2023 Whitney Contenders at Saratoga

2023 Whitney offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic

Cody's Wish, Godolphin's multiple Grade 1-winner, brings a six-race win streak into the 96th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney for older horses going nine furlongs at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, August 5.

The Whitney is a "Win And You're In" qualifying event for the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on November 4 at Santa Anita and headlines Saturday's action-packed program. With five stakes consisting of purses in excess of $2.53 million, Whitney Day features two other Grade 1 events with the $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational for 3-year-olds going 1 3/16 miles over the Mellon turf and the $500,000 Test for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs over the main track. Also featured on the card is the Grade 3, $300,000 Troy for 4-year-olds and upward going 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon turf; and $135,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure for 4-year-olds and upward going 1 1/16 miles over turf.

Cody's Wish, who boasts a record of 13-9-1-3 and field-high earnings of $2,328,530, will attempt to add a fifth consecutive Grade 1 triumph to his ledger. After launching his run of winning form in last year's Grade 3 Westchester at Belmont Park and Churchill Downs' Hanshin Cup last July, Cody's Wish defeated 2021 Champion Sprinter Jackie's Warrior in the Forego last August at Saratoga. The bay son of Curlin passed the two-turn test when capturing the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in November at Keeneland, defeating dual Grade 1-winner Cyberknife by a head. Six months later, he commenced his 5-year-old season with more Grade 1 glory in the seven-furlong Churchill Downs on the May 6 Kentucky Derby undercard.

The son of multiple Champion-producing stallion Curlin arrives at the Whitney from a 3 1/4-length victory in the Hill `n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap where he equaled a career-high 112 Beyer Speed Figure while besting returning rivals

Zandon and White Abarrio. He will attempt to become the first horse to sweep the Met-Mile Whitney double since fellow Godolphin color-bearer Frosted [2016].

Cody's Wish vies for his first triumph past one mile in the Whitney, which will be his first start going nine furlongs since a third-place finish as a maiden during his 3-year-old campaign in July 2021 at Saratoga.

"We have reason to believe he could do it," said Mott. "He's come a long way. He was terribly green when we ran him at three in his first few races. He just didn't know whether to go forward or that sort of thing."

Cody's Wish brings along a heartwarming story with him being named after Cody Dorman, who was born with the rare genetic disorder Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome and is unable to walk or communicate without utilizing a tablet. Dorman and his family visited Godolphin's Gainsborough Farm during Keeneland's Make-A-Wish Day in 2018, where he met a young Cody's Wish, and the two instantly formed a strong bond.

"Every time you bring a horse over like this, you stand the risk of getting beat," Mott said. "There's always somebody that's an up and coming horse and we certainly respect all the competition. This is a very good horse and hopefully for our sake, he can go on. There's a great story that goes with him with Cody Dorman, so the whole scenario turns out to be very special."

A Kentucky homebred, Cody's Wish is out of the Tapit mare Dance Card who also produced graded stakes winner Endorsed. He is a direct descendant of influential matriarch La Troienne.

Junior Alvarado, who captured the 2014 Whitney aboard Moreno, has been aboard Cody's Wish since capturing last year's Westchester and retains the mount aboard the 1-2 morning line favorite from post 6.

"He hasn't been a great horse in the starting gate, so it's probably not a bad thing for him to be on the outside - he doesn't have to wait around in there long," Mott said. "He's gotten just a little anxious in there and he gets a little strong-headed sometimes in the gate. It's better to be out there, I think."

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle Whisper Hill Farm's Kentucky homebred Charge It, who was a last-out winner of the Grade 2 Suburban on July 8 at Belmont Park. The 4-year-old Tapit gray colt was in command throughout most of the 10-furlong journey, building on his advantage en route to a 4 3/4-length score while garnering a 106 Beyer.

Pletcher, who campaigned previous Whitney victors Left Bank [2002], Lawyer Ron [2007], Cross Traffic [2013] and Life Is Good [2022], said the Suburban was Charge It's most professional race yet.

"He broke alertly, rated kindly and took over when Johnny asked him to. He got into a good rhythm and stayed focused," Pletcher said. "He's starting to put everything together consistently. It's a very tall order to go up against the best older horses in training, but we're happy with the way that he's coming into it. He's a horse that when you watch him train, you think he can do about anything."

Charge It, the 5-1 morning line third choice, will leave from post 2 in rein to Hall of Famer John Velazquez, who piloted Pletcher's first three Whitney winners to victory as well as Commentator in 2008.

Jeff Drown's Grade 1 winner Zandon will attempt to turn the tables on Cody's Wish after finishing a late-closing second in the Met Mile for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown. The son of Upstart, who finished third in the 2016 Whitney, seeks his first trip to the winner's circle since capturing the Grade 1 Blue Grass last April at Keeneland, but has finished on the board in 6-of-7 starts since that effort. He rounded out the trifecta in last year's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga and also finished second in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.

Brown praised the 4-year-old dark bay for his ability to adapt to different racetracks.

"He's performed well at several tracks and luckily he's handled this track well," Brown said. "He's just an all-around top-quality horse and I have a lot of respect for the horse. I hope he has his day to put his head in front. I know he has come up short in some really big races, but he has so much heart and tries so hard and he has so much ability that I just feel he will have his day. Hopefully, it's Saturday."

Bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, the $170,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the Creative Cause mare Memories Prevail, who is a half-sister to dual graded stakes-winner Cairo Memories.

Joel Rosario, a two-time Whitney winning rider, will ride Zandon from post 1. He is the 9-2 morning line second choice.

Trainer Dale Romans will seek his first Whitney triumph since Roses in May [2004] when he sends out West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stable's Giant Game [post 3, Luis Saez, 20-1]. The 4-year-old dark bay showed newfound frontrunning dimensions in a victory two starts back in a 1 3/16-mile allowance on May 11 at Churchill Downs and parlayed that style into a three-quarter length triumph in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Cornhusker on July 8 at Prairie Meadows.

Like Giant Game, Roses in May also entered the Whitney from a Cornhusker conquest.

"History repeats itself, and we're trying to do it again," Romans said.

Giant Game was highly regarded during his juvenile season, which included a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar at 21-1 odds. He finished eighth in both of his starts at 3 in Gulfstream Park's Grade 3 Holy Bull last February and Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby last March before a 10-month respite.

"It was never anything serious. He just had some nagging things that kept him off track," Romans said. "He's finally back training and running on a regular basis. I think we're going to see even better out of him. He looks really good. He came in and jogged great. He looks like he's ready to roll."

From the final crop of prolific stallion Giant's Causeway, Giant Game is out of the multiple stakes-placed More Than Ready mare Game for More, and is a half-brother to dual graded stakes-winner Isotherm. He was a $500,000 purchase at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale.

C Two Racing Stable and Antonio Pagnano's White Abarrio [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr. 6-1] ran a career-high 106 Beyer when third to Cody's Wish in the Met Mile in his first start for trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr.

The 4-year-old gray son of Race Day was previously a 4 1/2-length winner of a one-turn mile allowance on March 4 at Gulfstream Park over next out winners Weyburn and Collaborate. White Abarrio boasts a prominent win going the Whitney distance in last year's Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, which came before finishing 16th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

Bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, White Abarrio is out of the Into Mischief mare Catching Diamonds, who is a half-sister to multiple Group 3-winner Cool Cowboy.

Legendary Hall of Fame horseman D. Wayne Lukas will pursue his first Whitney victory since saddling Criminal Type in 1990 when sending out Willis Horton Racing's Last Samurai [post 4, Flavien Prat, 15-1].

The 5-year-old Malibu Moon chestnut won last year's Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap while being trained by Dallas Stewart and captured this year's Grade 3 Razorback in February and Grade 3 Essex in March, both at Oaklawn Park, for Lukas. He enters from a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster on July 1 at Ellis Park.

Through a record of 27-6-5-4, Last Samurai has banked $2,178,614 in lifetime earnings. Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Last Samurai was bought for $175,000 at the 2020 OBS March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. He is out of the graded stakes placed First Samurai mare Lady Samuri.

The Whitney is one of Saratoga's marquee events and pays homage to one of the Spa's most influential families, who for generations has had a profound effect on horse racing in upstate New York and nationwide. The prominent Whitney family's involvement in thoroughbred racing began with Jockey Club co-founder William Collins Whitney, who began owning thoroughbreds in 1898. John Hay "Jock" Whitney and Helen Hay Whitney campaigned horses under the moniker of Greentree Stables, who hold the record for most victories in the family's namesake race with six winners. Harry Payne "H.P." Whitney won the 1930 Whitney with Whichone, while his son Cornelius Vanderbilt "C.V." Whitney owned Whitney winners Equipoise [1932], Counterpoint [1952], State Dinner [1980] and Silver Buck [1982]. Horses owned by members of the Whitney family have gone on to win nearly every major horse race in North America, including all three American classics. Marylou Whitney carried on the legacy until her passing in 2019.

The Whitney is slated as Race 10 [5:42 p.m. Eastern] on Saturday's 12-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m.

The Whitney has been won by subsequent Champion Older Horses Knicks Go (2021), Improbable (2020), Gun Runner (2017), Honor Code (2015), Blame (2010), Lawyer Ron (2007), Invasor (2006), Left Bank (2002), Lemon Drop Kid (2000), Victory Gallop (1999), Criminal Type (1990) and Slew o' Gold (1984). Prominent Whitney victors during the early years of the race include all-time greats Equipoise (1932), Discovery (1934-36), War Admiral (1938), Stymie (1946), Tom Fool (1953), Carry Back (1962), Kelso (1961, 1963, 1965), Dr. Fager (1968) and Alydar (1978).

Cody's Wish `smooth as silk' in final breeze for G1 Whitney

July 30 - If there is such a thing as perfect, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said he saw it in Godolphin's Cody's Wish's final half-mile tune up for Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course . The Whitney offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Santa Anita Park.

Under clear skies and temperatures in the 60s, Cody's Wish visited the Oklahoma training track following the renovation break under Neil Poznansky and clocked the first quarter mile in 24 2/5 seconds before finishing in 48.28 seconds. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 and seven furlongs in 1:27.

"I thought it was perfect. If there is such a thing as a perfect work. Neil did a perfect job. The warm up was good, the breeze went well, he went off easily enough," Mott said. "He was off in 12 and 2 or 3. He came home well. He let him off the bridle a little bit at the eighth pole and he finished up his last quarter very nicely. We didn't make him gallop out too much today, obviously. We're right on top of the race."

Mott said Cody's Wish can be a difficult horse to work and credited Poznansky for his safe hands and good judgment.

"He's not easy to work because he can go too fast. You have to have someone on him that knows what they're doing," Mott said. "He looked beautiful when he was working. He was smooth as silk. But fortunately, we have someone as talented and experienced as Neil. Even he says the horse is a little bit difficult to judge in his works how fast he's going because he does it so easily, you don't realize how fast he's going sometimes. He's not the only horse that's been that way. Usually, you'll find the occasional good horse that's hard to read how fast they're going."

Cody's Wish, a Kentucky homebred, will attempt his seventh straight victory when he lines up in the nine-furlong Whitney. The Curlin bay horse enters from four consecutive Grade 1 scores, taking last year's Forego at Saratoga and the two-turn Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile before making his 5-year-old debut a winning one in the seven-furlong Churchill Downs on May 6. He last raced when capturing the Hill `n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 10 at Belmont Park.

Cody's Wish will look to be the first horse to sweep the Met Mile-Whitney double since fellow Godolphin color-bearer Frosted in 2016.

2022 Blue Grass-winner Zandon works for G1 Whitney

July 30 - Jeff Drown's Zandon worked a half-mile in 49.24 seconds Sunday over the Spa's main track in preparation for Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Whitney, a nine-furlong route for older horses. The Whitney offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Santa Anita Park.

"The breeze went super and the horse is doing great. I'm looking forward to running him," said four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, who is in search of his first Whitney win.

The 4-year-old Upstart colt captured the Grade 1 Blue Grass last April at Keeneland en route to a close third-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby when 1 1/2-lengths back of the victorious Rich Strike. He has hit the board in 5-of-6 starts since the Derby - all in graded events - including a last-out second to returning Whitney rival Cody's Wish in the Grade 1 Hill `n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 10 at Belmont Park.

Brown said Zandon will benefit from a return to two-turns after showing determination to best Grade 1-winner White Abarrio by a head for place honors in the Met Mile.

"I was very pleased with his effort. He showed a lot of heart to be second. Clearly, he was second best in the race. Cody's Wish is arguably the best dirt horse in training in this country, so a lot of respect for him," Brown said. "Our horse is doing fine and I think he's better around two turns. He's got a tall order here. It probably won't be a big field, but it's a very strong field with Cody's Wish and some other top horses. He's got his work cut out for him, but I really like the way the horse is doing and I like him at a mile and an eighth. I think that's his best distance. I'm just hoping he runs the race of his life and is able to spring an upset."

Zandon, who sports a record of 11-2-5-3 for purse earnings in excess of $1.7 million, made two Spa starts last summer - both in events won by eventual Champion 3 Year-Old Colt Epicenter - when second in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and third in the Grade 1 Travers.

Bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, the $170,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the Creative Cause mare Memories Prevail, who is a half-sister to dual graded stakes-winner Cairo Memories.

Other notables on the work tab Sunday for Brown were Champion Female Sprinter Goodnight Olive, who worked a half-mile in 48.03 over the main track and Grade 1 Diana-winner Whitebeam, who went a half-mile in 48.88 over the Oklahoma training turf.

West Will Power breezes for potential G1 Whitney start

July 29 - Gary and Mary West's Grade 1-winning Kentucky homebred West Will Power worked five-eighths in 1:02.24 in company with stakes-placed Tapit Shoes over the Oklahoma training track Saturday with an eye towards next Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Whitney, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Brad Cox and piloted through the breeze by Flavien Prat, the 6-year-old Bernardini horse worked to the outside of his sophomore stablemate, who was last seen finishing ninth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

"It was good. They broke off a little slow, but finished up and galloped out great," Cox said of the 5:40 a.m. breeze over a fast Oklahoma training track. "He always gallops out well - that's the best part of his works each week."

Cox said West Will Power, last-out winner of the Grade 1 Stephen Foster on July 1 at Ellis Park, is not definite for the nine-furlong Whitney as of yet and that the millionaire multiple graded stakes-winner could also come under consideration for the 10-furlong Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 2 at the Spa. Both the Whitney and Jockey Club Gold Cup offer a "Win and You're In" berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Santa Anita Park.

"It's a very prestigious race. It means a lot," said Cox, regarding the Whitney. "We'll see how things unfold after this work and make a decision a little bit later. We'll speak with the West team and come up with a plan.

"We could come back here a mile and a quarter. I've always thought that might be something he wants to do," Cox continued. "I'm just going to continue to watch him and make sure he's on top of his game."

Cox indicated he will look for an allowance race for Tapit Shoes.

West Will Power made the grade in the Grade 2 Fayette in October at Keeneland and added the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic to his ledger in March at Fair Grounds. He boasts a record of 17-7-7-1 for purse earnings in excess of $1.7 million.

Charge It Feeling Good in Preps for 2023 Whitney (G1)

Whisper Hill Farm's homebred Charge It went a half-mile in 48.77 seconds this morning over the Saratoga Race Course main track in his final tune up for next Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Whitney.

Trained by Hall of Famer and four-time Whitney winning trainer Todd Pletcher, Charge It, enters the prestigious nine-furlong test from a 4 3/4-length win in the 10-furlong Grade 2 Suburban on July 8 at Belmont Park, where the son of multiple Champion-producing stallion Tapit registered a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

"I thought it was excellent. He did it well in hand and looked good doing it. I've been very pleased with the way he's trained since the Suburban," said Pletcher, who campaigned previous Whitney winners Left Bank [2002], Lawyer Ron [2007], Cross Traffic [2013] and Life Is Good [2022].

The Suburban victory was a redemptive one for Charge It, who was fourth in the Grade 1 Hill `N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 10 at Belmont after finishing fifth as the favorite in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 22.

During his sophomore campaign, Charge It finished a game second to White Abarrio in his stakes debut in the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, which propelled him to a start in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby five weeks later. He finished 17th-of-20 in the Kentucky Derby, but made amends next out with a 23-length conquest of the Grade 3 Dwyer at Belmont Park, which garnered a career-high 111 Beyer.

"He's a horse that's always trained really strongly and shown hints that he's capable to run a big race," Pletcher noted. "His Dwyer was brilliant. His Suburban, I thought, was his most professional race. He's starting to put it all together consistently. It's a very tall order going up against the best older horses in training, but we're happy with the way he's coming into it."

Charge It is out of the Indian Charlie mare I'll Take Charge, whose Grade 1-winning and producing dam Take Charge Lady was the mother of 2013 Champion 3-Year-Old Colt Will Take Charge, Grade 1-winner Take Charge Indy and Charming - the dam of Grade 1-winning millionaire Omaha Beach and 2014 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Take Charge Brandi.

Smile Happy on target for G1 Whitney

July 28 - Trainer Kenny McPeek confirmed Lucky Seven Stable's graded stakes winner Smile Happy for next Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Whitney at Saratoga Race Course, but his Grade 1-winning stablemate for the same owner Rattle N Roll will take his show on the road.

The nine-furlong Whitney offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Santa Anita Park.

Both Rattle N Roll [2nd] and Smile Happy [5th] last raced in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Stephen Foster on July 1 at Ellis Park. McPeek said Rattle N Roll will target either the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga or the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Both races are run at 10 furlongs on September 2 and are "Win and You're In" qualifiers for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Smile Happy, who captured the Grade 2 Alysheba on May 5 at Churchill Downs, got his first glimpse of the Oklahoma training track on Friday.

"He galloped really well this morning over the Oklahoma track," McPeek said. "This was his first day here. We stood him in the gate, backed him out and gave him some gate schooling. He did well."

Smile Happy last breezed on July 22 at Churchill Downs, completing a half-mile move in 49 seconds flat.

"We've had plenty of work into him at Churchill. He had a work days ago with a long, strong gallop and I don't know that we'll breeze him at all," McPeek said.

Smile Happy earned a career-high 110 Beyer Speed Figure from his Alysheba conquest, defeating Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup winner Art Collector and next-out Grade 1 Stephen Foster winner West Will Power by two lengths. He kicked off his 4-year-old season on March 16 with an optional-claiming triumph over a sloppy and sealed Oaklawn Park main track in his first start since finishing eighth in last year's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. During his juvenile campaign, he captured the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs.

McPeek described the 4-year-old son of medication-free stallion Runhappy as a quirky horse that likes doing things his own way.

"He's a bit of an alpha. He wants to run the show, but the talent is unquestioned," McPeek said.

McPeek said Smile Happy will be ridden by jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr.

Smile Happy, bought for $185,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Select Sale, is out of the Pleasant Tap mare Pleasant Smile.

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