Horse Racing Sense

The Whitney Stakes is a Grade 1 race for horses age four and older, run each August at Saratoga Race Course. First run in 1928 and named for the Whitney family, it’s one of the few truly elite races reserved for older horses rather than the sport’s usual focus on 3-year-olds. Unlike the Triple Crown races, the Whitney tests horses that have already establish...

Every summer, Saratoga puts on the race that earned it a nickname most tracks would never want: the “Graveyard of Champions.” I’ve spent 30+ years around Thoroughbreds at Louisiana tracks, and even from a distance, the Travers is one of those races that commands attention — it’s the one race where a Triple Crown résumé means nothing once the gate opens. This guide covers what...

Who won the 2026 Haskell Stakes? Baby Vino, going off at 28/1 (up from a 15/1 morning line), under jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. for trainer Lindsay Schultz. The win takes home the $1 million purse and locks in a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on October 31. Napoleon Solo, the Preakness winner making his first start since Laure...

The 2026 Haskell Stakes runs Saturday, July 18 at Monmouth Park, post time approximately 5:45 PM ET. Post positions are drawn Wednesday, July 15. It is the 59th renewal of the Grade 1, $1 million race and a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on October 31.

The race has three structural angles worth understanding bef...