2025 Whitney Stakes Preview at Saratoga Race Course

Key Takeaways:

• Fierceness (9-5) is the favorite and well-drawn outside the speed; he’s matured into a consistent, tactical threat.
• Sierra Leone (2-1) gets a strong pace setup and looms large as a deep closer if the race melts down.
• White Abarrio returns to his winning Whitney trip from 2023 and has the versatility to sit off the early heat.
• Post Time is a dangerous closer at a price, with a perfect setup and ideal outside draw.

Both $1 million and an automatic bid to the Breeders’ Cup Classic are at stake Saturday, August 2, at Saratoga in the Whitney Stakes, one of the major races of the summer meet. A field of ten top-class Thoroughbreds has drawn into the race, though Mindframe is likely to scratch from the race despite fitting so well from a class perspective.

This summer racing feature honors the Whitney family, which, through many generations, was one of the most prominent boosters of horse racing, especially in New York and at Saratoga Race Course. Back when this race was known as the Whitney Handicap, Harry Payne Whitney owned winner Whichone (1930), and his son, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, owned winners Equipoise (1932), State Dinner (1980), and Silver Buck (1982). Though C. V. Whitney’s widow, Marylou Whitney, never won this race on her own, she continued the legacy of Whitney racehorses through the mare Dear Birdie, who produced both Belmont winner Birdstone and champion Bird Town.

The favorites in the Whitney field in 2025 include the champions Fierceness and Sierra Leone. However, they face a deep field, including Grade 1 winners White Abarrio and Highland Falls, Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile runner-up Post Time, and other proven graded-stakes horses like Skippylongstocking and Disarm.

Whitney Stakes Information

• Race Date: Saturday, August 2
• Track: Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY
• Post Time: 5:41 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 ⅛ miles
• Age/Sex: four-year-olds and upward
• Where to Watch: FanDuel Racing, Fox
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

2025 Whitney Stakes Draw and Odds

This is the field for the 2025 Whitney at Saratoga Race Course, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds for each runner.

Whitney Stakes Prep Race Results

The ten horses entered in the Whitney come out of eight different races.

Fittingly, the two races that have two last-out runners apiece are both Grade 1 events. Fierceness chased on for second behind the now-retired Raging Torrent in the Met Mile (G1) on June 7, while White Abarrio flattened a bit late to run fourth in that same race. Mindframe, though unlikely to run in the Whitney, most recently pressed the pace and prevailed in the Stephen Foster (G1) on June 28 at Churchill Downs, holding off the trademark late run of Sierra Leone by a length.

Two other horses in the field were last seen running in graded-stakes company. Skippylongstocking has freshened up since his last start May 26, when he broke through at 1 ¼ miles for the first time, winning the Gold Cup (G2) at Santa Anita by a hard-fought three-quarters of a length. Disarm has been on the shelf since April 19, when he ran a mildly chasing fourth behind First Mission in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) at Oaklawn.

Another pair comes into the Whitney from ungraded stakes company. Post Time has plenty of graded-stakes form, but on June 28, he got a confidence builder in the Deputed Testamony Stakes at Laurel, rallying to a 3 ½-length score despite a sluggish pace behind him. Mama’s Gold was last seen finishing second against New York-breds in the Commentator on June 4 at the Spa, during the Belmont Stakes racing festival, setting the pace before being overtaken late by Bank Frenzy.

Finally, a pair of horses come into the Whitney out of allowance-level victories. Highland Falls won the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) last year, but began his season June 27 with a 5 ½-length blowout in a one-mile conditioned allowance at Aqueduct. Contrary Thinking, the only horse in the field without stakes experience, cleared his first-level condition on June 29, going a mile at Aqueduct, leading at every call.

Whitney Stakes Contenders

These are the ten entrants in the 2025 Whitney Stakes, in order of post positions.

1. Mindframe: Owner Repole Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher entered both Mindframe and Fierceness into the race, though even before entry day, they were leaning toward scratching Mindframe, and did this to leave their options open. Though Mindframe is versatile with respect to distance and running style, going this long, he would likely be on or near the lead. The rail draw isn’t great, and there is a lot of speed outside of him. In short, it would be a challenging spot against top horses anyway, and the idea of running Fierceness here and finding another spot for Mindframe is probably for the best.
2. Skippylongstocking: Now six years old, Skippylongstocking is as lovable—and as good—as ever. However, “as good as ever” for him is basically … a Grade 2 or Grade 3 horse who can get the odd nibble underneath at the top level. He hasn’t raced in a little over two months, he has speed inside of a lot of other pace horses, and he has to line up against a field that features several proper Grade 1 horses, including his stablemate White Abarrio. In short, he shapes as a pace factor, and on his best day, may be just plucky enough to fill out a superfecta, but that seems like the ceiling.
3. Highland Falls: Last year, he was the handicap division up-and-comer, breaking through to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup in just his ninth start. However, he ran a flat ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and did not return to the starting gate until June of this year. That return looked good, however; he pressed and took over in a top-shelf allowance at Aqueduct. He returns about a month later and steps back up to Grade 1 company, both signs of confidence. It’s hard to know for sure what he’ll show against horses much like the ones who soundly defeated him last fall in the Breeders’ Cup, though, and his better races against classy horses have shown him closer to the pace than he may want to be given all the early gas in this group.
4. Mama’s Gold: This New York-bred is a simple sort: he sends, and sometimes he makes it all the way around. He is fast enough early to be part of the pace battle. However, he isn’t the only one in the field with a lot of early pace. That, plus the quality of the field, makes this a very challenging graded-stakes debut. It also makes it hard to see him as anything else, but an early pace factor.
5. Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone is all class, but he is also all closer. If he gets a soft pace in front of him, he’ll find the exotics. But, only when he gets a lot in front of him does he get all the way there. The good news for him? Barring several unforeseen scratches, this should be as good a pace setup as Sierra Leone has seen since the Breeders’ Cup Classic or the Blue Grass (G1) last year, races he won. In short, the price won’t be long, but he is hard to count out when he gets the right setup, and he will have that here.
6. Disarm: This five-year-old son of Gun Runner has been flirting with the top of the division … since he was a three-year-old, even, but has not had his breakout race. At his age, he may be running out of time. To his credit, he can run a decent race anywhere he goes, and has hit the board in three of five at Saratoga Race Course. He can run well from the lead, or a few lengths off of it. However, the 1 ⅛-mile distance is not great for him. Yes, he won the Matt Winn (G3) over the Ellis slop over that trip in 2023—but has been off the board in five other starts going that distance. And, he needs to go much faster than he has been in his recent outings.
7. White Abarrio: The Met Mile seems to be White Abarrio’s white whale, and he was fourth last out. However, the Whitney is a better spot for him. He won this race in 2023 from a stalking spot … but to his credit, he doesn’t need to be on the pace. If he goes that way, he could be in trouble, given all the other speed drawn around him. But, if White Abarrio can tap into something more tactical, like the trip he and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. carved out to win the Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park earlier this year, that could be the ticket to make White Abarrio the first two-time Whitney winner since the dearly missed New York-bred Commentator.
8. Contrary Thinking: Peter Brant owns Contrary Thinking outright. This is worth noting, as Peter Brant is also a partner in Sierra Leone, the other Chad Brown horse. It is hard to imagine that Contrary Thinking—who makes his stakes debut here, and only his fifth start ever, despite being five years old—is anything but Sierra Leone’s rabbit. Dylan Davis returns to the saddle after his one-mile allowance win last out, and the instructions will probably look a lot like they were last time: go, go, go. Make the other speed keep up. Set things up for Sierra Leone (and Post Time, and anyone else coming from off the pace).
9. Fierceness: The Fierceness of now is a far cry from the Fierceness at ages two and three. He has grown up, from a less-than-consistent runner to a horse who may not win every time he lines up, but instead of feast-or-famine, he either wins or runs a really good race in defeat. He comes into the Whitney off of one of the latter kinds of efforts, but this time he gets more distance and a most likely fast track. The question for him is pace, as he tends to show early speed. However, unlike several of the speed horses in this group, he can win from a couple of lengths off the pace as well. He also drew outside of all the speed—the only horse to his outside is a dyed-in-the-wool closer. The price won’t be huge, but he is well-spotted and well-drawn.
10. Post Time: Though he comes out of an ungraded stakes, where he thrashed a group of overmatched foes, it was a good prep—and not only because it was a confidence-builder. That day, he rallied into a downright sluggish pace to win. As a confirmed closer, it is even better for him when he gets more to close into … and this shaped up to be just the right spot for him to go for that Grade 1 win. With so much early pace drawn into the race, Post Time is well suited to drop in wherever he can near the rear, get a clean trip from the outside gate, and be a serious threat down the lane at a square price.

Whitney Stakes FAQ

Q: When is the Whitney Stakes?

A: The Whitney takes place Saturday, August 2, 2025, at 5:41 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race is scheduled as the 11th race of 13 on the Saturday card.

Q: Where is the Whitney Stakes?

A: The Whitney takes place at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY.

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

A: John M. Gaver. Sr. won the Whitney five times between 1942 and 1958, including with stars like Tom Fool and Devil Diver. Among trainers entered in the 2025 edition, Todd Pletcher leads with four victories between 2002 and 2022. He can tie Gaver if Fierceness wins—or Mindframe, though that would require a last-minute choice to keep him in the field.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Whitney Stakes?

A: Fierceness is the 9-5 morning-line favorite, with Sierra Leone just behind at 2-1. They should be tight in the wagering: they are trained by Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown, respectively, and both are New York fixtures who run top-class stables and take big betting bucks at Saratoga. Fierceness would be no surprise to be favored due to his more recent win—though Sierra Leone did beat Fierceness in the Breeders’ Cup, and likely gets the comparative pace advantage.

Q: Who is the best Whitney Stakes jockey?

A: Pat Day and Jerry Bailey, both retired, lead all jockeys with five wins in the Whitney. Among jockeys in this year’s race, John Velazquez and Irad Ortiz, Jr. lead all riders in the 2025 edition with four victories each. They both have live mounts: Velazquez can tie the record if Fierceness wins, and Ortiz can do so with White Abarrio.

Q: Who won the Whitney Stakes in 2024?

A: Arthur’s Ride won the 2024 Whitney Stakes for trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado. Neither returns to the Whitney in 2025.

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