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This Saturday’s Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course is the next big betting event on this summer’s horse racing schedule. This race is also part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series as a “win and you are in” qualifying event for the 2021 Longines Classic at Del Mar.
This should guarantee a strong field for Saturday’s featured race at Saratoga. There are three other major graded events on that race card including the Saratoga Derby Invitational for three- year old Thoroughbreds. This Grade 1 event covers 1 3/16 miles on turf and it has a total prize purse of $1 million. Look for King Fury to open as one of the top favorites to win that race.
2021 Whitney Stakes Betting Preview
When: Saturday, August 7th 2021
Where: Saratoga Race Course
This Grade 1 stakes race is open to Thoroughbreds four and older. It will cover 1 1/8 miles on the dirt track at Saratoga. The total prize money for this year’s race is set at $1 million.
2021 Whitney Stakes Best Bet
The early field of probable entries at Horse Racing Nation is filled with a few very familiar names. At the top of the projected seven-horse field is Maxfield. This four-year old Kentucky- bred colt is trained by Brendan Walsh. He should open as the favorite for Saturday’s race coming off a recent victory in the Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 26.
The son of Street Sense covered 1 1/8 miles on dirt in 1:48.53 past Warrior’s Charge and Sprawl in that race to post his seventh win in his last eight races. Earlier this year, he slipped to third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap behind Idol and Express Train. His HRN rating of 8.27 is the highest in the projected field.
Solid Second Choice
My second choice for this year’s Whitney is trainer Kenneth McPeek’s Swiss Skydiver. This four-year old filly has become accustomed to running against the boys ever since she won last year’s Preakness Stakes as a three-year old. She placed third back in April in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park.
Sired by Daredevil, this filly has placed in the money 10 times through 12 events going back to her juvenile campaign. This includes seven victories. Her last win was in this year’s Grade 1 Beholder Mile Stakes at Santa Anita on March 13. While she may be my second choice, I would definitely box any exacta bet with Maxfield.
One to Watch at Saratoga This Weekend
Move down the list of projected entries for Saturday’s featured race, my third choice would be Knicks Go. Once a promising Kentucky Derby contender, this five-year old Maryland-bred horse is coming off an impressive win in this year’s Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadow on July 2. He covered the 1 1/8 miles distance of that race in 1:47.33.
Trained by Brad Cox, he started his five-year old season in a big way by winning the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park . This followed a victory in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland. Cox still has this horse on track for this year’s BC Classic based on a strong showing this Saturday.
Other Possible Entries
A few of the other contenders listed as probable for the 2021 Whitney include trainer Tod Pletcher’s Happy Saver and trainer Steve Asmussen’s Silver State.
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