| Grade III race | |
| Location | Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Springs, New York, United States |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 2014 (as Forbidden Apple Stakes at Belmont Park) |
| Website | NYRA |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 mile (8 furlongs) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Four-year-olds and older |
| Weight | 124 lbs with allowances |
| Purse | US$175,000 (since 2022) |
The Kelso Stakes, previously held as the Forbidden Apple Stakes, is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four years old and older held over a distance of one mile (8 furlongs) on the turf held annually in mid-July at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.
The inaugural event was named in honor of Forbidden Apple [1] who won the 2001 Grade I Manhattan Handicap and won the Grade II Kelso Handicap twice.
The event's inaugural running was on Independence Day in 2014 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York as the seventh race on the ten race holiday card and was won by Shadwell Stable's Sayaad who defeated the favorite Kharafa in a five horse field by 2+1⁄4 lengths in a time of 1:38.27 on a soft yielding turf track. [2]
From 2014 until 2018 the event was held at Belmont Park. [3]
In 2019 the event was moved to Saratoga. [3] That same year the event was classified as Grade III by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. [4]
In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, NYRA did not schedule the event in their Saratoga summer meeting. [5]
In 2023 NYRA announced that the event would be renamed to the Kelso Stakes. [6] The event was renamed in honor of Kelso, Allaire du Pont's five-time winner of American Horse of the Year honors. Kelso won the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park five times (1960–1964) consecutively at the then distance of 2 miles on the dirt.
Speed record:
Margins:
Most wins:
Most wins by an owner:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Saratoga–Kelso Stakes | ||||||||||
| 2024 | Carl Spackler (IRE) | 4 | Tyler Gaffalione | Chad C. Brown | e Five Racing Thoroughbreds | 1 mile | 1:34.72 | $162,750 | III | [7] |
| 2023 | Casa Creed | 7 | Luis Saez | William I. Mott | LRE Racing, JEH Racing Stable | 1 mile | 1:35.51 | $175,000 | III | [8] |
| Forbidden Apple Stakes | ||||||||||
| 2022 | City Man | 5 | Joel Rosario | Christophe Clement | Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles, & Patty Searles | 1 mile | 1:33.76 | $175,000 | III | [9] |
| 2021 | Rinaldi | 5 | Luis Saez | H. James Bond | Bond Racing Stable | 1 mile | 1:35.70 | $150,000 | III | [10] |
| 2020 | Race not held | |||||||||
| 2019 | Mr. Havercamp (CAN) | 5 | Junior Alvarado | Catherine Day Phillps | Sean & Dorothy Fitzhenry | 1 mile | 1:37.50 | $150,000 | III | [11] |
| At Belmont Park | ||||||||||
| 2018 | Voodoo Song | 4 | Manuel Franco | Linda L. Rice | Barry K. Schwartz | 1 mile | 1:31.67 | $150,000 | Listed | [12] |
| 2017 | Disco Partner | 5 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Christophe Clement | Patricia A. Generazio | 1 mile | 1:33.49 | $150,000 | Listed | [13] |
| 2016 | King Kreesa | 7 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | David G. Donk | Gerald & Susan Kresa | 1 mile | 1:33.06 | $150,000 | Listed | [14] |
| 2015 | King Kreesa | 6 | Jose L. Ortiz | David G. Donk | Gerald & Susan Kresa | 1 mile | 1:32.34 | $147,000 | Listed | [15] |
| 2014 | Sayaad | 4 | Jose L. Ortiz | Kiaran P. McLaughlin | Shadwell Stable | 1 mile | 1:38.27 | $144,000 | [2] | |
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the spring meeting and the Travers Stakes is of the summer meeting at Saratoga. The past winners of the Gold Cup are a veritable who's who of award-winning Hall of Fame horses, including Easy Goer, Man o' War, Cigar, Skip Away, Curlin, Slew o' Gold, John Henry, Affirmed, Forego, Shuvee, Damascus, Buckpasser, Kelso, Sword Dancer, Nashua, Citation, Whirlaway and War Admiral. Despite the current $1,250,000 purse and Grade 1 status, the stature of the race has suffered somewhat in recent years thanks to the emergence of the Breeders' Cup Classic held not long afterward, as well as a change in distance to 1+1⁄4 miles in 1990, reducing its distinctiveness.
The Whitney Stakes is an American Grade 1 stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses four years of age and older run at a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles. The current purse is $1,000,000.
The Man o' War Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four-years-old and older. It is run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on turf and is scheduled annually for early May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The current purse is $400,000.
The Ruffian Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares ages four-years-old and older run over a distance of one mile on a dirt track scheduled annually in early May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
The Forty Niner Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older run over a distance of one mile on the dirt held annually in late October at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event offers a purse of $350,000.
The Honorable Miss Handicap is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are three years old or older over a distance of six furlongs on the dirt track scheduled annually in September at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.
The Victory Ride Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run at a distance of 6+1⁄2 furlongs on the dirt held annually in late June or early July at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
The Poker Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four years old and older held over a distance of one mile on the turf held annually in mid June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
The Pennine Ridge Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the inner turf held annually in late May or early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.
The Intercontinental Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged four years old and older, over a distance of six furlongs on the turf held annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.
The Wonder Again Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies aged three years old held over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles on the inner turf scheduled annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.
The John A. Nerud Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for four years old or older at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt run annually in early July at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently offers a purse of $200,000.
The Belmont Gold Cup Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four years old and older held over two miles on the turf scheduled annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $250,000.
Forbidden Apple is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2001 Manhattan Handicap.
The Soaring Softly Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three years old fillies, over a distance of 7 furlongs on the turf held annually in May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $175,000.
The Waya Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, three years old and older run over a distance of 1+3⁄8 miles on the turf held annually in October at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event offers a purse of $200,000.
The Runhappy Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for four years old or older at a distance of six furlongs on the dirt run annually in early May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently offers a purse of $175,000.
The Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes is an American Grade III Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of one and three-eighths miles on the turf held annually in September at Belmont Park, Elmont, New York. The purse for the event is US$500,000.
The Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes is an American Grade III stakes race Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on the turf held annually in September at Belmont Park, Elmont, New York. The purse for the event is US$350,000.
The Manila Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of one mile on the turf scheduled annually in early July at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The current purse is $250,000.