1 million {dollars}, grade 1 Whitney Stakes Saturdays on the Saratoga race course proceed to win a few of the greatest Longin Breeders Cup Traditional Division Horse every year. 2025 is certainly no exception. Eight of the ten horses who entered “Win and You are In” are billionaires, together with 2024 Rondyne’s basic winner Sierra Leone (over $6.2 million), who completed second within the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes in a latest race.
He was second in final 12 months’s Longines Traditional to be ferocious (over $4.5 million), and after ending the runner-up within the Hill “N” Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June seventh, he stretched over Whitney’s 1 1/8 mile distance, excellent for 2 begins. Mindframe (over $1.8 million) defeated Sierra Leone at Foster after successful the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes introduced by Ford within the Kentucky Derby Undercard. White Arario (simply $7 million) gained the 2023 Whitney and Longins Traditional and the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes in January, and not too long ago completed fourth within the Metropolitan Handicap. SkippylOngStocking (over $3.6 million) gained its latest begin in Might, the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup Cup Stakes. Highland Falls (over $1.3 million) gained the Grade 1 Jockey Membership Gold Cup Stakes at Saratoga final September, successful after almost eight months of off. Posttime (over $1.3 million) completed second within the Grade 1 Massive Ass Fan Breeders Cup dust mile final fall, and was embarrassed to get second in Whitney in 2024. Disarm (over $1.4 million) gained third-year Matt Winn shares in 2023, successful two of 9 races, however neither had any stakes. Mama Gold gained the Empire Traditional Steaks (New York Breed solely) at Whitney’s distance final October, however didn’t win his final 4 races. The other ideas shut the sphere and rise at school after successful the first-level allowance race in June.
Evaluation and candidates:
Earlier than we get deeper into the candidate evaluation, there are two very attention-grabbing issues that nearly soar off the web page once we first noticed this 12 months’s Whitney Subject. Please suppose the alternative at first. This castration is educated by Chad Brown, who saddles Sierra Leone, and is owned by Peter Brandt, a part of Sierra Leone. The other ideas have been 5 runs, not previous a mile, not almost two turns. He gained the first-level allowance race in his latest begin. He wins that race when he leads from begin to end, and contemplating that Sierra Leone has a quick, quick tempo, and fast-speed horses do not simply get the lead, the alternative considering have to be entered to make sure an trustworthy tempo for Sierra Leone to capitalize. The second very attention-grabbing word is about Mindframe, which gained the Churchill Downs Stakes in Might and Stephen Foster Stakes in June. In Mindframe is Jose Gomez, who has been appointed to journey by Jose Jose Gomez, who has by no means ridden a horse earlier than. Coach Todd Plecher mentioned Mindframe is more likely to make his subsequent begin on the Jockey Membership Gold Cup Stakes at Saratoga on the finish of August. Corridor of Fame John Velazquez receives his project in Mindframe.
With these two essential components in thoughts, I’ve to begin Sierra Leone Particularly if Mindframe withdraws, as one thing to beat at Whitney this 12 months. Sierra Leone gathered bravely within the Stephen Foster Stakes in his most up-to-date race, dropping size to the thoughts body whereas clearing one other high quality runner on his first mission. That was his first begin after a three-month vacation, however regardless of coming in second, Sierra Leone improved to a career-high 117 horse speeds. That quantity is one level greater than the 116 Sierra Leone gained the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Traditional. With its third begin in 2025, Sierra Leone has managed to enhance its latest 117 Equibase figures. Particularly as a result of he units early tempo within the ultimate six races and has a powerful early velocity operating within the type of Mother’s gold, together with his profession victory from begin to begin.
White Arario He gained his 20 profession start-ups on a quick dust observe, however could possibly be gained at Whitney this 12 months. In the course of the 2023 run of this race, White Arario chased the pacesetter second within the first three quarters of a mile, then simply gained by 6¼ size, incomes a career-high 122 horse velocity determine. Three years later, at age six, he nonetheless has a gradual stake, successful the Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January with 110-man numbers. Jockey Irado Ortiz Jr. is using the horse’s ultimate 5 wins, together with Whitney in 2023, and he (alongside together with his agent) selected the white Arario over the skippill stockings he gained within the Hollywood Gold Cup in Might. It must also be famous that Ortiz Jr. rode Mindframe into three staged stakes victory this 12 months.
Some readers could shock you Posting time The horse I take into account in my likelihood to put up an upset at Whitney this 12 months, however others could agree, contemplating that in 18 races the horse has by no means been worse than third place. As talked about above, he completed his neck behind Clupi, who completed runner-up within the 25-1 Obs at Whitney final 12 months. Posttime scored a horse velocity determine of 108 in that race, after which proved as soon as once more that he belonged to second in 115 digits within the Breeders’ Cup dust mile final fall.
Concern It has been proven to be a talented horse athlete with 5 consecutive first or second-place efforts in a rated stake. He started his successful streak over a 12 months in the past when Mohegan Solar gained the Jim Dandy Stakes with a 108-horsepower determine (which completed one size in entrance of Sierra Leone) in Saratoga, successful a draft Kings Traverse stake with 111 individuals figures final August, beating Trepode Anna’s Occasion Horse in 2018. Sierra Leone pointed the enemy desk on the enemy once they gained the Breeders’ Cup Traditional for 1½ size final November, however embraced the ferociousness by successful the 114 quantity. After making his 4-year-old debut in Might and 6 months off, Fierceness has gained the Alysheba Stakes introduced by a sensory jet together with his new career-best 117 figures. He then minimize it to a mile final month because of a Metropolitan handicap. At Whitney, he must be fiercely aggressive as he returns to an undefeated mile and a half in two begins.
The opposite horse I point out is SKIPPYLONGSTOCKINGappeared nearly each time he ran, ending within the high three in 9 of his final 12 races. Irad Ortiz Jr. was within the saddle of that race and was changed by his brother Jose Ortiz for Whitney. Jose skipped stocking his 2024 victory on the Charlestown Traditional Stakes and Oak Garden Handicap, successful 115 and 116 Equibasey figures in every race. The one query mark with him surrounds the truth that SkippylongStocking completed third, fifth, sixth and third in his ultimate 4 tries at this Grade 1 stakes degree.
The remainder of Whitney Subject has the most effective horse charge speeds, Reverse ideas (95), Disarming (107), Highland Falls (113), Mother’s cash (117) and Thoughts Body (118).
Earn candidates so as of precedence:
Sierra Leone
White Arario
Posting time
