Whitney 2023: Odds & analysis for Cody’s Wish vs. 5 rivals

Leading horses in the older male dirt division move to Saratoga for the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes. A field of six, led by the top-ranked Thoroughbred in the country, Cody’s Wish, was drawn for Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile test, which is also a win-and-you’re-in qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

The winner of his last six starts, Cody’s Wish will try to get a victory at a distance beyond a mile for the first time in his career. Before his streak of first-place finishes began, the son of Curlin lost twice racing around two turns, first at Saratoga going 1 1/8 miles in a maiden race in 2021 and then at Tampa Bay Downs in the 1 1/16-mile Challenger Stakes (G3) in his first start of last year.

Here is a full-field analysis for the Whitney with the official track morning-line odds from Saratoga and oddsmaker David Aragona. The Whitney is set as race 10 with post time scheduled for 5:42 p.m EDT.

1. Zandon, 9-2. Upstart – Chad Brown / Joel Rosario – 11: 2-5-3 - $1,720,000. Zandon won the Blue Grass (G1) last year and since has six top-three finishes in graded stakes without returning to the winner’s circle. He was second in the Met Mile (G1), Westchester (G3), Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and Jim Dandy (G1) and was third in the Travers (G1) and the Kentucky Derby. That is how he has earned $1.7 million with only two career victories. Use underneath.

2. Charge It, 5-1. Tapit – Todd Pletcher / John Velazquez – 10: 4-3-0 - $717,600. Charge It got his second graded-stakes win in the Suburban (G2) at Belmont Park last month while racing on the lead. It had been a year since he won the Dwyer (G3) by 23 lengths when again he was part of the early pace. He was beaten by three horses in this Whitney field in the Met Mile and the Oaklawn Handicap. Charge It certainly has a spotty record, meaning it is hard to know to expect from him. Use underneath.

3. Giant Game, 20-1. Giant’s Causeway – Dale Romans / Luis Saez – 10: 3-2-2 - $720,200. Giant Game brings a two-race winning streak to make his debut at Saratoga. The 4-year-old used front-end efforts to win the Cornhusker Handicap (G3) a month ago and an allowance at Churchill Downs before that. He was third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2021. Toss.

4. Last Samurai, 15-1. Malibu Moon – D. Wayne Lukas / Flavien Prat – 27: 6-5-4 - $2,178,614. Last Samurai won a pair of Grade 2 races at Oaklawn late in the winter with stalking trips after a fourth in the Pegasus World Cup (G1). The 5-year-old added a second in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in April followed by a couple more fourths in the Alysheba (G2) and then the Stephen Foster (G1) last month after moving to Kentucky. He won four times at Oaklawn, and this will be his first start in New York. Trifecta finish possible.

5. White Abarrio, 6-1. Race Day – Rick Dutrow Jr. / Irad Ortiz Jr. – 13: 5-1-3 - $1,276,350. White Abarrio moved to the barn of Rick Dutrow for his third start of the year and ran third in the Met Mile behind Cody’s Wish and Zandon. He won an allowance at Gulfstream Park in March after running eighth in the Pegasus World Cup (G1). His prior victory was in 2022 in the Florida Derby (G1). White Abarrio needs to prove again that he can win going around two turns, especially against a field of this quality. Toss.

6. Cody’s Wish, 1-2. Curlin – Bill Mott / Junior Alvarado – 13: 9-1-3 - $2,328,530. Cody’s Wish began his winning streak in May 2022 at Belmont Park and ran exclusively in races at either seven furlongs or a mile. It is important to note that the fourth win in his streak was in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, which at Keeneland was run around two turns, and that his last four were all Grade 1 scores. Cody’s Wish’s two victories this year came as the odds-on favorite by clear margins, which established the 5-year-old as the best race horse in America, according to the weekly National Thoroughbred Racing Association top Thoroughbred poll. Top choice.

Summary: The 2023 Whitney is all about Cody’s Wish and for that matter the Bill Mott barn. Mott already has won four graded stakes at Saratoga this summer. Cody’s Wish will try to keep up with the eight-race winning streak of his stablemate Elite Power. Mott is a master at keeping older horses winning race after race after race.

The question for Cody’s Wish is whether he can get his first victory going longer than a mile. His pair of Grade 1 victories this year were the best performances of his career. The way that he swept past the competition in the Met Mile was powerful and gave the impressive that an added furlong will be no problem.

Zandon and Charge It appear to be the best candidates to complete the Whitney exacta. Zandon is the picture of consistency with 10 top three finishes from 11 career starts. When Charge It is at his best he is very good, but consistency is not his forte.

Cody’s Wish is the top choice to win his seventh race in a row, with Zandon completing the exacta.