2024 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap Preview

Older male dirt sprinters take the spotlight on Saturday, July 27, in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap! The race drew a field of six talented older horses, a mixture of proven top-level contenders and horses who are out to prove that they fit against the best of the best.

Though the race does not offer a Win and You’re In bid to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, it is still a major feature of the Thoroughbred racing season. 2023 Vanderbilt winner Elite Power did go on to win his second straight Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The others who have swept the double include Orientate (2002) and Speightstown (2004). Other major recent winners of this race include Imperial Hint (2018, 2019) and Jackie’s Warrior; though neither won the Breeders’ Cup, both were strong forces in the male sprint division.

2024 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap Information

• Race Date: Saturday, July 27
• Track: Saratoga Race Course
• Post Time: 3:20 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: six furlongs
• Age/Sex: 3-year-olds and up
• Where to Watch: FanDuel Racing, Fox
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap Draw and Odds

This is the official field for the 2024 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga Race Course. This includes post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds for each runner

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap Prep Race Results

All six of the entrants in the Vanderbilt come out of different races.

Two of the runners come out of graded or group races. Baby Yoda is the only horse who comes out of a graded-stakes victory: he has been known as a Saratoga-loving horse for his entire career, and he was last seen winning the True North (G2) during Belmont Stakes weekend at Saratoga. Nakatomi makes his first start since finishing third behind Tuz in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) at Meydan on March 30.

Two others most recently raced in ungraded stakes. Skelly finished second behind Closethegame Sugar in the Aristides at Churchill Downs on June 1. My Buddy B missed by a neck to Let My People Go in the Karl Boyes at Presque Isle Downs on July 1.

The other two entrants come out of allowance-level races. Subrogate, who makes his graded-stakes debut in the Vanderbilt, most recently romped by six lengths in a conditioned allowance-optional claimer going 6 ½ furlongs at Aqueduct. Twisted Ride is a stakes winner and multiple Grade 3-placed, but his most recent start was a second-place finish in a seven-furlong conditioned allowance on the dirt at Parx.

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap Contenders

These are the runners in the 2024 Vanderbilt Handicap, in order of their post draws.

1. Nakatomi: It is surreal that Nakatomi is not a graded-stakes winner yet since he has been a fixture in graded-stakes races since 2021. He has hit the board in graded or group company six times, including a two-length third in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last year, but he has yet to win in graded company. He is versatile enough to carve out a good trip and has run well in both his starts at Saratoga. But, most of his winning efforts have come at extended-sprint distances, meaning he is probably more of an underneath type in this shorter race.
2. Twisted Ride: He has sharp early speed and is drawn toward the inside, meaning maybe he will try to pester the front end for a while. But, his recent efforts have come in 6 ½-furlong or seven-furlong races, meaning this six-furlong trip may be a little too sharp for him to get to his spot near the front. It’s a positive to see that Kendrick Carmouche, who is doing so well this season, is riding. But, this is a major class test, and he would perhaps be better off taking that class test over an extended-sprint trip.
3. My Buddy B: A $25,000 claim at Turfway two starts back, the claim has already paid off nicely, with an allowance win at Mountaineer and then a second-place finish in a stakes race at Presque. Even though this isn’t the deepest Grade 1 in the world, though, it’s still a lot tougher than the foes he has been beating on the dirt at Mountaineer and Belterra, and in general, the speed figures are only fast enough to suggest he’ll threaten for lower rungs of exotics.
4. Baby Yoda: Baby Yoda looked like a world-beater at first, and he is Grade 1-placed by virtue of a second-place effort in the 2021 Malibu, but he has come into himself more at the allowance level. However, he can still pull a rabbit out of his hat, especially at the Spa, where he is 4-for-6 – and he did exactly that on June 8, romping by six lengths in the True North. The race is typically run at Belmont, though it was run at Saratoga this year due to the New York Racing Association doing renovations at Belmont Park. A run back to that makes him a contender in this. The question is the distance: the True North was 6 ½ furlongs, and he tends to be just a little better at 6 ½ or seven furlongs than a flat six. However, he is a four-time winner going six, and he has a nice burgeoning relationship with jockey Eric Cancel. In short, he isn’t without upside, but don’t take too short a price.
5. Subrogate: Most of Arrogate’s progeny like to go long, but this one does best going short: he is undefeated at less than a mile, but never won at a mile or more. He carries a three-race win streak into the Vanderbilt, only his second stakes try and his first at a graded level. Expect him to work a stalking trip: he tends to press the pace even at six and a half, making it doubtful that he makes the lead going six, especially with Skelly in the mix. Still his consistency, a gritty victory at Saratoga two back, and a switch to high-percentage rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. make him the most likely of the new faces to make a splash.
6. Skelly: Consistency, thy name is Skelly. In 16 starts, this millionaire and six-furlong specialist has 10 wins and five seconds; his only off-the-board finish was a sloppy allowance early in his career where he started badly, rushed up, and emptied out. That was over a year and a half ago. Even though he has limited graded-stakes experience—he has two wins in Grade 3 company here as well as a Group 3 placing in Saudi Arabia—this isn’t the strongest Grade 1 in the world and he should get a clean trip from the outside draw. Expect him to get to the front and play catch-me-if-you-can, and it would be no shock if no one can.

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap FAQ

Q: When is the 2024 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap?

A: The 2024 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap happens on Saturday, July 27, 2024. Post time is scheduled for 3:20 p.m. EDT, and it is the sixth race of 12 on the Saratoga Saturday card.

Q: Where is the Vanderbilt Handicap?

A: The Vanderbilt Handicap takes place at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Vanderbilt Handicap?

A: Steve Asmussen shines in the Vanderbilt Handicap. He has won the race four times with Majesticperfection (2010), Justin Phillip (2013), Volatile (2020), and Jackie’s Warrior (2022). He returns in 2024 with Skelly.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Vanderbilt Handicap?

A: The ever-consistent Skelly, for strong Vanderbilt Handicap trainer Steve Asmussen, has been named the 6-5 morning-line favorite. He would not be a surprise to go off actually favored, though expect some action on Saratoga specialist Baby Yoda (7-2) for trainer Bill Mott.

Q: Who is the best Vanderbilt Handicap jockey?

A: Pat Day and Javier Castellano are tied for the most wins in the Vanderbilt Handicap with four each. Castellano is still an active rider, but does not have a call in this year’s edition. Among jockeys riding this year, Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the most wins with two.

Q: Who won the Vanderbilt Handicap in 2023?

A: Elite Power, already a Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner in 2022, won the Vanderbilt in 2023 en route to a Breeders’ Cup repeat. He was ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. for trainer Bill Mott. Ortiz rides Subrogate for trainer Jorge Duarte, Jr. Bill Mott also returns to the race with Baby Yoda, who will be ridden by Eric Cancel.

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