The $750,000 FanDuel Fourstardave Stakes as evolved over the last 30 years into one of the premier races for turf milers in North America, and the 2025 edition Saturday at Saratoga Race Course drew a loaded 10-horse field.

Previously called the Daryl’s Joy Stakes and renamed for 1990 and 1991 winner Fourstardave, the first edition honoring Fourstardave in 1996 was won by future two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Da Hoss. Since then, standout turf milers like Leroidesanimaux (2005), Wise Dan (2012, 2013), Tourist (2016), World Approval (2017), Got Stormy (2019, 2021), Casa Creed (2022, 2023), and Carl Spackler (2024) followed.

Will last year’s FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF runner-up Johannes earn his first win outside of Southern California and punch his ticket to the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Mile, or will another entrant step forward in the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series race?

The Fourstardave will be televised nationwide on FOX as part of a three-hour “FOX Saratoga Saturday” program with a scheduled post time of 3:52 p.m. ET. And America’s Best Racing will be on site at the Spa for a “Whitney Day LIVE!” show hosted by Dan Tordjman and Alexa Zepp and featuring many special guests. “Whitney Day LIVE!” has a start time of 4 p.m. ET and will stream on ABR’s Facebook, X, and YouTube channels.

Bet the Fourstardave Stakes with NYRA Bets and get a $200 Deposit Match Bonus! Join today and enjoy the best summer racing, anywhere, anytime, with NYRA Bets—the official betting site of Saratoga Race Course. Claim your $200 Deposit Match Bonus now! 

Read on for information on each Fourstardave runner plus some betting insights.

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1. Cugino (10-1 morning-line odds)

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

Trainer: Shug McGaughey

Owners: West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig

Career record: 10 starts – 4 wins – 4 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $559,410

Age: 4

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 103

Pedigree: Twirling Candy – Adorable Miss, by Kitten's Joy

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker/closer

Analysis: Other than one dreadful race on the undulating turf course at Kentucky Downs going 1 5/16 miles in August 2024 – by far the longest race of his career – Cugino has been very good and consistent. He finished second in a Grade 3 race in November at Aqueduct and won the Tropical Park Derby in his final start as a 3-year-old. Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey picked an allowance-optional claiming race in June at Aqueduct for his first start in seven months, and the Twirling Candy colt produced a nice confidence-building, one-length win that should set him up for a return to stakes competition. The Fourstardave will be a significant class test for Cugino, however, as he makes his first Grade 1 attempt with speed figures that indicate he must run the fastest race of his life to be a contender. On the bright side, McGaughey (who won this race in 1993 with Lure) and Irad Ortiz Jr. have been a potent combination with a 28% win rate since 2024 plus a healthy return on investment.

Bet Cugino in the Fourstardave Stakes

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2. My Boy Prince (15-1)

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

Trainer: Mark Casse

Owner: Gary Barber

Career record: 17 starts – 7 wins – 5 seconds – 1 third

Career earnings: $992,127

Age: 4

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 107

Pedigree: Cairo Prince – Hopping Not Hoping, by Silent Name

Color: Gray or roan

Running style: Press the pace

Analysis: My Boy Prince was Canadian-classic placed in 2024, running second in the 1 ¼-mile King’s Plate on the all-weather main track at Woodbine, and he was a stakes winner on the grass as a 2-year-old. This year at 4, My Boy Prince has excelled in turf sprints for U.S. and Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, compiling a record of a  win and two seconds in three starts at sprint distances. After winning the Elusive Quality Stakes in his May 3 season debut at Aqueduct, My Boy Prince ran second to Ag Bullet in the Jaipur Stakes at 5 ½ furlongs on the Saratoga turf, which proved he can be competitive at this Grade 1 level. He enters the Fourstardave off a runner-up finish by a neck in the bet365 Highlander Stakes at Woodbine and stretches out an extra quarter of a mile here to one mile on the grass, a combination at which he is winless in four tries. In a race with plenty of stalker-closer types, tactical speed will be an advantage for My Boy Prince, who should be near the front at the top of the stretch. Casse is seeking his fourth win in the Fourstardave.

Bet My Boy Prince in the Fourstardave Stakes.

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3. Johannes (5-2)

Jockey: Umberto Rispoli

Trainer: Tim Yakteen

Owner: Cuyathy LLC

Career record: 13 starts – 8 wins – 1 second – 1 third

Career earnings: $1,153,859

Age: 5

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 122

Pedigree: Nyquist – Cuyathy, by Congrats

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Stalker

Analysis: Johannes is the morning-line favorite in the Fourstardave and the clear one to beat coming out of a 4-year-old season that saw him win five of six starts, including a Grade 1 and three Grade 2 races. His lone blemish was a runner-up finish to More Than Looks in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF, beaten by three-quarters of a length. Johannes has crossed the finish line first in eight of his last 10 starts while posting consistently impressive speed figures, but there are two key questions he needs to answer in the Fourstardave. First, will he be at his best against a strong group of contenders in his first race in more than seven months? Sometimes even elite racehorses need a race to regain their best form. Second, can he produce a top effort outside of Southern California? Johannes is unplaced in two races outside of the state, although one came in his career debut on dirt in 2022 and the other came in the American Turf Stakes Presented by BMW as a 3-year-old in May 2023. Johannes is a much, much better racehorse now than he was then, but shipping to New York and the long layoff are valid concerns for the morning-line favorite. He’s the most likely winner but this is no easy task.

Bet Johannes in the Fourstardave Stakes.

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4. Think Big (6-1)

Jockey: Luis Saez

Trainer: Michael Stidham

Owner: Godolphin

Career record: 11 starts – 6 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

Career earnings: $809,035

Age: 4

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 113

Pedigree: Twirling Candy – Always Thinking, by Street Sense

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker/closer

Analysis: A multiple graded-stakes winning turf sprinter, Think Big stretched out to a mile on the grass for the first time in the Kelso Stakes on this course and at this distance July 5 and rallied to win by a length. He defeated in that race Fourstardave entrants Intellect, Win for the Money, and Neat, who finished second, third, and fourth, respectively. The 111 Equibase Speed Figure he earned in the Kelso indicates that he should be able to be competitive stepping up to a Grade 1 race, as does his blistering final quarter-mile in :22.48 that day, but he will need to improve to be a win candidate against an outstanding group of turf milers. Jockey Luis Saez, who has won three of the last five editions of the Fourstardave with four victories overall, picks up the mount on Think Big.

Bet Think Big in the Fourstardave Stakes.

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5. Win for the Money (8-1)

Jockey: Dylan Davis

Trainer: Mark Casse

Owner: Live Oak Plantation

Career record: 20 starts – 5 wins – 5 seconds – 3 thirds

Career earnings: $880,197

Age: 6

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 114

Pedigree: Mohaymen – Mayakoba, by War Chant

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Stalker

Analysis: Win for the Money earned the most significant victory of his career last fall when he drew clear in the stretch to win the Grade 1, $1 million Rogers Woodbine Mile. The Mohaymen gelding is winless in four subsequent races, including unplaced finishes in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Qatar Racing. Win for the Money was beaten by 3 ¾ lengths in the Pegasus World Cup Turf but earned a new career-top 114 Equibase Speed Figure, so he was not disgraced in defeat. Making his first start since then after a layoff of more than five months, Win for the Money ran evenly for third behind fellow Fourstardave entrants Think Big and Intellect in the Kelso Stakes. The 6-year-old gelding will need an improved effort in his second race after the layoff, but he’s won at this level before and the price should be right for a trainer in Mark Casse who has three previous wins in the Fourstardave.

Bet Win for the Money in the Fourstardave Stakes.

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6. Intellect (5-1)

Jockey: Flavien Prat

Trainer: Chad Brown

Owners: Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and Steven Bouchey

Career record: 12 starts – 3 wins – 5 seconds – 3 thirds

Career earnings: $188,265

Age: 4

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 109

Pedigree: Intello – Caldera, by Iffraaj

Color: Bay

Running style: Closer

Analysis: Intellect has finished in the top three in each of his three U.S. races but is still seeking his first stateside win after making the first nine starts of his career in his native France. He led in deep stretch of the Kelso Stakes July 5 at this distance at Saratoga but was caught late by Think Big in a runner-up finish. Coming off back-to-back second-place finishes at the Grade 3 level, Intellect’s 5-1 morning-line odds appear to be due more to his trainer-jockey tandem of Chad Brown and Flavien Prat than on-track results. While that potent duo has won at 25% over the last two seasons at Saratoga and 26% overall since 2024, Intellect seems like an underlay to win this race against elite competition if his odds remain near the morning line, but he certainly has the ability to finish in the top three for exacta and trifecta bettors.

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Underlay: An underlaid horse is one whose odds are less than his potential to win. Betting horses whose odds are worse than fair value is a poor strategy in the long-term.

Bet Intellect in the Fourstardave Stakes.

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7. Spirit of St Louis (6-1)

Jockey: Manny Franco

Trainer: Chad Brown

Owners: Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and Richard Schermerhorn

Career record: 17 starts – 11 wins – 3 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $1,819,250

Age: 6

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 120

Pedigree: Medaglia d'Oro – Khancord Kid, by Lemon Drop Kid

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Closer

Analysis: Based on a pair of Grade 1 wins this season in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Qatar Racing and the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes, Spirit of St Louis profiles as a leading Fourstardave win contender. But the Medaglia d’Oro gelding must bounce back from a disappointing sixth-place finish on this turf course June 8 in the Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes, which was won by Fourstardave entrant Deterministic. Prior to that race, Spirit of St Louis had a win and two seconds on this inner turf course at Saratoga and had run well on good/yielding turf, so there was no obvious excuse. Trainer Chad Brown gave him eight weeks between starts and he cuts back to a mile distance at which he’s won three of four, so maybe you toss his last race and focus on his 11 wins in 16 starts before the Manhattan. He’s formidable at his best for Brown, who won this race a year ago for the first time with Carl Spackler.

Bet Spirit of St Louis in the Fourstardave Stakes.

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8. Deterministic (9-2)

Jockey: Kendrick Carmouche

Trainer: Miguel Clement

Owners: St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, C. Steven Duncker, and Vicarage Stable

Career record: 12 starts – 6 wins – 3 second – 1 third

Career earnings: $1,576,015

Age: 4

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 120

Pedigree: Liam's Map – Giulio's Jewel, by Speightstown

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Pacesetter

Analysis: After the 2024 Triple Crown trail, trainer Christophe Clement switched Deterministic from dirt to turf and the results have been encouraging to say the least. He’s amassed four wins, two seconds, and one third in seven races on grass and enters the Fourstardave off a career-best effort when winning the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes June 8 at Saratoga. That victory was Deterministic’s first official start for trainer Miguel Clement, who took over following the passing of his beloved father. Deterministic carries impeccable form into the Fourstardave and also looks like the controlling speed in the race. One concern is distance. All of Deterministic’s turf wins have come at 1 1/8 miles or longer, so the Fourstardave might be shorter than ideal. His only previous start at a mile was a runner-up finish to Fourstardave entrant Neat eight starts ago in the Manila Stakes June 29, 2024, at Aqueduct.

Bet Deterministic in the Fourstardave Stakes.

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9. Lagynos (20-1)

Jockey: Joel Rosario

Trainer: Steve Asmussen

Owner: Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud

Career record: 18 starts – 4 wins – 3 seconds – 6 thirds

Career earnings: $919,591

Age: 4

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 109

Pedigree: Kantharos – Steamy, by Speightstown

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Stalker

Analysis: Lagynos has finished no worse than third with a pair of stakes wins in his last six starts and he is 20-1 on the morning line, which speaks to the depth and quality of the 10 horses entered in the Fourstardave. The 4-year-old colt has lost his last three races by less than a length and enters the Fourstardave off a third-place finish, beaten by three-quarters of a length, behind Brilliant Berti in the Grade 2 Wise Dan Stakes June 28 at Churchill Downs. There is not a ton of speed entered in the race, which should allow two-time Fourstardave-winning jockey Joel Rosario to position Lagynos just behind the pace with a shot to get the jump on the closers at the top of the Saratoga stretch. If you are looking for a big price to potentially boost the payout of your trifecta or superfecta tickets, Lagynos is worth consideration.

Bet Lagynos in the Fourstardave Stakes.

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10. Neat (20-1)

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

Trainer: Rob Atras

Owners: Red White and Blue Racing and CMNWLTH

Career record: 15 starts – 6 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

Career earnings: $931,130

Age: 4

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 107

Pedigree: Constitution – Orabella, by More Than Ready

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Closer/stalker

Analysis: Unplaced in four starts this year and his last five races overall, Neat will try to regain his top form that led to four stakes wins in five starts last year during his 3-year-old season, with a trio of graded stakes victories during that impressive stretch. The Constitution colt has encountered trouble in each of his last three starts, much of which was out of his control, and is eligible to improve with a cleaner trip and at a big price. That said, he’s facing the best competition he’s met all year and would need a career-best effort simply to be in the hunt in deep stretch. Expect an improved performance from Neat in the Fourstardave but anything more than filling out the trifecta or superfecta would qualify as a surprise against this group.

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A trifecta filler: We’re suggesting that you might want to add the horse to your bet if you’re playing a trifecta (first three finishers) or superfecta (top four finishers), and using this horse in the third and fourth slots but not to win or finish second.

Bet Neat in the Fourstardave Stakes.

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