Saratoga sets stakes schedule for 2025 summer meet

The New York Racing Association announced the stakes schedule for the 2025 summer meet at Saratoga, which will open Thursday, July 10, and continue through Monday, Sept. 1.

Highlighted by the 156th renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 23 and the $1 million Whitney (G1) on Aug. 2, the 40-day summer meet will offer 18 Grade 1 races as part of 64 stakes worth more than $20 million in total purses.

After the four-day opening week, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from closing week, when the 2025 summer meet will conclude on Labor Day.

In 2025, the Fourstardave (G1) has been added to a blockbuster Whitney Day card that will now include four Grade 1 events and six total stakes on Saturday, Aug. 2. Previously run the week after the Whitney, NYRA also increased the purse of the Fourstardave by $250,000 to $750,000 for the one-mile turf tilt for older horses.

The opening-day card on Thursday, July 10, is highlighted by the listed De La Rose, a restricted one-mile turf test for older fillies and mares. The stakes action continues Friday, July 11, with the Coronation Cup (G3), a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for sophomore fillies ahead of the meet’s first Grade 1 contest on Saturday, July 12, the Diana for older fillies and mares going nine furlongs on turf, on a card bolstered by the Bowling Green (G2) for older horses at 11 furlongs on turf.

The 5 1/2-furlong Quick Call (G3) for sophomores on turf, closes out opening weekend on Sunday, July 13.

Week two stakes begin on Wednesday, July 16, with the Suzie O’Cain, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for New York-bred sophomore fillies, which is followed on Thursday, July 17, with state-bred sophomores going the same distance on turf in the Rick Violette.

Friday, July 18 holds the nine-furlong Shuvee (G2) for older fillies and mares, ahead of a loaded Saturday, July 19, card that features the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies; the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G2), a six-furlong sprint for older horses; and the turf, 5 1/2-furlong Caress (G3) for fillies and mares 3 years old and up.

The Honorable Miss (G2) wraps up the week on Sunday, July 20, as older fillies and mares sprint six furlongs on the main track.

The A.P. Smithwick Memorial (G1), a 2 3/8-mile steeplechase test, opens week three on Wednesday, July 23, followed by the restricted, listed Curlin, a nine-furlong event for sophomores, on Thursday, July 24, and the Amsterdam (G2), a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomores, on Friday, July 25.

Saturday, July 26, offers a pair of graded stakes, including the nine-furlong Jim Dandy (G2) for sophomores and the 1 1/16-mile, turf Lake George (G3) for sophomore fillies. The Glens Falls (G2), a 12-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares, will close out the week on Sunday, July 27.

Whitney Week begins with the seven-furlong, state-bred Johnstone, previously run as the Johnstone Mile, for females 3-years-old and up on Wednesday, July 30, followed by the state-bred Evan Shipman which was also adjusted from one mile to seven furlongs, on Thursday, July 31, for ages 3 and up. The National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2), a one-mile turf test for sophomores, comes next on Friday, Aug. 1.

Saturday, Aug. 2, will host four Grade 1s led by the a storied nine-furlong test for older horses. Completing the top-level Whitney Day races will be the Fourstardave; the $750,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational, up from $600,000, at 1 3/16 miles on turf for sophomores; and the seven-furlong Test for sophomore fillies on the dirt.

The card also will also offer a pair of Grade 2s with the Troy for 3-year-olds and up at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf and the 6 1/2-furlong Saratoga Special for juveniles. The Adirondack (G3), a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies, finishes the week on Sunday, Aug. 3.

Stakes action resumes on Wednesday, Aug. 6, with the 1 3/4-mile listed Birdstone for older dirt marathoners ahead of the listed Galway, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for sophomore fillies, on Thursday, Aug. 7, and the 1 1/16-mile, turf Ballston Spa (G2) for older fillies and mares on Friday, Aug. 8.

Grade 1 action returns on Saturday, Aug. 9 with the 12-furlong turf Sword Dancer for older turf marathoners, which has moved forward two weeks as part of a card that also features the $500,000, up from $400,000, Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G2), a 1 3/16-mile grass route for sophomore fillies. The week wraps up with the 5 1/2-furlong Mahony (G3) for sophomore turf sprinters on Sunday, Aug. 10.

The following week starts with the NYSSS Statue of Liberty for eligible-sired sophomore fillies going one-mile on turf on Wednesday, Aug. 13, before the NYSSS Cab Calloway over the same surface and distance for eligible-sired sophomores on Thursday, Aug. 14.

Friday, Aug. 15 offers the 5 1/2-furlong, listed Smart N Fancy for female turf sprinters, which leads into Saturday, Aug. 16 with the Alabama (G1) at 1 1/4 miles for sophomore fillies and the 5 1/2-furlong Skidmore for juvenile turf sprinters.

Sunday, Aug. 17 ends the week with juvenile fillies sprinting on the lawn in the 5 1/2-furlong, listed Bolton Landing.

Travers Week begins on Wednesday, Aug. 20, with the Jonathan Sheppard Memorial (G1), a 2 3/8-mile test for older steeplechasers.

Thursday, Aug. 21, brings a pair of $200,000 New York-bred nine-furlong events, the Albany for sophomores and the Fleet Indian for sophomore fillies. Friday, Aug. 22, continues the state-bred action with the six-furlong Seeking the Ante for juvenile fillies and the 1 1/16-mile turf Yaddo for females ages 3 and up.

Travers Day, on Saturday, Aug. 23, features five Grade 1 events headlined by the Travers. The card adds four top-level $500,000 events, with the nine-furlong Personal Ensign for older fillies and mares, plus a trio of seven-furlong sprints,  the Forego for older horses, the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial for sophomores and the Ballerina for females 3 years old and up. The program is supported by the Lake Placid (G2), which has been shortened by a sixteenth to a flat mile on turf for sophomore fillies and saw its purse double to $400,000.

A pair of $150,000 state-bred tilts close out the week on Sunday, Aug. 24, the 1 1/16-mile turf West Point Handicap for 3-year-olds and up and the six-furlong Funny Cide for juveniles.

Wednesday, Aug. 27, starts closing week as juvenile fillies take on the 1 listed, 1/16-mileP. G. Johnson on turf. Next comes the With Anticipation (G3), at the same distance and surface for juveniles on Thursday, Aug. 28. The following card features two listed $150,000 events on turf, the one-mile Perfect Sting for older fillies and mares and the 1 1/16-mile Bernard Baruch for older horses, on Friday, Aug. 29.

The final Saturday of the meet, Aug. 30, offers the Spinaway (G1), a seven-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies, along with the 11-furlong, turf Flower Bowl (G2) for older fillies and mares and the six-furlong Prioress (G3) for sophomore fillies.

Sunday, Aug. 31, features the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), a 1 1/4-mile test for 3-year-olds and up. The card is supported by the inaugural running of the restricted 5 1/2-furlong turf Disco Partner for 3-year-olds and up, named for the multiple Grade 1-placed New York-bred who won the 2016 Troy at the Spa and the 2017-18 Jaipur at Belmont Park for trainer Christophe Clement.

Closing day Monday, Sept. 1, is led by the seven-furlong Hopeful (G1) for juveniles and the restricted, listed Saranac for sophomores at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Before the traditional 40-day summer meet, NYRA will hold nine days of live racing at Saratoga in 2025 with the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival June 4-8 and the July 4 racing festival July 3-6, which are part of the 37-day Belmont at the Big A spring-summer meet.