What is the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap?
The Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap 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 horses aged three and older, it is one of the most prestigious sprint handicaps in American racing and a key summer benchmark for older dirt sprinters targeting the Breeders' Cup Sprint. The race was inaugurated in 1985 as the A Phenomenon Stakes, named for the Saratoga champion who suffered a career-ending injury in the 1984 Forego Handicap. In 2000 the race was renamed to honor Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr., one of the most influential figures in American Thoroughbred racing history, who died in 1999. Vanderbilt owned and campaigned champions Native Dancer, Next Move, and Bed O' Roses, arranged the legendary 1938 match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral at Pimlico, and served as chairman of the New York Racing Association from 1971 to 1975. The race was upgraded to Grade I in 2010 and downgraded to Grade II in 2025. The track record of 1:07.92 was set by Imperial Hint in 2019. Steve Asmussen holds the trainer record with four wins, and Javier Castellano leads all jockeys with four victories including Imperial Hint in 2018 and 2019.
