Saturday’s Grade One Whitney Stakes 2023 runners will see a small but select field of just six horses line-up for the Grade Two $1m contest at Saratoga on Saturday (August 5), with all eyes on the hot favorite in the betting Cody’s Wish as Godolphin’s 5 year-old looks for career win number 10.
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2023 Whitney Stakes Runners: Cody’s Wish The One To Beat At Saratoga
With just six Whitney Stakes runners heading to post for Saturday’s big Saratoga race it’s ‘quality over quantity’ again – just like last week’s Jim Dandy Stakes at the track, with Godolphin’s winning machine Cody’s Wish the one the others all have to beat.
The best US horse racing apps have Cody’s Wish as the clear favorite in the betting as the Bill Mott-trained 5 year-old looks for his 10th career win and his seventh on the bounce.
It’s also a race the Todd Pletcher yard have done well in over the years – winning the lucrative Grade One four times, including last year with Cross Traffic (watch below). He tries again, this year with recent Belmont scorer Charge It.
When is the Whitney Stakes 2023?
The Whitney Stakes 2023 will be run on Saturday August 5 at Saratoga racetrack in New York.
📅Time/Date: 5:42pm (ET), Saturday August 5, 2023
🏇Racecourse: Saratoga, New York (1 1/8 mile, (9 furlongs) Dirt)
💰 Purse: $1,000,000
📺 TV: Fox Sports, FS1, FS2
🎲 Whitney Stakes Odds: Cody’s Wish 1-2 | Zandon 9-2 | Charge It 5-1 | White Abarrio 6-1 |
RELATED: Horse Racing Betting Guide – Best Sites, Odds & Tips
Cody’s Wish Godolphin’s Winning Machine All The Rage To Go In Again
The Bill Mott yard have NEVER won the Whitney Stakes but the best US racebooks thing this is about to change on Saturday as his Cody’s Wish is the hot favorite in the Saratoga betting.
He’ll face just five other rivals this weekend in the $1,200,000 Grade One and having already trounced three of those runners Zandon (2nd), White Abarrio (3rd) and Charge It (4th) in the Hill ‘N’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont (watch below) last time, then it’s no shock to see him odds-on in the betting.
Jockey Junior Alvarado will once again take the ride on Cody’s Wish, who has already banked a cool $2,328,530 in total career winnings.
2023 Whitney Stakes Runners: Can Anyone Topple Cody’s Wish?
Note: Odds are subject to change
1. ZANDON @ 9-2
J: Joel Rosario
T: Chad C Brown
Won the Blue Grass last season but is yet to record another win despite recording six top three finishes in graded races. Third in the 2022 Kentucky Derby too and runner-up in the Jim Dandy and Pennsylvania Derby last year too, while this term has two more silver medals to his name in the Westchester and Hill ‘N’ Dale Met Mile – both at Belmont Park.
He’s amassed just over £1.7m in prize money despite only winning twice, with the bulk of these winning due to placed efforts in top races. It could be more of the same here, having been beaten 3 1/4 lengths by Cody’s Wish the last day.
Trainer Chad Brown is yet to win the Whitney, but Joel Rosario has two successes to his name.
2. CHARGE IT @ 9-2
J: John R Velazquez
T: Todd Pletcher
Tapit colt so likely to be staying on well in the closing stages but was almost 6 lengths adrift of Cody’s Wish in the Met Mile at Belmont two starts back (4th). He also had Zandon and White Abarrio in front of him there, so not only does he have something to find with Cody’s but also two others.
Has since won the Grade 2 Suburban easily when upped in trip and the Pletcher barn have a fair record in the Whitney with four wins over the years, including 12 months ago.
Place claim again at best but does have plenty of experience in the saddle with jockey John R Velazquez, who has won this race four times, doing the steering.
3. GIANT GAME @ 20-1
J: Luis Saez
T: Dale Romans
Winner of three of his 10 career starts, with two of those successes coming in his last few races. He was last seen winning the Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap – beating a useful yardstick in Skippylongstocking.
More on his plate now running at the top table, while both jockey Luis Saez and trainer Dale Romans are yet to win the Whitney.
4. LAST SAMURAI @ 15-1
J: Flavien Prat
T: D Wayne Lukas
Runs here for veteran trainer D Wayne Lukas who won the Whitney Stakes for the first time back in 1986 and added another win in 1990.
This 5 year-old has won 6 of his 27 starts so is the most experienced runner in the field, but as a result there is likely to be little (or no) improvement left in his legs.
Last seen running 4th (of 8) in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Ellis Park at the start of July.
5. WHITE ABARRIO @ 6-1
J: Irad Ortiz Jr
T: Richard Dutrow Jr
Popular gray but is yet another that has ground to find with Cody’s Wish after running third to the Godolphin horse last time – beaten 3 1/2 lengths.
Before that had an allowance at Gulfstream Park in March after finishing 8th in the Pegasus World Cup at the end on January. His big career win to date came in the 2022 Florida Derby but has to prove the two turns trip is within range again here and really another place run looks on the cards.
6. CODY’S WISH @ 1-2
J: Junior Alvarado
T: William Mott
Last but by no means least is the horse the others have to beat – Cody’s Wish.
This Godolphin runner doesn’t know now to lose a race at the moment – winning his last six and has 9 career wins to his name now from 13 runs.
Was a Breeders’ Cup winner in 2022 too, when taking the Dirt Mile and with the Forego Stakes, Churchill Downs Stakes and last time out Hill ‘N’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap now all top wins for this 5 year-old.
He also had Zandon, Charge It and White Abarrio behind the last day and more of the same looks on the cards now also running off level weight with most. Last time in the Met Mile Handicap he actually had to give 4lbs to Zandon, 6lbs to White Abarrio and Charge It, but still trounced them all.
Cody’s Wish is taken to keep up the winning spree here to make it career win number 10 and give trainer Bill Mott is first Whitney.
Whitney Stakes 2023 Trifecta
- 1. Cody’s Wish
- 2. Zandon
- 3. Charge It
Whitney Stakes Betting Odds
- Cody’s Wish @ 1-2
- Zandon @ 9-2
- Charge It @ 5-1
- White Abarrio @ 6-1
- Last Samurai @ 15-1
- Giant Game @ 20-1
Note: Odds are subject to change
WATCH: Life Is Good Winning The 2022 Whitney Stakes
Whitney Stakes Recent Winners
- 2022 – Life Is Good
- 2021 – Knicks Go
- 2020 – Improbable
- 2019 – McKenzie
- 2018 – Diversify
- 2017 – Gun Runner
