Saratoga Race Course prize money
20 races at Saratoga put up $9.5m between them. The Whitney Stakes leads on $1,000,000, 10% of everything the course puts up.
Saratoga is 11th of the 34 racecourses on this site, and the 4th in the United States. The average race here is worth $477,500.
The twelve richest races at Saratoga
By prize money
Every race, ranked
20 races, biggest purse first
| # | Race | Grade | Prize money | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whitney Stakes miles (9 furlongs) | Grade 1 | $1,000,000 | 10.5% |
| 2 | Christophe Clement Turf Stakes miles (12 furlongs) | Grade 1 | $750,000 | 7.9% |
| 3 | Fourstardave Stakes 1 mile (8 furlongs) | Grade 1 | $750,000 | 7.9% |
| 4 | Saratoga Derby Stakes miles | Grade 1 | $750,000 | 7.9% |
| 5 | Alabama Stakes 1 miles (10 furlongs) | Grade 1 | $600,000 | 6.3% |
| 6 | Ballerina Handicap 7 furlongs | Grade 1 | $500,000 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Coaching Club American Oaks miles (9 furlongs) | Grade 1 | $500,000 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Diana Stakes miles (9 furlongs) | Grade 1 | $500,000 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Forego Stakes 7 furlongs | Grade 1 | $500,000 | 5.2% |
| 10 | H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes 7 furlongs | Grade 1 | $500,000 | 5.2% |
| 11 | Jim Dandy Stakes miles (9 furlongs) | Grade 2 | $500,000 | 5.2% |
| 12 | Personal Ensign Stakes miles | Grade 1 | $500,000 | 5.2% |
| 13 | Test Stakes 7 furlongs | Grade 1 | $500,000 | 5.2% |
| 14 | National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes 1 mile | Grade 2 | $400,000 | 4.2% |
| 15 | Hopeful Stakes 7 furlongs | Grade 1 | $300,000 | 3.1% |
| 16 | Spinaway Stakes 7 furlongs | Grade 1 | $300,000 | 3.1% |
| 17 | Albany Stakes miles (9 furlongs) | Restricted | $250,000 | 2.6% |
| 18 | Quick Call Stakes furlongs | Grade 3 | $175,000 | 1.8% |
| 19 | Saranac Stakes miles | Listed | $150,000 | 1.6% |
| 20 | Mike Lee Stakes miles (7 furlongs) | Restricted | $125,000 | 1.3% |
The oldest race here is the Alabama Stakes, with winners recorded from 1872. The newest is the Quick Call Stakes, first won in 2008. Every one of them is a flat race.
How the money splits by grade
The 20 races at Saratoga, by the grade each is run at
| Grade | Races | Prize money | Share | Richest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | 14 | $7,950,000$7.9m | 83% | Whitney Stakes |
| Grade 2 | 2 | $900,000 | 9% | Jim Dandy Stakes |
| Grade 3 | 1 | $175,000 | 2% | Quick Call Stakes |
| Listed | 1 | $150,000 | 2% | Saranac Stakes |
| Other races | 2 | $375,000 | 4% | Albany Stakes |
Grade 1 races are 70% of the races at Saratoga and 83% of the money. The average Grade 1 race here is worth $567,857, against $477,500 across the course.
Where Saratoga stands in the United States
The richest racecourses in the United States, by what their races put up
| # | Racecourse | Races | Prize money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Churchill Downs | 13 | $15,475,000$15.5m |
| 2 | Belmont Park | 17 | $11,500,000$11.5m |
| 3 | Keeneland Race Course | 17 | $10,750,000$10.7m |
| 4 | Saratoga Race Course | 20 | $9,550,000$9.5m |
| 5 | Gulfstream Park | 12 | $6,665,000$6.7m |
| 6 | Santa Anita Park | 24 | $5,795,000$5.8m |
| 7 | Kentucky Downs | 2 | $5,250,000$5.2m |
| 8 | Oaklawn Park Race Track | 5 | $4,750,000$4.7m |
| 9 | Del Mar Racetrack | 11 | $3,900,000$3.9m |
| 10 | Parx Racing and Casino | 4 | $2,600,000$2.6m |
| 11 | Aqueduct Racetrack | 12 | $2,515,000$2.5m |
| 12 | Pimlico Race Course | 4 | $2,350,000$2.3m |
Saratoga holds 8% of the prize money in the 196 races we hold for the United States.
Racecourses worth about the same
The courses either side of Saratoga in the money order, anywhere in the world
Who wins at Saratoga
Winning rides across every year of the 20 races here
| # | Jockey | Wins | Races | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John R. Velazquez | 54 | 17 | 1992 to 2025 |
| 2 | Ángel Cordero Jr. | 50 | 16 | 1968 to 1991 |
| 3 | Javier Castellano | 40 | 18 | 2001 to 2024 |
| 4 | Mike E. Smith | 40 | 14 | 1990 to 2019 |
| 5 | Pat Day | 38 | 16 | 1976 to 2002 |
| 6 | Jerry D. Bailey | 37 | 11 | 1982 to 2005 |
| 7 | Joel Rosario | 33 | 16 | 2010 to 2025 |
| 8 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 32 | 16 | 2012 to 2026 |
| 9 | Jorge Velásquez | 26 | 11 | 1969 to 1988 |
| 10 | José A. Santos | 26 | 14 | 1986 to 2006 |
The trainers
Winners saddled across the same races
| # | Trainer | Wins | Races | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Todd A. Pletcher | 47 | 14 | 1999 to 2026 |
| 2 | William I. Mott | 44 | 15 | 1987 to 2026 |
| 3 | D. Wayne Lukas | 36 | 12 | 1984 to 2017 |
| 4 | Chad C. Brown | 32 | 14 | 2011 to 2026 |
| 5 | Woody Stephens | 20 | 9 | 1949 to 1988 |
| 6 | J. Elliott Burch | 19 | 8 | 1950 to 1984 |
| 7 | Robert J. Frankel | 19 | 12 | 1992 to 2008 |
| 8 | Steven M. Asmussen | 18 | 9 | 2001 to 2026 |
| 9 | H. Allen Jerkens | 17 | 8 | 1962 to 2007 |
| 10 | MacKenzie Miller | 17 | 7 | 1959 to 1993 |
The horses that won here more than once
Wins across the 20 races at Saratoga
| # | Horse | Wins | Span | Biggest win |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shuvee | 4 | 1969 to 1971 | Alabama Stakes |
| 2 | Discovery | 3 | 1934 to 1936 | Whitney Stakes |
| 3 | Kelso | 3 | 1961 to 1965 | Whitney Stakes |
| 4 | Carl Spackler | 3 | 2023 to 2024 | Fourstardave Stakes |
| 5 | Casa Creed | 3 | 2019 to 2023 | Fourstardave Stakes |
| 6 | Fourstardave | 3 | 1988 to 1991 | Fourstardave Stakes |
| 7 | Gamely | 3 | 1967 to 1969 | Alabama Stakes |
| 8 | Love Sign | 3 | 1980 to 1981 | Alabama Stakes |
| 9 | Tempted | 3 | 1958 to 1960 | Alabama Stakes |
| 10 | Vagrancy | 3 | 1942 | Alabama Stakes |
Frequently asked questions
What is the richest race at Saratoga?
The Whitney Stakes, at $1,000,000. It is 10% of the prize money in the 20 races here and the 100th richest race in the world.
How much prize money is there at Saratoga?
$9,550,000 across the 20 races on this site that are run there, an average of $477,500 a race.
Which is the richest racecourse in the United States?
Churchill Downs, at $15,475,000. Saratoga is 4th, on $9,550,000.
How many Grade 1 races are run at Saratoga?
Fourteen, worth $7,950,000 between them. That is 83% of the course's prize money from 70% of its races.
Which horse has won the most big races at Saratoga?
Shuvee, with 4 wins across three of these races between 1969 and 1971.
Which jockey has won the most big races at Saratoga?
John R. Velazquez, with 54 winning rides across seventeen of these races between 1992 and 2025.
Where to next
Every racecourse, and the rest of the racing money
Every racecourse
- Randwick Racecourse
- Sha Tin Racecourse
- Meydan Racecourse
- Flemington Racecourse
- Longchamp Racecourse
- Rosehill Gardens Racecourse
- Caulfield Racecourse
- Churchill Downs
- Belmont Park
- Keeneland Race Course
- Ascot Racecourse, Perth
- Cheltenham Racecourse
- Moonee Valley Racecourse
- Gulfstream Park
- Santa Anita Park
- Deauville Racecourse
- Chantilly Racecourse
- Ohi Racecourse
- Eagle Farm Racecourse
- Aintree Racecourse
- Del Mar Racetrack
- Ascot Racecourse
- Ellerslie Racecourse
- San Siro Racecourse
- Morphettville Racecourse
- Saint-Cloud Racecourse
- Woodbine Racetrack
- Aqueduct Racetrack
- Capannelle Racecourse
- Newmarket Racecourse
- Iffezheim Racecourse
- Sandown Park Racecourse
- Köln-Weidenpesch