably won’t get all the way there.
3. Cat On Time: This son of Not This Time carries a three-win streak into his stakes debut. He was off for almost 10 months after winning a pair of allowances at Ellis and Churchill late last summer, but picked up where he left off with a win in an allowance sprint at Horseshoe Indianapolis on July 6. His tactical versatility is a plus, but he has class to prove, and he is going to need a career best to get the job done in this spot.
4. Just Beat the Odds: He won his graded-stakes debut in the six-furlong Elite Power last December at Aqueduct, and followed that up with a surprising close second in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) in February. He may have been a little short for his return in the Alapocas Run at Delaware last out, flattening to third after battling on the pace for much of the race. He may be a little better at 6 ½ furlongs or seven than the flat six, but especially if he can outjump (or outbattle) Damon’s Mound to his inside, he still has a strong shot second off the lay.
5. Nutella Fella: He was a Grade 1 winner at Saratoga as a juvenile in 2023. His career has been a bit more whoa than go since then. He finally had a fuller season in 2025, but his only win in six starts came at the listed level early in the year, and he was well beaten in an allowance in his last start back in November. Though this isn’t a vintage bunch for the Vanderbilt, it’s still a level to which he has had trouble running in recent times. Unless he has taken a swift turn for the better on the switch to the Joe Sharp barn, this is a lot to ask.
6. Hymn: There’s much to be said about striking while the iron is hot, and no horse comes into the Vanderbilt hotter than Hymn. He has won three straight starts from April through June, a pair of allowances and then an absolute blowout win in the De Francis Dash at Laurel on June 27. His tactical speed should get him a good trip against this field, and his recent races are all fast enough to make him a serious contender.
7. T Kraft: The second-stringer from the Bill Mott barn, he still needs to prove he isn’t just an Aqueduct horse for the course. All four of his victories so far, including a three-win hot streak last year, all came in Queens – whereas he has hit the board once in nine starts anywhere else. That second-place finish did come as a juvenile at Saratoga, which is a positive, as is the fact that high-percentage rider Flavien Prat takes the call. But, he needs to find his best form at a level where he hasn’t been able to show himself yet.
8. Built: He was on the Kentucky Derby trail last year, but this Wayne Catalano trainee has been targeted to one-turn races since his return in December and has proven successful as a sprinter. This outside draw should keep him out of trouble, and his tactical speed should give him a good place to sit without getting embroiled in a pace battle. Though he was defeated last out, it was behind a frontrunner who thrives in the slop, and he didn’t have the best start. In other words, it was a quality start, and off his form this year he looms as the horse to beat.

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes: 3 Best Bets

These are the three best bets in the 2026 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes:

1. Hymn (5-1)

Though Hymn has yet to try graded-stakes company, this is the right time to try. This Ron Moquett trainee carries a three-win streak into the race, steadily climbing from a first-level allowance win to a second-level allowance win to a listed stakes win. And, though he has never raced at Saratoga, he has shown he can take his race with him: those three consecutive wins have all come at three different tracks.

Three of Hymn’s four wins have come at the flat six furlongs, meaning the distance of the Vanderbilt is perfectly in his wheelhouse. And, from the perspective of pace, he has good tactical speed: he has settled into a nice stalk-and-pounce style in those last three starts, which is a running style that should play well in this race as well. In a race with several horses who are either inconsistent or just trying to recapture past glories, this four-year-old McKinzie gelding is an up-and-comer with all the upside in the world.

2. Just Beat the Odds (9-2)

His breakout win came last December in the six-furlong Elite Power at Aqueduct, where he battled on the pace and opened up to win by 2 ¾ lengths. He has not won in two starts since, but one was a strong second to Imagination in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) – his first overseas trip – and then he probably needed that first race back at Delaware. Second off the layoff, he has room to move forward.

From a pace perspective, this son of Munnings shapes as speed of the speed. Manny Franco has been able to get sharp pace out of him in the past, including in that Elite Power win. And, if the likes of Damon’s Mound or perhaps T Kraft try to go with him, Just Beat the Odds has a tendency of being the one to survive the pace battle – and often win the war, as well.

3. Built (8-5)

Though one would think a horse by Hard Spun out of a Curlin mare would end up finding his best at a route, there is enough sprint class in Built’s female family that it does not come as a complete surprise that he has found himself at one turn. Though he has yet to win a stakes race since his shift to becoming a sprinter, he has won three high-class allowance races in that time and missed in the Bango (G3) by just half a length to the in-form Harrodsburg, a frontrunner who relished the mud.

Now Built gets back on a dry track. The outside post in a field of eight should help him get a nice, clean trip. And, if he stalks the pace like he has in his last few starts, he should be able to track the pace and make a smart run in the lane. The one drawback is the price – he’s not so much faster than everyone else that betting him as the favorite is exciting – but in the event there is some betting chaos, and he goes off at something like 9-5 or 2-1, he’s a likely enough winner to merit a look.

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes FAQ

Q: When is the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes?

A: The Vanderbilt happens Saturday, July 25, 2026, at 5:07 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Q: Where is the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes?

A: The 2026 Vanderbilt happens at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes?

A: Steve Asmussen leads all trainers with four wins in the Vanderbilt between 2010 and 2022. Asmussen does not have a runner this year, however. Among trainers who do, Bill Mott leads with two winners, Boundary in 1994 and Elite Power in 2023. He can win again with Damon’s Mound or T Kraft this year.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes?

A: Built is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the Vanderbilt and is likely to hold that status. He was narrowly beaten in a graded sprint over slop last out, he should get a fast track this time around, and despite trying such a wide range of distances in his career he has never been off the board going six furlongs.

Q: Who is the best Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes jockey?

A: Retired rider Pat Day and active rider Javier Castellano are tied for the most wins in this race with four each. Castellano is currently out with an injury and will not ride this year. John Velazquez, who rides Crazy Mason, can tie the record if he wins. He has previously won with Boundary in 1994, Speightstown in 2004, and Justin Phillip in 2013.

Q: Who won the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes in 2025?

A: Book’em Danno won last year’s edition of the Vanderbilt for trainer Derek Ryan and jockey Paco Lopez. Neither Ryan nor Lopez returns this year; they are still the team behind Book’em Danno, but he just won the Mr. Prospector last week at Monmouth.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.