A star-studded field of eight will go to post for a belting renewal of the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes.
There are SIX individual Grade 1 winners amongst the field, all aiming to capture the £444,445 up for grabs for whoever passes the post in front.
Across its 98-year existence, the race has produced an impressive roll of honour that includes Knicks Go, Gun Runner and Discovery, and whoever comes out on top on Saturday will have produce a real top class performance.
Having been successful in 2023, prestigious seven-year-old White Abarrio (8/1) knows what it takes to land a Whitney and, at times this year, has looked as good as ever. Just when doubts were starting to creep in about his ability to mix it with the absolute best, he roared back to form to win the Oaklawn Handicap.
Magnitude (15/8), however, looks the one to beat on paper. He got the better of Breeders' Cup Classic winner Forever Young in the Dubai World Cup in March, following that impressive victory up with another win in the Stephen Foster Stakes.
Behind Steve Asmussen's stable star at Churchill Downs was last year's Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty (4/1) and he is back for more on Saturday. Such was his class at three, racing fans were extremely excited about what he might be able to do at four, but it's not quite gone to plan just yet. He has been defeated twice since his late Breeders' Cup Classic scratching and his effort in the Stephen Foster wasn't too encouraging.
Arriving here with a relatively unexposed profile at this level is rapidly improving filly Nitrogen (5/1), who is in receipt of a load of weight from her rivals at Saratoga. A repeat of the 13-length demolition that she handed out over course and distance in June would surely put her right on the vicinity at the weekend.
Baeza (5/1) is the other that will attract major interest.
The son of McKinzie managed to end a five race losing streak in the Pennsylvania Derby last September -- beating Magnitude -- but has failed to return to the winner's enclosure in three subsequent visits to the track. He has a deep body of form that puts him within one or two lengths of the favourites here and if any of them underperform, this horse has the ability to capitalise.
Whitney Stakes betting odds
(Odds will display when market is available)
Any odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.
