2023 Forego Stakes Preview

Older sprinters take the spotlight in the Grade 1, $500,000 Forego Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, August 26. The race, at 7 furlongs on the dirt track, drew a field of five horses to contest for that rich purse. Though the field is short on runners, it is long on talent. It features the two clear leaders of the older dirt sprint division: defending champion Elite Power and his closest pursuer, Gunite.

The race’s history dates back to 1980, and some of the most important sprinting stars have won this race. They include Fappiano, Quick Call, Housebuster, Orientate, Private Zone, and Whitmore. Groovy, the only horse to break a 130 Beyer Speed Figure, won this race in both 1986 and 1987. Cody’s Wish had his breakthrough at the top level when he upset Jackie’s Warrior in the Forego last year.

Forego Information

• Race Date: Saturday, August 26
• Track: Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York
• Post Time: 4:19 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: seven furlongs on the dirt
• Age/Sex: four-year-olds and up
• Where to Watch: TVG.com and Fox
• Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

2023 Forego Stakes Draw and Odds

These are the entrants in the 2023 Forego Stakes, organized by post position. Morning-line odds will be added once Saratoga releases them.

Forego Stakes Prep Race Results

Three of the five entrants in the Forego come back from the previous Grade 1 dirt sprint of the Saratoga meet, the Alfred G. Vanderbilt. The slop that day did not stop champion Elite Power, who rallied to get up by a head over Gunite, who he will face again in this. Synthesis, who finished a no-threat fifth in the Vanderbilt, also returns here.

The other two entrants come out of allowance company, though both have some graded-level back class. High Oak, Elite Power’s stablemate, rallied late for second in a second-level race going six furlongs at Saratoga on July 29. Pipeline ran sixth in a second-level allowance dirt mile at Saratoga on August 3, making his first start since the previous November.

Forego Stakes Contenders

These are the six entrants in the 2023 Forego, organized by post position:

1. High Oak: The winner of the Saratoga Special (G2) in 2021, he lost his way at age three and into the early part of his four-year-old season. He ran his best race in almost two years on July 29 when he rallied for second in a second-level allowance at six furlongs. Trainer Mott may be striking while the iron is hot here: he could just be a horse who prefers it at Saratoga, so why not take a shot? Even so, he needs a serious step forward and a surprisingly quick pace to close in to challenge the upper echelon of this field.
2. Gunite: Sprinting suits Gunite well, though so far, he has been second banana to Elite Power this season. He has tactical speed and good seven-furlong ability; however, so does Elite Power. The biggest question is their comparative skill going seven furlongs, as their clashes have come going six. Both have been good enough at seven furlongs to suggest the battle will be good once again, but as the only other horse in the field expected to take a lot of money, he may still be underlaid as the second choice given how Elite Power has had his number twice already.
3. Elite Power: The leader of the sprint division just keeps showing up: he has run off eight wins in a row since breaking his maiden at Churchill Downs last June, including two 1-2 finishes over Gunite in his last three starts. He is versatile enough to win near the front end or closing from well off the pace, and like Gunite, he is a horse who is just as potent at these extended sprint distances as at the traditional six. The price will be short, but this consistent champion is the most likely winner, especially since he seems to have Gunite’s number in particular.
4. Pipeline: He looked like a rising star last summer with an allowance romp at Aqueduct in April and placings in a pair of graded stakes last summer, including a third behind Cody’s Wish in the Forego last year. However, he has disappointed in two starts since. They were at two turns: but note he was a good second in the Monmouth Cup (G3) last year at a two-turn trip, so that should not in itself be a dealbreaker. His best asset is his early speed, though he has yet to run a race that would thwart the leading pair in this race.
5. Synthesis: This seven-year-old has won four times at this seven-furlong trip, marking himself as a horse who really likes the distance. That includes a second in the Nerud (G2) at Belmont Park two back, and a win in an optional claimer over the trip four back. However, class is the question. He was well beaten in both the True North and the Vanderbilt behind Elite Power. Against horses this good, he just doesn’t seem to kick on the same. In a field of only five that may still be good enough for a third- or fourth-place finish by default, but the leaders would have to have a shocking misfire for him to be a win candidate.

Forego Stakes FAQ

Q: When is the Forego Stakes?

A: The Forego Stakes happens Saturday, August 26, at 3:07 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Q: Where is the Forego Stakes?

A: The Forego Stakes happens at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race will be run as the seventh on Saratoga’s 13-race Travers day card.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Forego Stakes?

A: The late Robert Frankel has the most victories in the Forego; he won four times between 2003 and 2008. Among trainers entered in the 2023 edition of the race, Steve Asmussen leads with two wins. He won with Mitole (2019) and Yaupon (2021). Asmussen will try to win his third with Gunite in 2023.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Forego Stakes?

A: Elite Power has held his championship form from the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last year into this season. He was named the 1-2 morning-line choice, and should be a well-defined favorite. Gunite has been named the 6-5 morning-line second choice. He will take some action since he made a race of it against Elite Power in the Vanderbilt a month ago, but Elite Power will hold favoritism.

Q: Who is the best Forego Stakes jockey?

A: Angel Cordero, Jr. is the all-time leader with four wins in this race between 1981 and 1987. Among riders booked in the 2023 edition of the race, none has yet won the Forego, though Elite Power’s rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. is the current leading jockey at Saratoga Race Course.

Q: Who won the Forego Stakes in 2022?

A: Cody’s Wish upset Jackie’s Warrior to win the 2022 Forego Stakes for trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado. Cody’s Wish has been the story of the season both because of his current form and the fact that he was named after Cody Dorman, a teenager with Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. However, Cody’s Wish does not return to defend in the Forego; instead, he tried the Whitney (G1), and after a third-place finish, he remains unproven in races over one mile. Bill Mott, however, has two other horses in this year’s Forego: Elite Power and High Oak. Junior Alvarado does not ride in this year’s Forego.