Arthur's Ride broke quickly from post nine in the field of 10 and led through fractions of :46.63 and 1:10.28 while chased by Skippylongstocking and 4-5 favorite National Treasure. Arthur's Ride never looked back on a muddy and sealed main track and posted a 2 1/4-length victory in the 94th running of the Whitney in a final time for the 1 1/8 miles of 1:48.54 under jockey Junior Alvarado.
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Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Arthur's Ride picked up his fourth career win and first stakes win. The Whitney was a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series event, giving Arthur's Ride an automatic, fees-paid berth to the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 2 at Del Mar. In two of the past three years, the Whitney winner has gone on to take the Classic. White Abarrio accomplished the feat last year and Knicks Go completed the double in 2021.
The Whitney Stakes is not only a prep for the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic, but also as a warm-up for their next target, the $1 million Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 1 at the Spa.
"It was a pretty good prep," said Mott, who won the Whitney for the first time in his career.
"To stand in the winner's circle at Saratoga is mindboggling. To win the Whitney, you have to be excited. I can't put it in words," said Artur's Ride's owner Karl Glassman of Glassman Racing. "To be part of Bill Mott 's first Whitney win, my goodness. We'll wake up at some point, but I don't know when."
Crupi, trained by Todd Pletcher, and Post Time, trained by Brittany Russell, each launched rallies from the back of the pack to finish second and third. Favored National Treasure, who was seeking his third Grade 1 win of 2024, faded to finish sixth for trainer Bob Baffert under Flavien Prat, who said the 4-year-old did not like the wet going.
The Whitney was the seventh career start for Arthur's Ride. Second in his first two starts at age 2, he broke his maiden in his first start at 3 last year, but then hoof and soft tissue issues sidelined him for 13 months. When he returned this March, he won two of his next three starts capped by a highly impressive 12 3/4-length romp in a June 7 mile-and-a-quarter allowance optional claimer at the Spa, which led Mott to plan for the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Whitney.
"We felt if we can get him back as a 3- or 4-year-old, he will get better. He was a big, tall, rangy horse who had every license to get better and we were right about that," Mott said. "This is satisfying. We had him since he was a 2-year-old, and he had some obstacles to overcome. Mr. and Mrs. Glassman are wonderful people and have been very patient. I think this is a very emotional moment."
The most difficult part of the race for Arthur's Ride was slowing down. Taking an awkward step in the gallop out, he unseated Alvarado, who ran alongside the horse until they came to a stop. Alvarado remounted and returned to the winner's circle without further incident.
Sent off as the 6-1 third choice, Arthur's Ride paid $15.80 to win.
"Bill and his team are the best," Glassman said. "We're just along for the ride. Literally, Arthur's Ride."
