What is the Honorable Miss Stakes?
The Honorable Miss Stakes is a Grade II Thoroughbred race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Contested at 6 furlongs on the dirt for fillies and mares aged three and older, it is one of the premier distaff sprint tests of the Saratoga summer meet and a key benchmark for older fillies and mares targeting the Grade I Test Stakes and Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Inaugurated on November 3, 1985 at Aqueduct Racetrack, the race is named in honor of Honorable Miss, the brilliant champion mare who won the Fall Highweight Handicap at Belmont Park twice, defeating male competition in one of the most celebrated distaff performances of her era. The race moved to Saratoga in 1992 and was classified Grade III in 1996 before being upgraded to Grade II in 2004. In 2025, the conditions of the event were changed from a handicap to a stakes allowance, and it now carries the sponsored name Honorable Miss Stakes Presented by Mionetto. Echo Zulu set the stakes record of 1:08.76 in 2023, the fastest six-furlong dirt time ever recorded at Saratoga by a filly or mare. Steve Asmussen leads all trainers with three wins.
When is the Honorable Miss Stakes in 2026?
The 2026 Honorable Miss Stakes Presented by Mionetto is scheduled for Sunday, July 26 at Saratoga Race Course. Contested at 6 furlongs on the dirt with a purse of $200,000, the race draws the top older fillies and mares targeting the Grade I Test Stakes and Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in the fall.
Honorable Miss Stakes History & Notable Winners
The Honorable Miss Stakes has produced some of the most celebrated distaff sprint performances at Saratoga in recent years. Halina's Forte gave trainer Philip Bauer and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. a 2025 victory in 1:09.87 for Rigney Racing, the four-year-old daughter of Forte making every post a winning one in a gate-to-wire score. Spirit Wind gave trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and Hall of Famer Mike Smith a 2024 win in 1:10.36 for Miller Racing. Echo Zulu delivered the most dominant performance in the race's history in 2023, setting the stakes record of 1:08.76 under Flavien Prat for trainer Steve Asmussen and the partnership of L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds — the fastest six-furlong dirt time ever recorded at Saratoga by a filly or mare. Kimari gave trainer Wesley Ward and jockey Joel Rosario a 2022 score in 1:10.78 for the powerful Coolmore-Westerberg ownership. Bell's the One gave trainer Neil Pessin and jockey Corey Lanerie a 2021 victory in 1:09.83 for Lothenbach Stables.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Halina's Forte | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 1:09.87 |
| 2024 | Spirit Wind | Mike E. Smith | 1:10.36 |
| 2023 | Echo Zulu | Flavien Prat | 1:08.76* |
| 2022 | Kimari | Joel Rosario | 1:10.78 |
| 2021 | Bell's the One | Corey Lanerie | 1:09.83 |
* Stakes record.
The Honorable Miss Stakes is one of the most prestigious distaff sprint events of the Saratoga summer meet and a key proving ground for top older fillies and mares each July.
