2025 Fourstardave Stakes Preview at Saratoga Race Course

Key Takeaways:

• Johannes (5-2) is the morning-line favorite off a strong 2024 Breeders’ Cup Mile effort, but returns from injury and a long layoff.
• Think Big (6-1) impressed in the Kelso and may get another ideal pace setup in this spot.
• Intellect (5-1) and Spirit of St Louis (6-1) represent Chad Brown, though neither has fully stamped themselves at the Grade 1 mile level yet.
• Deterministic (9-2) and My Boy Prince (15-1) add speed, setting up potential for closers in a deep and competitive field.

A field of ten top turf milers lines up Saturday, August 2, for the Grade 1, $500,000 FanDuel Fourstardave Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. The biggest turf mile race of the summer, the race not only offers prestige and a rich purse, but also an expenses-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Mile on November 1 at Del Mar.

This very challenging race features a showdown of some of the biggest names in the turf mile division: last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up Johannes, Manhattan (G1) winner Deterministic, Turf Classic (G1) winner Spirit of St Louis, and last year’s Woodbine Mile (G1) victor Win for the Money.

The race began as the Daryl’s Joy Handicap and was renamed for Saratoga Race Course fan favorite Fourstardave in 1996. The race was run as the Fourstardave Handicap between 1998 and 2024, but will be run under weight-for-age stakes conditions this year. The race has built an excellent reputation as a live Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile prep race. Over the last few decades, five horses have won both this race and the Breeders’ Cup Mile in the same year: Lure (1993), Da Hoss (1996), Wise Dan (2012, 2013), Tourist (2016), and World Approval (2017).

2025 Fourstardave Stakes Information

• Race Date: Saturday, August 2
• Track: Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY
• Post Time: 3:52 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: one mile on the inner turf track
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds and up
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV, Fox Sports
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

Fourstardave Stakes Draw and Odds

This is the field for the 2025 Fourstardave Stakes, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds.

Fourstardave Stakes Prep Race Results

The Kelso (G3), a turf mile at Saratoga on July 5, is the local prep for the Fourstardave. Reasonably, the most last-out runners come into this race from that spot. Think Big overhauled favored Intellect to win the race by a length, while Win for the Money and Neat were a troubled third and fourth, respectively. Those four will meet again on Saturday.

Two horses come out of the Manhattan on June 8 at Saratoga, part of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Deterministic led at every call and held by a game head, giving Miguel Clement his first graded-stakes win. Favored Spirit of St Louis did not find the rally he needed that day, and crossed the wire sixth of eight.

Three others come from stakes away from the Spa. Johannes makes his first start since winning the San Gabriel (G2) on December 26 at Santa Anita; he had been slated to run in the Pegasus World Cup Turf, but bone bruising put him on the shelf. My Boy Prince stretches out after finishing second by a neck in the six-furlong Highlander (G2) on June 28 at Woodbine. Lagynos was last seen finishing a hard-fought third in the Wise Dan (G2) on June 28 at Churchill Downs, three-quarters of a length behind Brilliant Berti.

The only horse coming out of a race that was not a graded stakes is Cugino. He makes just the second start of his four-year-old year in the Fourstardave, and his seasonal debut was a victory in a 1 1/16-mile allowance on the grass at Aqueduct on June 19.

Fourstardave Stakes Contenders

Here is a closer look at the 2025 Fourstardave Stakes contenders, in order from the rail out.

1. Cugino: This Shug McGaughey trainee won a pair of ungraded stakes last year, in the Audubon at Churchill and the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream. He did them in completely different ways: he wired the Audubon but closed to win the Tropical Park Derby. His only race this year was a victory in allowance company, his first start against older, which came in stalk-and-pounce fashion at Aqueduct in June. McGaughey never shies away from developing a horse slowly when a horse needs it, and that may be the case for Cugino. But, he needs a huge step forward second off the layoff, and McGaughey has gotten a bit of a cold start this Saratoga meet. So, there are reasons to wait and see.
2. My Boy Prince: Beaten favorite against Canada-breds in the King’s Plate last year, this son of Cairo Prince has proven he can hold his own against open company—he won the Elusive Quality at Aqueduct in his first start this year, and finished second in both the Jaipur (G1) and the Highlander after that. Those were all sprints; now he tries a mile for the first time since he weakened to ninth in the Bryan Station (G3) last fall. The near-inside gate probably forces his hand to go early, and that’s his running style anyway in these longer races. However, he won’t be alone: Deterministic and Neat have plenty of speed as well, and My Boy Prince still needs to prove he can stay the mile against this quality of foes.
3. Johannes: West Coast turf horses are usually suspect against foes outside of that bubble, but every so often a horse proves good enough to cut it against the big boys, and Johannes proved last year that he was just that kind of a horse when he finished second, beaten only three quarters of a length, in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. However, now he has to ship outside California. He can run his race outside there, though—though he was fifth in the 2023 American Turf (G2) the last time he left California, he was troubled, and he lost by only two lengths for all of it. The biggest question, worth asking since he will be favored, is whether he will be the same horse after the bone bruising and the layoff. So, watch the board and watch his appearance in the post parade and paddock.
4. Think Big: He found his mojo turf sprinting earlier this year, winning a pair of Grade 2 races. After losing as the heavy favorite in the Jaipur, he stretched out to a mile for the Kelso—and, he took to it beautifully, rallying well to win by a length. Whether he gets as much pace this time as he did last time is a question, but it is possible with My Boy Prince, Deterministic, and Neat all lining up. The weather also suggests that he’ll get the firmer ground that he likes. All in all, he is in good form, and this looks like the right time to give him this class test.
5. Win for the Money: He upset the Woodbine Mile over the sweeping one-turn course last year, but though he has some good efforts over more conventional turf setups, he hasn’t quite run back to that Woodbine form against tougher company. Still, at a price, there is some upside. His tactical speed could help him work out a good trip from this middle gate. And, his third in the Kelso last out wasn’t bad, especially since he was one of several horses forced to swerve out of the way when Donegal Momentum stumbled—there may be some more in the tank than he showed there.
6. Intellect: One of two from the Chad Brown barn in the Fourstardave, he has yet to win in three starts since moving from France to the United States, but he hasn’t run badly in any of those outings, either. Two of those stateside starts have come in graded company, and both were runner-up finishes. He was too late in the Poker (G3) two back and perhaps moved too early in the Kelso last out. If jockey Flavien Prat can nail the timing, he has a shot—but on the other hand, he is certain to take a lot of money based on Brown and Prat, he is still seeking his first graded-stakes win, and his form is competitive but not imposing.
7. Spirit of St Louis: He is probably going to be the longer price between the two Chad Brown horses, despite being the more proven, a two-time Grade 1 winner. Forgive the defeat in the Manhattan last out—it was a rainy weekend, and he’ll get better ground this time. But, the big question here is distance. His top-level wins have come at 1 ⅛ miles, and though he has won at the flat mile before, those wins came against ungraded and even New York-bred company, not these proper Grade 1 foes. However, he is a better horse now than when he ran fifth in the Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) last year, and he has tactical speed and upside if he gets lost in the betting as the “other” Brown.
8. Deterministic: This four-year-old has won two straight graded races on the front end. However, this shorter distance will be a real test, especially since there’s stretch-out sprinter speed inside him in the form of My Boy Prince. Don’t expect him to make the running—but he doesn’t have to, as he won the Virginia Derby (G3) and the Hill Prince (G3) from off the pace last year. He fell short in the Manila (G3) last year in his only try at a mile so far, but perhaps he takes to it since he is a better horse than he was when he last tried it, and he is certainly bred for it. In short, there’s upside, but demand his morning line or better.
9. Lagynos: This Steve Asmussen trainee is consistent enough—on the board in 13 of 18 starts, including each of his last six. However, those have all been against less classy company, and now he steps up to face proper Grade 1 foes. He also loses jockey Flavien Prat to Intellect. In short, he’s a tough sell—a hard-trying sort, but experienced enough to be a known quantity with limited upside, and a little too slow to measure up if his foes arrive on form.
10. Neat: This Rob Atras trainee has had a nightmare campaign, with significant trip trouble in each of his last three outings. He has some long shot appeal just because he loves Saratoga so much—he won the Manila and the Hall of Fame (G2) last year, both at a mile on the grass at the Spa, and even with a bad trip last out in the Kelso he rallied to finish fourth, 2 ¼ lengths beaten for the whole thing. He is tactical enough to stalk close to the pace or rally from further back, and he has done all that really good work over this track with Junior Alvarado in the irons. He’ll be a long shot, and he’ll need his best to contend—but given how much he loves this track, if he gets a clean trip, he might surprise people at huge odds.

Fourstardave Stakes FAQ

Q: When is the 2025 Fourstardave Stakes?

A: The 2025 Fourstardave Stakes happens Saturday, August 2 at 3:52 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. It is the eighth of 13 races on the day, and one of four Grade 1 affairs.

Q: Where is the Fourstardave Stakes?

A: The Fourstardave Stakes happens at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Fourstardave Stakes?

A: Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott leads all trainers with six wins in the race. His first came in 2000 with Hap, while his most recent came in 2023 with Casa Creed, when he took down his second straight edition of the Fourstardave. Mott does not have an entrant in 2025. Among trainers who do, Mark Casse leads with three wins, including two with the fan favorite mare Got Stormy. Casse can win a fourth with My Boy Prince or Win for the Money.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Fourstardave Stakes?

A: The 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Fourstardave is Johannes. Though he is the only runner without at least one race in 2025, his consistent form and his close second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile last year make the Tim Yakteen trainee likely to hold as the chalk.

Q: Who is the best Fourstardave Stakes jockey?

A: John Velazquez has won an incredible nine editions of the Fourstardave (or its predecessor, the Daryl’s Joy Stakes) between 1992 and 2013. He still rides at Saratoga, but does not have a call in 2025. Among jockeys who do, Luis Saez leads with four wins, including scores with Casa Creed in 2022 and 2023. He can win a fifth with Think Big in 2025.

Q: Who won the Fourstardave Handicap in 2024?

A: Carl Spackler won the 2024 Fourstardave Handicap for trainer Chad Brown and jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Gaffalione does not have a call in 2025, though Brown has both Intellect with rider Flavien Prat and Spirit of St Louis with jockey Manuel Franco.

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