Saturday is the million-dollar, Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. In addition to the prize money the race is also a Win and You’re In prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic October 31st at Keeneland.

Here is a brief look at the field:

1. MAGNITUDE [ML 9-5] Jockey: Jose Ortiz. Trainer: Steve Asmussen. Enters here after wins in the Stephan Foster and prior to that the Dubai World Cup. He earned a career-best 116 Speed Figure in the Stephan Foster. This colt has come a long way since his first Saratoga appearance – defeated 20 ¾ lengths by SOVEREIGNTY in the Travers Stakes. A main win threat in the Whitney, especially if pace pressure does not materialize and he runs freely on the lead.

2. NITROGEM [ML 4-1] Jockey: John Velazquez. Trainer: Mark Casse. She dominated the June 5th Ogden Phipps Stakes at Saratoga by setting the early pace and surging in the stretch to win by 12 ¾ lengths. That boosted her career record on dirt at Saratoga to 3-for-3, and she’s been training steadily at The Spa over the past two months. This filly started her career on turf and was successful, but she’s elevated her game after moving to dirt.

3. ANTIQUARIAN [ML 10-1] Jockey: Manny Franco. Trainer: Todd Pletcher. This 5-year-old has shown flashes of greatness in his career, topped by a 1 ½-length win in last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes at Saratoga. That said, he has been far too inconsistent to make much of an impression in the older dirt male division over the past couple of years. He comes into this race off of back-to-back 4th-place finishes in the Met Mile in June and the Suburban Stakes in early July, both at Saratoga. He was defeated by a combined 17 ¼ lengths in those races.

4. FORGED STEEL [ML 20-1] Jockey: Micah Husbands. Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr. He posted a 9 ½-length win in the Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes earlier this year at Santa Anita, albeit against a pretty ordinary field. In his race after the Gold Cup win, he finished 5th- 12 lengths back in the Suburban Stakes July 4th at Saratoga. It’s worth noting that there is some crossover of ownership groups with him and WHITE ABARRIO and that he might be entered here to act as a rabbit for stablemate.

5. WHITE ABARRIO [ML 8-1] Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr. Comes in off of a disappointing 4th-place finish in the Stephen Foster, In the final season of a successful career, he is still defined by inconsistency. He earned a 122 Speed Figure back in 2023 when he romped in the Whitney by 6 ¼ lengths. In his four other career starts at Saratoga, however, he’s finished outside of the top three. On April 18th of this year, he shot past SOVEREIGNTY and JOURNALISM to win the Oaklawn Handicap by a widening two lengths … and then followed that with a 9 ¾-length defeat in the Foster.

6. SOVEREIGNTY [ML 3-1] Jockey: Junior Alvarado. Trainer: Bill Mott. He’s finished 2nd in the Oaklawn Handicap and then 3rd in the Stephen Foster. His Speed Figures have declined from his top numbers posted in last year’s Travers Stakes and Jim Dandy Stakes. He had no punch at the top of the Churchill Downs stretch when asked in the Stephen Foster, so the Whitney shapes up as a crucial race in the overall arc of his career. He has a 3-for-4 career record on the main track at Saratoga with aforementioned wins in the Travers and Jim Dandy joining a three-length score in the 2025 Belmont Stakes.

7. TIZTASTIC [ML 30-1] Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione. Trainer: Steve Asmussen. Does not match up with the leading contenders in the Whitney Stakes based on his overall résumé and best speed figures. His most notable win was the 2025 Louisiana Derby. He rallied from last of seven to win his first 2026 start on dirt, a 1 1/8-mile Allowance race at Churchill Downs, and most recently grinded his way to a 3rd-place finish in the July 4th Suburban Stakes.

8. BAEZA [ML7-2] Jockey: Flavien Prat. Trainer: Bill Mott. After winning last September’s Pennsylvania Derby, he’s had slow starts in three consecutive races, including both of his 2026 starts at Churchill Downs. In both the Alysheba Stakes and the Stephen Foster, he was flying late in the stretch but could not make up enough ground to compensate for his sluggish starts. This well-bred colt seems a risky win bet in the Whitney based on his 2-for-11 record.

The Whitney Stakes is slated as race 12 on a massive card of 14 with a scheduled Post Time of 6:37.

Best of luck however you play it.