Whitney Stakes

West Will Power (Bernardini--Wild Promises, by Wild Event), last-out winner of the GI Stephen Foster S., has been retired from racing after suffering a soft tissue injury, trainer Brad Cox confirmed Tuesday. The news was first reported by Dave Grening of Daily Racing Form. A homebred for Gary and Mary West, West Will Power hit the board in 15 of 17 starts, with seven wins and earnings of $1,745,390. In addition to his victory in the July 1 Stephen Foster, the 6-year-old also won this year's GII New Orleans Classic...

Godolphin's Cody's Wish (Curlin) had his final work ahead of the Aug. 5 GI Whitney S. Sunday at Saratoga, going four furlongs in :48.28 (9/69) over the Oklahoma training track. With Neil Poznansky aboard, the multiple Grade I winner clocked the first quarter-mile in :24 2/5 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 and seven furlongs in 1:27. "I thought it was perfect. If there is such a thing as a perfect work," trainer Bill Mott said. "Neil did a perfect job. The warm-up was good, the breeze went...

Godolphin homebred Cody's Wish (Curlin) tuned up for the Aug. 5 GI Whitney S. with a five-furlong work over the Oklahoma dirt training track in 1:02.81 (10/12) Sunday in Saratoga. Trained by Bill Mott, the 5-year-old was piloted through his breeze by assistant trainer Neil Poznansky, who guided the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner through splits of :26 2/5 and :38 2/5 before galloping out in 1:15 1/5, 1:27 1/5 and 1:41 3/5. "He just let him off the bridle and he picked it right up," said Mott. Cody's...

A half-sister by Triple Crown winner Justify to recent GI Whitney S. winner Knicks Go (Paynter) and a colt by Empire Maker, both consigned by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services, have been supplemented to next month's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt, catalogued as hip 199B will sell during the auction's first session Sept. 13. He is out of the unraced Tacking (Mizzen Mast), a half-sister to group winner Tajaaweed (Dynaformer) and to the dam of multiple Grade I winner Paradise Woods (Union Rags). The filly, catalogued as 399B, will be offered...

Korea Racing Authority's even-money favorite Knicks Go (Paynter) ran off from a strong field in Saturday's GI Whitney S. to earn an automatic spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and reassert himself at the top of the handicap division. Last seen posting a 10 1/4-length bounce-back victory in the GIII Cornhusker H. July 2 after settling for fourth at odds-on in the GI Metropolitan H., the grey opened up some five or six lengths on his competition down the Saratoga backside through a half in...

Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) is headed for the GI Whitney S. on Aug. 7, trainer Kenny McPeek said Wednesday. McPeek said that the EHV-1 quarantine that has affected his barn at Saratoga prompted him to reschedule his plans for Peter Callahan's 4-year-old filly, the winner of the 2020 Preakness against colts. She was originally scheduled to run in the GIII $200,000 Shuvee this Sunday and then the GI $600,000 Personal Ensign on Aug. 28, but the quarantine in his barn has prevented him from entering any horses at Saratoga. He said his...

The New York Racing Association unveiled the stakes schedule for the Saratoga meet, which will feature 76 stakes worth $21.5 million in total purses, including the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup and GI Flower Bowl S., both of which were previously run at Belmont. Both races will be run Sept. 4 and, to accommodate this change, the GI Woodward S. and GIII Fasig-Tipton Waya S. will be moved to the Belmont fall meet. The Jockey Club Gold Cup will be worth a $1 million for the first time since 2016,...

When considering stallion potential, brilliance and precocity are rarely left out of the equation. But a unique find emerges when a headlining juvenile can carry out his talent as a sophomore and even as an older horse before beginning his stud career. Two of WinStar Farm's new recruits for 2021, Improbable (City Zip) and Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford), showed brilliance early on in their careers as flashy debut winners before each went on to become stakes winners at three and four. We spoke with WinStar's David Hanley on the pair of...

Saturday's 12-race GI Whitney S. Day card generated an all-sources handle record of $35,796,435, eclipsing the previous Whitney Day record of $31,835,863 set in 2019. 2019 Whitney Day, which was held Aug. 3, saw paid attendance of 40,791 with fans on the grounds of Saratoga wagering $4,658,622.

Last year's GI Travers S. hero Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) looks to become the first horse since Medaglia d'Oro in 2002/2003 to complete the Travers-GI Whitney S. double Saturday at Saratoga and secure a spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Capturing the GIII Dwyer S. last term prior to his Travers score, the W.S. Farish homebred came up a nose short of champion Vino Rosso (Curlin) in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. in September, but was promoted to first via DQ....