Whitney 2025: Field, posts for $1 million race at Saratoga

Fierceness, Sierra Leone and White Abarrio, who have combined for nearly $18 million in earnings, were entered Sunday for the 98th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes next weekend at Saratoga.

Ten older horses were drawn into the field for Saturday’s two-turn, 1 1/8-mile race. The Whitney is an automatic qualifier for the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Click here for Saratoga entries and results.

Fierceness, the 2023 champion juvenile male, began his year with a May victory in the Alysheba (G2) at Churchill Downs before he finished second as the odds-on favorite June 7 in the Met Mile (G1) at Saratoga. Owned by Mike Repole and Coolmore and trained by Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old City of Light colt who has earned $4,515,320 will be ridden by John Velázquez out of post 9.

Pletcher also entered two-time Grade 1 winner Mindframe, but he indicated he probably would hold the Constitution colt out of the Whitney. The 4-year-old owned by Repole and Vinnie Viola who drew post 1 is more likely to start Aug. 31 in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).

Sierra Leone, a 4-year-old Gun Runner colt trained by Chad Brown, has earned $6,256,200 but has not won since the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic. Owned by Peter Brant, Coolmore, Westerberg and Brook Smith, he finished second in the New Orleans Classic (G2) at Fair Grounds and second to Mindframe on June 28 in the Stephen Foster (G1) at Churchill. Flavien Prat will ride the 2024 champion sophomore male from post 5.

White Abarrio, who won both the Whitney and Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2023, began his 6-year-old season with victories in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the Ghostzapper (G3), both at Gulfstream Park. The son of Race Day who is owned by Gary Barber, C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable and trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. is coming off a fourth-place result in the Met Mile. Irad Ortiz Jr. will be aboard when White Abarrio breaks from post 7.

With trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. saying as late as Saturday that he was not sure whether Skippylongstocking would race in the Whitney, the 6-year-old Exaggerator horse who has earned $3,661,610 for owner Daniel Alonso drew post 2 with José Ortiz assigned to the mount. Fifth in last year’s Whitney, Skippylongstocking most recently won the Hollywood Gold Cup (G2) on May 26 at Santa Anita.

Highland Falls, a millionaire who won the 2024 Jockey Club Gold Cup, was entered by trainer Brad Cox on behalf of breeder-owner Godolphin. A 5-year-old son of Curlin, he came back from nearly eight months off to win a top-level allowance as the odds-on favorite going a one-turn mile June 27 at Belmont at the Big A. Luis Sáez takes over for Prat on Highland Falls, who drew post 3.

Three other Whitney finishers from last year, including third-place Post Time, fourth-place Disarm and seventh-place First Mission, were entered to try again.

The 2023 Travers (G1) runner-up Disarm and restricted-stakes winner Mama’s Gold also were entered.

The Whitney is the 11th of 13 races on Saturday’s Saratoga card that includes three other Grade 1 races. It is scheduled to start at 5:41 p.m. EDT. The first post is at 12:05 p.m.