SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The stars are out for the 98th edition of the $1 million Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, with a blockbuster lineup featuring champions Fierceness and Sierra Leone, along with multimillionaire standout White Abarrio. The 1 1/8-mile race for older horses is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 1 at Del Mar.
The Whitney anchors a massive 13-race card offering five graded stakes and a total of $3.2 million in purses, making it one of the most anticipated days of the Saratoga meet.
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Fierceness Returns to Two Turns
Champion 2-Year-Old Colt of 2023, Fierceness, makes his return to Saratoga, where he previously dazzled in the Travers Stakes (G1) and Jim Dandy (G2). The Todd Pletcher-trained colt, owned by Derrick Smith, Repole Stable, Michael B. Tabor, and Mrs. John Magnier, looks to bounce back after a troubled second in the Met Mile on June 7.
“He was second-best on the day,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “The way it unfolded he had a bit of a rough start from the inside draw. We had some concerns about the Wilson Chute to begin with but, in all fairness, Raging Torrent ran a good race. We just regroup and get back around two turns and look forward to running him the way he’s been training.”
Fierceness also won the Alysheba (G2) in track-record time earlier this year at Churchill. Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez will pilot Fierceness (124 lbs) from post 9.
Pletcher also entered stablemate Mindframe, a winner of three straight including back-to-back Grade 1s—the Churchill Downs (7F) and Stephen Foster (1 1/8 miles). However, Pletcher indicated Fierceness is the most likely starter.
“I think we will enter both with the idea that if all is well, we will probably just run Fierceness,” Pletcher said. “Six days is a long time in this business, so I want to keep all our options open. I wouldn’t think post position would weigh into it, we just want to make sure everyone is doing well all week, and as we know, things can happen. We wouldn’t want to not have the option to run Mindframe.”
Sierra Leone Aims to Bounce Back at the Spa
Godolphin’s Sierra Leone, trained by Chad Brown, seeks his first win of the year after runner-up efforts in the Stephen Foster and last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. The versatile colt has come up just short in several top-level efforts, including a nose loss in the Kentucky Derby.
“Hopefully the race sets up for him. He’s run some good numbers here and just come up a little short,” trainer Chad Brown said. “His end results have been better at other racetracks, but I don’t think he hates this track. We’ll see how the track is playing Saturday and if it’s playing fairly and the pace is fair, I think he has a good shot.”
Sierra Leone (124 lbs) will be ridden by Flavien Prat from post 5. His stablemate, the speedy Contrary Thinking, will also take a shot after a front-running allowance win in late June.
White Abarrio Eyes Repeat Whitney Glory
The richest horse in the field, White Abarrio, returns to defend his Whitney crown. The $7 million earner now trains under Saffie Joseph, Jr., and comes off a troubled fourth in the Met Mile. Earlier this season, he impressed with wins in the Pegasus World Cup and Ghostzapper at Gulfstream.
“He didn’t get the best trip going into the first turn (in Met Mile), but then after that he got into a good spot so it’s kind of hard to make excuses for that,” Joseph, Jr. said. “He should have still overcome that kind of trip, but you never know. You never know how much a bump takes out of a horse. You just have to move forward and forget what happened last time.
“He came out well since the race. We’re happy where we’re at with him now and we’re hoping he comes back and brings his ‘A’ game again,” he added. “Obviously it’s going to be a tough race but, on his day, he’s as good as any of them.”
Irad Ortiz, Jr. retains the mount on White Abarrio (124 lbs), who breaks from post 7.
Joseph also sends out Skippylongstocking, winner of the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup going 1 1/4 miles. The hard-knocking 6-year-old brings his experience—32 starts at 15 different tracks—into a deep Whitney field.
Post Time, Highland Falls Among Dangerous Outsiders
Post Time, trained by Brittany Russell, returns after finishing third in last year’s Whitney. A consistent performer with 11 wins from 18 starts, he enters off a win in the Deputed Testamony Stakes at Laurel Park.
“If we’re ever going to have a chance to win one with him, we have to run in them. That’s kind of how we’re looking at it. He’s run against some really good horses and he’s showed up. You’re just hoping it’ll be his day one of these days,” said Russell, who will leg up husband Sheldon Russell.
Highland Falls, trained by Brad Cox for Godolphin, has quietly emerged as a rising threat. The Curlin homebred launched his season with a dominant allowance win in late June and returns to Saratoga, where he previously won the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Luis Saez rides Highland Falls (124 lbs) from post 3.
Rounding Out the Field
- Disarm (Joel Rosario, post 6, 120 lbs): 2023 Travers runner-up, enters off bar shoes, trained by Steve Asmussen.
- Mama’s Gold (Romero Maragh, post 4, 120 lbs): A longshot coming off a runner-up finish in the Commentator for New York-breds.
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A Marquee Showdown at the Spa
From proven champions like Fierceness and White Abarrio to rising stars like Highland Falls and relentless veterans like Skippylongstocking, the 2025 Whitney promises one of the most competitive fields in recent memory.
“I think it has established itself as sort of the marquee older horse race in the country next to the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” he said. “It’s very prestigious and it’s certainly one we’d love to add to [our] resume.”
The Whitney is carded as Race 11 and has a post time of 5:41 PM ET, as part of a loaded Saturday slate at Saratoga.
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