The Forego Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses four years old and older over the distance of seven furlongs on the dirt, scheduled annually in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $500,000.

History This event is named for Forego, the American Horse of the Year for three straight years between 1974 and 1976.

The event was inaugurated on 27 August 1980, Opening Day of the Belmont Park Fall meeting for that year over a distance of one mile with handicap conditions and was won by Tanthem who was ridden by United States' Racing Hall of Fame jockey Jorge Velásquez in a time of 1:35 flat. The event was held at Belmont Park the following year but was moved in 1982 to Saratoga with a decrease in distance to seven furlongs.

In 1983 the event was classified as Grade III, and year after it was upgraded to Grade II.

From 2000 through 2002 the event was run at furlongs before reverting to the seven-furlong distance in 2003.

In 2001, the event was upgraded to Grade I.

The event is considered a main preparatory race for either the Breeders' Cup Sprint at six furlongs, or the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Several notable winners have followed such a path.

The 2020 and 2021 renewals were restricted to horses aged four years old and older.

Records Time record: 7 furlongs: 1:20.80 – Mitole (2019)

Margins: 8 lengths – Affirmed Success (1998)

Most wins: 2 – Groovy (1986, 1987) 2 – Quick Call (1988, 1989)

Most wins by an owner: 3 – Godolphin Racing (2009, 2012, 2022)

Most wins by a jockey: 4 – Ángel Cordero Jr. (1981, 1983, 1985, 1987)

Most wins by a trainer: 4 – Robert J. Frankel (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefAt Saratoga – Forego Stakes2026Hymn4Ricardo Santana Jr.Ron MoquettFleur de Lis Stables, William S. Sparks, and Bret Jones7 furlongs 1:22.48$500,000I2025Book’em Danno4Paco LopezDerek S. Ryan Atlantic Six Racing 7 furlongs 1:22.43$500,000I2024Mullikin 4Flavien Prat Rodolphe BrissetSiena Farm & WinStar Farm 7 furlongs1:21.75$500,000I2023Gunite4Tyler GaffalioneSteven AsmussenWinchell Thoroughbreds 7 furlongs1:21.53$485,000I 2022Cody's Wish4Junior AlvaradoWilliam I. MottGodolphin Racing7 furlongs1:20.95$589,000I2021Yaupon4Ricardo Santana Jr.Steven M. AsmussenWilliam L. & Corinne Heiligbrodt7 furlongs1:21.74$600,000I2020Win Win Win4Javier CastellanoMichael J. TrombettaLive Oak Racing (Charlotte Weber)7 furlongs1:21.71$300,000I 2019Mitole4Steven M. AsmussenWilliam L. & Corinne Heiligbrodt7 furlongs1:20.80$576,950I2018Whitmore5Ricardo Santana Jr.Ron MoquettRobert V. LaPenta, Ron Moquett & Head of Plains Partners7 furlongs1:21.46$600,000I2017Drefong4Mike E. SmithBob BaffertBaoma Corporation7 furlongs1:21.12$600,000I2016A. P. Indian6Joe BravoArnaud DelacourGreen Lantern Stables 7 furlongs1:20.99$700,000I2015Private Zone6Martin A. PedrozaJorge Navarro Good Friends Stable 7 furlongs1:21.09$700,000I2014Palace5Cornelio VelásquezLinda L. RiceAntonino Miuccio7 furlongs1:21.95$500,000I2013Strapping Groom6Junior AlvaradoDavid JacobsonDavid Jacobson & Drawing Away Stable7 furlongs1:22.27$500,000I2012Emcee4Alan GarciaKiaran P. McLaughlinGodolphin Racing7 furlongs1:21.00$500,000I2011Jackson Bend4Corey NakataniNicholas P. ZitoRobert V. LaPenta7 furlongs1:22.08$250,000I2010Here Comes Ben4Alex O. SolisCharles LoPrestiMarianne I. Chase & Brandon L. Chase.7 furlongs1:22.50$250,000I2009Pyro4John R. VelazquezSaeed bin SuroorGodolphin Racing7 furlongs1:21.48$300,000I2008First Defence4Channing HillRobert J. FrankelJuddmonte Farms7 furlongs1:21.55$250,000I2007Midnight Lute4Shaun BridgmohanBob BaffertMichael E. Pegram & Watson and Weitman Performances 7 furlongs1:21.06$250,000I2006Pomeroy5John R. VelazquezMartin D. WolfsonSilverleaf Farms Inc.7 furlongs1:23.39$250,000I2005Mass Media4Javier CastellanoRobert J. FrankelGary & Mary West Stables7 furlongs1:22.59$250,000IForego Handicap2004Midas Eyes4Edgar S. PradoRobert J. FrankelEdmund A. Gann7 furlongs1:22.22$250,000I2003Aldebaran5Jerry D. BaileyRobert J. FrankelFlaxman Holdings7 furlongs1:21.26$250,000I2002Orientate4Jerry D. BaileyD. Wayne LukasRobert B. & Beverly Lewis furlongs1:15.68$250,000I20015Jerry D. BaileyBenjamin W. Perkins Jr.New Farm furlongs1:15.53$250,000I2000Shadow Caster4Jorge F. ChavezJohn P. Terranova IIGatsas Stables furlongs1:15.00$250,000II1999Crafty Friend6Gary L. StevensJohn C. KimmelAhmed bin Salman7 furlongs1:21.32$250,000II1998Affirmed Success4Jorge F. ChavezRichard E. SchosbergAlbert Fried Jr.7 furlongs1:21.98$194,000II1997Score a Birdie6Herb McCauleyGuadalupe PreciadoJoseph Imbesi7 furlongs1:22.47$200,000II1996Langfuhr4Jorge F. ChavezMichael KeoghGustav Schickedanz7 furlongs1:21.90$150,000II1995Not Surprising5Robbie DavisJudson Van WorpRobert Van Worp7 furlongs1:21.91$104,000II1994American Chance5Pat DayDavid M. CarrollJohn D. Gunther7 furlongs1:22.74$110,000II1993Birdonthewire4Mike E. SmithPhilip M. SerpeRobert Kaufman7 furlongs1:21.88$121,800II1992Rubiano5Julie KroneFlint S. Schulhofer Centennial Farms 7 furlongs1:22.54$116,800II1991Housebuster4Craig PerretJimmy CrollRobert P. Levy7 furlongs1:21.08$115,800II1990Lay Down6Chris AntleyOgden Mills Phipps7 furlongs1:22.80$86,400II1989Quick Call5Pat DaySidney J. Watters Jr. Lynda S. Stokes7 furlongs1:21.80$113,200II 1988Quick Call4Pat DaySidney J. Watters Jr.Lynda S. Stokes7 furlongs1:21.00$114,200II1987Groovy4Ángel Cordero Jr.Jose A. MartinPrestonwood Farm7 furlongs1:21.80$112,600II1986Groovy3José A. SantosJose A. MartinJohn A. Ballis7 furlongs1:21.20$117,200II1985Ziggy's Boy3Ángel Cordero Jr.Walter A. Kelley John B. Singer7 furlongs1:21.20$88,350II1984Mugatea4Robbie DavisJohn O. HertlerPaul Hoffman7 furlongs1:22.40$88,940II1983Maudlin5Ángel Cordero Jr.Jan H. NerudTartan Farms 7 furlongs1:21.60$54,300III1982Engine One4Ruben HernandezSylvester E. VeitchBenjamin Ferguson II7 furlongs1:21.20$55,600 At Belmont Park1981Fappiano4Ángel Cordero Jr.Jan H. NerudJohn A. Nerud1 mile1:33.80$83,700 1980Tanthem5Jorge VelásquezDouglas J. WorswickRonald Worswick1 mile1:35.00$85,050

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races

References