2024 Whitney Contenders at Saratoga

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

The 97th running of the $1-million Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, August 3 offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Del Mar.

The Whitney will provide an opportunity for multiple Grade 1-winner National Treasure to further cement his place atop the older dirt male division as he returns to the scene of his scintillating Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap romp for the nine-furlong test for older horses at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, August 3.

"It's a very prestigious race - just like the Met Mile is, that's why we're in the business of competing in big races like that," said the colt's Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. "It means a lot for the owners and everyone involved. Any time you can win those big races on the East Coast it's a big deal."

The Whitney is slated as Race 11 on Saturday's 13-race program which features four additional stakes in the Grade 1, $500,000 Test Stakes presented by Ticketmaster in Race 8, the Grade 1, $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational in Race 7, the Grade 2, $300,000 Troy in Race 10, and the Listed $135,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure in Race 9. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.

National Treasure claimed divisional sovereignty last out with a 6 1/4-length trouncing of the $1 million Hill `n' Dale Metropolitan going one-mile from the Spa's Wilson Chute as part of the June 8 Belmont Stakes Day card.

The 4-year-old son of Quality Road led through each point of call under returning rider Flavien Prat to coast home geared down in a sharp final time of 1:35.12, besting a field that included Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner and last year's Whitney champ White Abarrio, along with three other graded stakes-winners. The effort was awarded a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

"He handled the ship well and he showed up," Baffert said. "He brought his 'A' game and when he brings his 'A' game, he's tough. He's been training terrific since and he looks great."

National Treasure has become the leading candidate for year-end honors with a campaign that thus far includes his Met Mile score and a similar dominant victory in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park.

This season has only built upon a strong sophomore campaign that saw National Treasure prevail in a thrilling stretch duel with Blazing Sevens to deliver Baffert his fifth Grade 1 Preakness triumph. He went on to finish off the board in a trio of Grade 1s, including the Travers in his lone appearance at the Spa, but bounced back impressively in his final start of the year to narrowly lose by a nose to Cody's Wish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Park. The latter effort garnered a career-best 107 Beyer.

National Treasure returned to Baffert's California base of Santa Anita shortly after the Met Mile, and breezed regularly over the main track there ahead of a seven-furlong move in 1:24.40 on July 21 at Del Mar.

Baffert commented on the way National Treasure has come into his own as a 4-year-old.

"He's matured and he's an older horse now," said Baffert, who won back-to-back Whitneys in 2019-20 with McKinzie and Improbable. "I think he's just getting better and I'm pretty happy with him right now."

Prat will look to secure his first Whitney triumph from post 3 aboard National Treasure, who is assigned a co-field high 124 pounds.

Godolphin's Kentucky homebred First Mission [post 5, Florent Geroux, 122 pounds] vies for his first Grade 1 victory for dual Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Brad Cox.

Cox said a top-level score could make First Mission an attractive stallion prospect.

"That is what we are looking to do," said Cox. "He's a multiple graded stakes-winner and a Grade 2-winner, he needs a Grade 1 on his resume. We'll see how he stacks up with the group Saturday."

First Mission has posted two sparkling wins this year, topped by a four-length win in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Alysheba in May at Churchill Downs that garnered a career-best 106 Beyer. The impressive off-the-pace effort was preceded by a similar open-lengths annexing of the Grade 3 Essex Handicap going the Whitney distance in March at Oaklawn Park.

Last out, First Mission was an uncharacteristic fourth in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 29 at Churchill where he set the pace under returning rider Florent Geroux and was overtaken in the final turn.

Cox said he could see no clear evidence for the non-performance.

"No excuse," said Cox. "That is why we find ourselves running back here in the Whitney. He's trained well enough for us to give him another opportunity at the Grade 1-level, we'll see how it goes."

The Street Sense 4-year-old won two of his first three starts last year, capped by his first graded coup in the Grade 3 Lexington in April at Keeneland. He did not return to the races until October, but did so in style with a gritty neck victory over next-out winner Commandperformance in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming tilt at Keeneland.

"Nice horse, bred to get better with age," said Cox. "Obviously, he missed half of his 3-year-old season. We've liked everything we've seen from him as a 4-year-old up until his last run in the Stephen Foster."

Out of the winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Elude, First Mission's second dam is Argentina's 2004 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Forty Marchanta.

Like First Mission, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Disarm [post 2, Joel Rosario, 118 pounds, one bar shoe off] seeks a return to form off an even run in the Foster last out.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Disarm returns to the scene of his best Grade 1 effort to date when finishing a willing second to Arcangelo in last year's Travers going 10 furlongs. The son of Gun Runner posted a deep rally under regular Hall of Fame pilot Joel Rosario to go from seventh-to-second at the top of the stretch. He battled on bravely down the lane but was no match for the eventual Champion 3-Year-Old.

As a sophomore, Disarm finished in the money in his first three starts - including a pair of graded tilts - ahead of a respectable fourth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. He broke through in his next outing to capture the Grade 3 Matt Winn in June at Ellis Park, his last win before finishing his campaign at the Spa with a fourth in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and his second in the Travers.

"Last year's Jim Dandy was a bit disappointing, but then he ran a very creditable race in the Travers," said Asmussen. "We're expecting to see that progression again this year."

Asmussen said Disarm rounded into form midway through last year thanks to race fitness, which he anticipates will be the case this year.

"I was disappointed in his run last out, very much so, but it's the same as last year - it takes races to get him back to where you want to be," said Asmussen. "He's a great big horse, carries a lot of weight and he's trained continuously well. We just need a better effort from him."

Disarm returned to the races in May with a wire-to-wire victory traveling 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs. He is out of the winning Tapit mare Easy Tap and is a half-brother to multiple Venezuelan Group 1-winner Tap Daddy.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will have three chances to secure his fifth Whitney victory with Grade 1-winner Bright Future [post 9, Javier Castellano, 124 pounds], Grade 2-winner Crupi [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 122 pounds] and dual graded stakes-winner Charge It [post 12, John Velazquez, 120 pounds].

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables' Bright Future looks to earn his second Grade 1 win at the Spa after capturing last year's 10-furlong Jockey Club Gold Cup by a nose over Proxy. He completed his campaign with an off-the-board finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park but returned to the winner's circle in his first start this year in Monmouth Park's Grade 3 Salvator Mile on June 15.

In the Salvator Mile, the Curlin 5-year-old looked to be defeated in the turn when running evenly in mid-pack, but responded well to urging from Hall of Famer Javier Castellano to mow down his rivals in the stretch and draw off to a 1 3/4-length score that received a 94 Beyer.

"He's already won a Grade 1 for us and the Whitney is a premier race for older horses, so that would be a huge accomplishment for him," said Pletcher. "I think with a race under his belt, if he can make another move forward, it puts him right there. But he needs to run the best race of his career."

The same ownership will also be represented by Crupi, who was last seen finishing second to the marathon division's clear leader Next in the 1 3/8-mile Grade 2 Brooklyn on July 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 4-year-old Curlin colt took a pair of listed stakes this winter at Aqueduct going the Whitney distance in the Discovery and Queens County ahead of a third in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park. He finished off-the-board in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in March, but bounced back in his next effort to capture the 10-furlong Grade 2 Suburban next out on June 8 here.

There, Crupi was well-rated six lengths off the pace early under Irad Ortiz, Jr., and was as far back as 7 1/2 lengths behind at the stretch call, but found his best stride down the stretch to roll past his foes and arrive just in time to collar Bendoog by a half-length.

"He seems to be in a good form and is running well, and there's not a lot of options for him," Pletcher said. "He's been a work in progress and we've always felt like he had talent, it's just he was always a little slow from the gate or immature. We always felt the older he got, the better he would get, and we're happy to see that turn out to be correct."

Rounding out the Pletcher trio is Whisper Hill Farm's Kentucky homebred Charge It, who finished a distant fourth in this event last year. The Tapit 5-year-old was last seen finishing off-the-board in the one-mile Listed Hanshin on June 30 at Churchill where he made his second start of the year after a third in the Grade 3 Westchester in May at the Big A.

Charge It was an eye-catching 23-length winner of the Grade 3 Dwyer as a sophomore, and, like Crupi, rounded back into form at 4 with a win in the Grade 2 Suburban last year when held at Belmont Park. He is in search of his first win in five starts since.

"I think a good trip and getting in a good rhythm is key," said Pletcher. "He's been training well and he's always shown the ability."

Multiple graded stakes-winner Skippylongstocking [post 10, Jose Ortiz, 122 pounds] has placed in three Grade 1 events and looks to build upon a third at that level last out in the Stephen Foster for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.

Campaigned by Daniel Alonso, Skippylongstocking attended the pace of the Foster under returning rider Jose Ortiz and lost position near the three-quarters call, but battled back to secure show honors 2 1/2 lengths back of the victorious Kingsbarns.

Joseph, Jr. praised the brave effort from his pupil.

"He traveled well and was in a great spot and then Kingsbarns made that early move and it looked like he [Ortiz] was out of horse," Joseph, Jr. said. "I thought Jose was going to ease him and run off the board. Jose got into him a little bit and he came on really good and at the wire, I felt like we should have run second for sure but possibly could have had the best horse on the day. When all the data came back, he had the fastest final eighth in the race. You don't see a horse be on the lead, drop back, and then run the fastest final eighth in the race - that's quite unusual."

Skippylongstocking boasts an impressive resume that includes Grade 2 wins in last year's Charles Town Classic and this year's Oaklawn Handicap, as well as Grade 3 wins in the West Virginia Derby [2022], Harlan's Holiday [2022] and Challenger [2023-24]. He has made his last five starts sitting in close stalking positions early, but Joseph, Jr. said the colt may appreciate a more strategic approach.

"Maybe we need to ride him a little more patient - if he's third, maybe sit fourth; if he's second, maybe sit third - just a little more reserved so we can utilize his speed at the right time," Joseph, Jr. said.

The eclectic and talented Whitney field also features a new shooter in the older dirt male division as the intriguing Arthur's Ride [post 11, Junior Alvarado, 118 pounds] makes his stakes bow for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott off a tremendous 10-furlong optional claiming romp here on June 7.

Campaigned by Glassman Racing, Arthur's Ride was awarded a co-field-best 111 Beyer for his dominant 12 3/4-length coup in pace-setting fashion. The win backed up another impressive showing in March when taking a one-mile tilt at Gulfstream by 7 1/2 lengths and earning a 101 Beyer for the wire-to-wire win.

Arthur's Ride's three wins have each come when holding the lead by the first half-mile call, but the colt faltered in his second start this year when soundly defeated with an off-the-pace trip in a one-mile route on May 3 at Churchill. Nevertheless, Mott said he won't rule out that the son of Tapit can still be effective without early speed.

"I don't know. We will find out. It would be a different scenario, but I don't know that he has to be on the lead, at all," said Mott. "I don't think that is the case. It's a step up in class. For sure."

Rounding out the competitive field of 12 are multiple graded stakes-winners Il Miracolo [post 6, Manny Franco, 120 pounds] for trainer Antonio Sano and Post Time [post 1, Sheldon Russell, 120 pounds] for trainer Brittany Russell; Grade 3-winner Tumbarumba [post 8, Luis Saez, 120 pounds] for conditioner Brian Lynch; and recent Spa allowance-winner Warrior Johny [post 4, Tyler Gaffalione, 118 pounds] for trainer Phil Bauer.

Skippylongstocking Possible for G1 Whitney

July 27 - Daniel Alonso's multiple graded stakes-winner Skippylongstocking worked a half-mile in company in 49.97 seconds Saturday over the Saratoga Race Course main track in preparation for a possible start in the nine-furlong Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes on Saturday, August 3.

The Saffie Joseph, Jr. trainee tracked maiden Ramesses in the easy breeze, traveling up the rail to the inside of his company in the stretch run with regular pilot Jose Ortiz aboard.

"It was a good breeze. We had him sit off his workmate a little bit and just come up inside him and finish up together," Joseph, Jr. said. "We let him go out a little bit on his own and we got that - just a chance to build his confidence and let him blow some air."

The 5-year-old Exaggerator horse, a good third in the 2022 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, was recently third in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 29 at Churchill Downs where he re-rallied to earn show honors after appearing to be all but out of contention.

Skippylongstocking, a six-time graded stakes-winner, has banked in excess of $2.3 million through a 24-8-2-5 record. Entries for the Whitney will be taken on Sunday.

Il Miracolo breezes for G1 Whitney

July 27 - Alexandres' dual Grade 3-winner Il Miracolo breezed five furlongs in 1:02 flat, according to NYRA clockers, Saturday over the fast main track, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trainer Antonio Sano confirmed the 4-year-old Gun Runner chestnut for next Saturday's nine-furlong Grade 1, $1 million Whitney, after the solo breeze under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

"Yes," Sano said regarding entering the Whitney tomorrow. "I hope the horse is good in the Whitney. No easy race, but our horse has a very good chance and I'll try."

Sano said he was pleased with today's move, completed around 9:15 a.m. in a set of blinkers, which he has sported for his last 12 starts.

"I liked the gallop out," said Sano. "John Velazquez rode the horse very easy and let him loose in the last two furlongs."

Il Miracolo has worked three times over the Spa main track including five-eighths in 1:03.69 last Saturday.

Velazquez was aboard for Il Miracolo's last two races, both 1 1/16-mile events, including a neck-victory in the Grade 3 Ghostzapper over probable returning foe Tumbarumba in March at Gulfstream Park ahead of a last-out third in the Grade 2 Alysheba in May at Churchill Downs, where he finished four lengths back of Whitney-hopeful First Mission.

Regarding Il Miracolo facing some familiar faces and other Grade 1-company, in which his best finish in three attempts was a third in the nine-furlong Pennsylvania Derby in September at Parx Racing, Sano said he has a clear plan.

"I'll try to run for the close," said Sano. "The [other] horses show speed in the race."

In his lone local effort, Il Miracolo was second to Scotland in last year's Listed Curlin traveling the Whitney distance. Elsewhere on the NYRA-circuit, he finished off-the-board in the 12-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Stakes won by Arcangelo last June at Belmont Park.

Il Miracolo, out of the graded stakes-placed Tapit mare Tapit's World, was a $70,000 purchase at the 2022 Ocala Breeders' June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Bright Future preps for Whitney Stakes

Bright Future, Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables' Grade 1-winner, posted his final work in preparation for next Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Whitney when covering a half-mile in 48.75 seconds Saturday over the Saratoga Race Course main track.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 5-year-old son of Curlin went in company with dual graded stakes-winner and Whitney possible Charge It over the fast footing.

"He worked well and I'm happy with him," said Pletcher. "Charge It also went well. I think Bright Future is training great and his works have all been solid. He's enthusiastic in his gallops."

Bright Future is in search of his second Grade 1 coup at the Spa after taking last year's 10-furlong Jockey Club Gold Cup by a nose over Proxy. He completed his campaign with an off-the-board finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park but returned to the winner's circle in his first start this year in Monmouth Park's Grade 3 Salvator Mile on June 15.

Pletcher could also be represented in the Whitney by Crupi for the same ownership. Another son of Curlin, the 4-year-old colt made the grade two starts back with a strong victory in the Grade 2 Suburban going 10 furlongs over the Spa main track on June 8 and followed with a runner-up effort to Next - the marathon division's clear leader - in the 1 3/8-mile Grade 2 Brooklyn on July 5 at Belmont at the Big A.

Pletcher said a decision has not yet been made about the chestnut's status for the Whitney, which will see its entries taken tomorrow.

"We're leaning towards running, but we haven't committed yet," said Pletcher. "I'll talk to the owners, and we'll see if we take a shot with him."

Crupi was a dual listed stakes-winner this winter at Aqueduct going the Whitney distance in the Discovery and Queens County ahead of a game third-place effort in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park. He ventured to Dubai to finish off-the-board in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in March but returned stateside to capture the Suburban next out.

Pletcher could have as many as four Whitney hopefuls with multiple graded stakes-placed Dreamlike, who worked a half-mile in 50.88 this morning over the main track, also under consideration.

Warrior Johny works with G1 Whitney under consideration

July 26 - Rigney Racing's four-time winner Warrior Johny had his first work back since a strong nine-furlong allowance win on July 11 at Saratoga Race Course when covering a half-mile in 48.16 seconds Friday over the Spa main track.

Trained by Phil Bauer, the son of Cairo Prince worked in company with promising sophomore filly Two Sharp in an eventful work that saw the latter bear out from the inside of Warrior Johny and caused the work to appear a bit choppy in the lane. Despite the jostling, Bauer said he was pleased with the fitness and composure Warrior Johny showed.

"I thought it was a good work on his part, but his counterpart was making it difficult on us this morning," said Bauer. "She was lugging out, which is new for us. We probably would have liked a little more of a visually polished work, but nonetheless, he's a great breeze horse and he helped to hold her in a bit. He cooled out great and other than how it looked, I think we accomplished what we wanted."

Warrior Johny holds a 2-for-3 record at the Spa, including his last-out allowance score by four lengths that garnered a 98 Beyer Speed Figure, and a similar nine-furlong win in 2022 that saw him dominate in prominent fashion by 8 1/2 lengths and secure a career-best 99 Beyer.

Bauer said the 5-year-old gelding's fondness for Saratoga has led him to consider giving him a try in the nine-furlong Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 3, a "Win and You're In" for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Del Mar.

"We're flirting with the idea of the Whitney and that's 23 days from his last race, so with the type of race he ran, he's where he needs to be and we're just trying to keep him happy," said Bauer of the dark bay's fitness. "You're never going to find an easy spot, but we're just making sure we make the right decision. His two best races are here, and that's one of the major things we keep coming back to."

As for Rigney Racing's Two Sharp, Bauer said the daughter of Twirling Candy may be emulating her name as she prepares to make her second start after a runner-up effort on debut in June at Churchill Downs.

"She's very talented and certainly something went amiss this morning, but we'll sort her out," said Bauer. "She had a great gate drill last week and didn't do any of that stuff, so I don't know if maybe she got confused about not going to the gate."

Two Sharp was a $925,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Distorted Humor mare Double Sharp, a half-sister to graded stakes-placed Vigilante.

Tumbarumba Eyes G1 Whitney

July 24 - Wathnan Racing's Tumbarumba, a nose winner of the one-mile Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper in January at Gulfstream Park, will make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 3, at Saratoga Race Course. The Whitney offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Del Mar.

Trained by Brian Lynch, the 4-year-old Oscar Performance gelding followed his graded coup with two narrow losses in graded company at Gulfstream, missing by a nose to Steal Sunshine under Luis Saez in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile on March 2 before Jose Ortiz guided the hard-knocking bay to a neck loss to likely returning rival Il Miracolo in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Ghostzapper.

"But the thing is, both riders stepped off him and said, 'if I had a chance to ride him again boss, I wouldn't get beat.' It's one of them things, you just have to take it on the chin," said Lynch, whose past graded winners at the Spa include Five Iron [2013 G3 Saranac], Grand Arch [2015 G2 Fourstardave] and Heart to Heart [2017 G2 Bernard Baruch Handicap].

Last out, Tumbarumba returned from a three-month respite to finish a close second to possible Whitney contender Cagliostro in the one-mile Hanshin on June 30 at Churchill Downs. There, he exited the inside post under Saez and saved ground in fourth position before tipping out for the stretch run and taking dead aim at the more prominent Cagliostro, who scored by one length.

"He had a few starts during the winter, but we gave him a freshen-up for a good summer campaign and that was his first run back," Lynch said. "We feel like he's in very good order and we'll take a chance at the Whitney."

Lynch said despite the recent narrow defeats, the resilient Tumbarumba may get knocked down, but he gets up again.

"It's a good quality," said Lynch. "He's got a lot of try in him, that's for sure."

Saez will retain the mount in the Whitney aboard Tumbarumba, who has hit the board in both previous nine-furlong stakes attempts, landing third, defeated a head, in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby in September at Remington Park and second in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic in December at Fair Grounds.

Bred in Louisiana by Coteau Grove Farms, Tumbarumba won a pair of sprints in Kentucky last year before taking the Ellis Park Derby in August at one mile out of a similar chute configuration to that of the Wilson Chute at Saratoga.

Tumbarumba is out of the winning Street Sense mare Naïve Enough, who is a full-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Light the City. Selected by Lynch for $30,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, Tumbarumba has banked $538,190 through a 15-5-5-2 ledger.

Lynch also noted that Boardshorts Stables' impressive debut maiden winner Owen Almighty will point to the seven-furlong Ellis Park Juvenile on August 11.

The 2-year-old Speightstown colt earned an 83 Beyer Speed Figure for his professional 3 1/2-length score traveling 5 1/2-furlongs on June 20 at Churchill. The $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase has breezed back three times at Churchill, including a five-eighths effort in 1:01.60 on July 20.

"It was a good debut," Lynch said. "He's trained on well and we're hoping that he can progress in the fashion we would like him to. You always have hopes and dreams you could have a little Breeders' Cup horse."

Lynch indicated a good result at Ellis Park would propel Owen Almighty to the one-mile Grade 3 Iroquois at the Churchill fall meet.

Owen Almighty is out of the graded stakes-placed Bayern mare Tempers Rising, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Mac the Man.

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).

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