Met Mile winner and Breeders' Cup odds contender National Treasure will look to punch his ticket to the Breeders' Cup Classic with a victory in the Grade I Whitney Stakes over 1 1/8-miles at Saratoga this Saturday.
Standing in his way are 11 accomplished rivals, and my free betting picks are leaning against the Bob Baffert trainee in this $1 million race that carries a "Win & You're In" berth for the Classic.
Whitney Stakes odds, prediction and best bet
- Race: Saratoga Race 11
- Post time: 5:42 p.m. ET
- TV: FOX
| Post | Horse | Track odds |  |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Post Time | 20-1 | +2,000 | +2,000 |
| 2 | Disarm | 15-1 | +1,500 | +1,600 |
| 3 | National Treasure | 9-5 | +180 | +175 |
| 4 | Warrior Johny | 20-1 | +2,000 | +1,600 |
| 5 | First Mission | 9-2 | +450 | +500 |
| 6 | Il Miracolo | 20-1 | +2,000 | +2,500 |
| 7 | Crupi | 15-1 | +1,500 | +1,400 |
| 8 | Tumbarumba | 20-1 | +2,000 | +2,500 |
| 9 | Bright Future | 5-1 | +500 | +500 |
| 10 | Skippylongstocking | 8-1 | +800 | +900 |
| 11 | Arthur's Ride | 8-1 | +800 | +750 |
| 12 | Charge It | 30-1 | +3,000 | +3,300 |
Odds as of 8-1-2024.
No. 10 Skippylongstocking (8-1) looks like the best value on the morning line in the Whitney Stakes.
After dusting a Grade III at Tampa and galloping in a Grade II at Oaklawn, the Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee was a game third in the Grade I Stephen Foster when last seen. Skippylongstocking stalked the classy No. 5 First Mission (9-2) and out-finished that one, though he didn't have enough late to hold off a determined Kingsbarns and just missed the bob for second behind Pyrenees.
Jockey Jose Ortiz has tactical options from this post in a race featuring several stalkers, which could work to the detriment of race favorite National Treasure, the lone confirmed frontrunner in the group. Skippylongstocking also stands to benefit from a potentially muddy track based on his 2-for-2 career record on off-goings. National Treasure is 2: 0-0-0 on such surfaces.
No. 9 Bright Future (5-1) won the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup over this course last year and returns to the scene of his biggest career triumph off a troubled-trip victory in the Grade III Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park. The Todd Pletcher pupil clearly needed that prep and should be ready to rock in this spot under Javier Castellano.
Bright Future could lay close or take back early if the pace is swift. He's never raced on anything other than fast dirt, but he's bred to appreciate a wet track being by Curlin out of a Bellamy Road mare.
First Mission was in an unusual spot being on the lead in the Stephen Foster, but that shouldn't happen in the Whitney barring National Treasure either scratching or botching the break altogether. He crushed the competition in consecutive graded stakes before that fourth-place effort, one occurring on fast dirt and one in the slop.
First Mission has never raced at Saratoga but has Travers Stakes winners on both the top and bottom of his pedigree (Street Sense, Medaglia d'Oro).
Best bet: $3 exacta box 5/9/10, $12 win 10 ($30)
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Road to the Breeders’ Cup Classic
| Race | Date | Track | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Derby | May 4 | Churchill Downs | Mystik Dan |
| Preakness Stakes | May 18 | Pimlico | Seize the Grey |
| Belmont Stakes | June 8 | Saratoga | Dornoch |
| Metropolitan Handicap | June 8 | Saratoga | National Treasure |
| Stephen Foster Stakes* | June 29 | Churchill Downs | Kingsbarns |
| Haskell Stakes* | July 20 | Monmouth Park | Dornoch |
| Whitney Stakes* | August 3 | Saratoga | TBD |
| Juddmonte International Stakes (turf)* | August 21 | York (UK) | TBD |
| Travers Stakes | August 24 | Saratoga | TBD |
| Pacific Classic* | August 31 | Del Mar | TBD |
| Jockey Club Gold Cup* | September 1 | Saratoga | TBD |
| Pennsylvania Derby | September 21 | Parx | TBD |
| California Crown* | September 28 | Santa Anita Park | TBD |
| Lukas Classic | September 28 | Churchill Downs | TBD |
*denotes "Win & You're In" race for Breeders' Cup Classic
