The New York Racing Association will play host to a whopping 71 stakes races this summer at Saratoga Race Course with a combined $20.75 million up for grabs in those events. While most casual racing fans have at least a rudimentary knowledge of the iconic Spa races such as the Travers, Whitney and Alabama, there are dozens of stakes races at the legendary track with rich and interesting histories.
Here is a closer look at five noteworthy Saratoga stakes on the loaded 2024 schedule:
A.P. Smithwick Memorial Stakes (steeplechase)
Wednesday, July 17
Grade 1, $150,000
For ages 4 and up, 2⅜ miles
on the turf
Named in honor of legendary jump jockey Alfred Patrick “Paddy” Smithwick, the race is one of two Grade 1 jump events at Saratoga (the Johnathan Sheppard is the other). Smithwick won 398 races in his career, ranking second of all time behind fellow Hall of Famer Joe Aitcheson. The race in his honor was first held in 1980, but it didn’t become a stakes race until 1996. It has since been won by several top steeplechasers, including Campanile and Divine Fortune, both two-time winners.
Birdstone Stakes
Sunday, Aug. 4
Listed, $150,000
For ages 4 and up, 1¾ miles
First contested in 2011, the Birdstone Stakes is a rare throwback to the days when distance racing was the rule instead of the exception. Several top trainers have enjoyed success in the Birdstone, including Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, who has won the race a record six times. Hall of Fame jockeys Javier Castellano and John Velazquez have four and three wins, respectively, in the Birdstone. Trained by Hall of Famer Nick Zito for Marylou Whitney, Birdstone broke his maiden in his 2003 career debut at Saratoga and returned the following summer to win the track’s biggest prize—the Travers. (Flip the page for more on Birdstone.)
Saratoga Special Stakes
Saturday, Aug. 10
Grade 2, $200,000
For 2-year-olds, 6½ furlongs
Since 1901, the Saratoga Special has been a popular juvenile fixture at the Spa. Its winners include Hall of Fame legends such as Colin, Roamer, Regret, Top Flight, Whirlaway and Native Dancer. An interesting element of the race’s history is the fact that until 1959 the winner of the race received the entire purse under winner-takes-all conditions. Along with the Sanford and Hopeful, the Saratoga Special is one of the three key stakes for 2-year-old males at the Spa. Regret (1914), Campfire (1916), Dehere (1993), and City Zip (2000) are the only horses to have won all three.
Flower Bowl Stakes
Saturday, Aug. 31
Grade 2, $500,000
For fillies and mares ages 4 and up, 1⅜ miles on turf
For much of its history (1978 through 2020), the Flower Bowl was contested at Belmont Park; it shifted to Saratoga in 2021. The race has been won by legends such as Waya, Just a Game, Riskaverse, Stephanie’s Kitten, Lady Eli and War Like Goddess. Trainer Chad Brown has dominated this event in recent years, winning it seven times since 2011. The race’s namesake was a popular 1950s filly trained by Hall of Famer Preston Burch for Brookmeade Stable.
Spinaway Stakes
Saturday, Aug. 31
Grade 1, $300,000
For 2-year-old fillies, 7 furlongs
One of Saratoga’s oldest races, the Spinaway, which dates back to 1881, is named after a remarkable filly who won seven races—all against males—as a 2-year-old in 1880. Her legacy was cut short, however, when she suffered a foot injury and had to be retired early in her sophomore year. The Spinaway has been won by Hall of Famers such as Miss Woodford, Maskette, Top Flight, Cicada, Ruffian and Ashado.