The Forego Stakes is a

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

for horses four years old and older over the distance of seven

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...

s on the dirt, scheduled annually in August at

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, Saratoga Springs, New York (state), New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting v ...

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the ...

. The event currently carries a purse of $500,000.

History

This event is named for

Forego Forego (April 30, 1970 – August 27, 1997) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won eight Eclipse Awards including Horse of the Year, Champion Handicap Horse and Champion Sprinter. Background Foaled at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky ...

, the

American Horse of the Year The American Award for Horse of the Year, or simply Horse of the Year, one of the Eclipse Awards, is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. Because Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has no governing body to san ...

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 Jorge Velásquez (born December 28, 1946) is a Panamanian retired thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Jorge Velasquez's career in thoroughbred racing began in his native Panama but as a teenager moved to the United States. In 1967 he won more race ...

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

. The event is considered a main preparatory race for either the

Breeders' Cup Sprint The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs ( mile), the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in t ...

at six furlongs, or the

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is a Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up. As its name implies, it is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the ''de facto'' year-end championship for North American ...

. 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 Mitole (foaled March 23, 2015) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who was foaled and raised at Hermitage Farm in Oldham County, Kentucky. He was named the American Champion Male Sprint Horse of 2019 after winning six of seven starts th ...

(2019) Margins: *8 lengths – Affirmed Success (1998) Most wins: * 2 –

Groovy ''Groovy'' (or, less commonly, ''groovie'' or ''groovey'') is a slang colloquialism popular during the 1960s and 1970s. It is roughly synonymous with words such as "excellent", "fashionable", or "amazing", depending on context. History The word ...

(1986, 1987) * 2 – Quick Call (1988, 1989) Most wins by an owner: * 3 – Godolphin Racing (2009, 2012, 2022) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

: * 4 –

Ángel Cordero Jr. Ángel Tomás Cordero Jr. (born November 8, 1942) is a Puerto Rican jockey. He is known for being one of the winningest Thoroughbred horse racing jockeys of the late 20th-century and the first Puerto Rican to be inducted into the United States' ...

(1981, 1983, 1985, 1987) Most wins by a trainer: * 4 – Robert J. Frankel (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008)

Winners

References

{{reflist, 2 Graded stakes races in the United States Grade 1 stakes races in the United States Horse races in New York (state) Horse races established in 1980 Saratoga Race Course 1980 establishments in New York (state)

History

Records

Winners

See also

References