The Jim Dandy Stakes is a Grade II Thoroughbred race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Contested at 1⅛ miles on the dirt exclusively for 3-year-olds, it is the most important Travers Stakes prep race at Saratoga and one of the most prestigious sophomore classics in American horse racing. Inaugurated in 1964, the race is named in honor of Jim Dandy, the unforgettable 100-1 longshot who delivered one of the greatest upsets in American racing history when he defeated Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox in the 1930 Travers Stakes at Saratoga — still celebrated as one of the most shocking results in the sport's history. A Grade II event since 1987, the Jim Dandy has been won by an extraordinary succession of champions and future Hall of Famers including Affirmed (1978), Bernardini (2006), Street Sense (2007), Medaglia d'Oro (2002), Essential Quality (2021), and Sovereignty (2025). The race was won in 2001 as a temporary Grade I event when it attracted the deepest field in its history. Todd Pletcher holds the record for most wins with eight, including Fierceness in 2024 and Forte in 2023, while John Velazquez leads all jockeys with five victories. The all-time race record of 1:47.26 was set by Louis Quatorze in 1996.
The 2026 Jim Dandy Stakes is scheduled for Saturday, August 1 at Saratoga Race Course. Contested at 1⅛ miles on the dirt with a purse of $500,000, the race is the traditional Travers Stakes prep and draws the top 3-year-old dirt horses in the country targeting the Grade I Travers Stakes on August 29.
The Jim Dandy Stakes has produced an extraordinary succession of champions who went on to define their generation. Sovereignty gave trainer William Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado a 2025 victory in 1:49.52 for Godolphin, giving the powerful operation its fourth Jim Dandy win, before Sovereignty went on to complete the Jim Dandy-Travers double — only the 14th horse in history to accomplish the feat. Fierceness gave trainer Todd Pletcher his eighth Jim Dandy win in 2024 under John Velazquez in 1:49.15 for Repole Stable, the unbeaten son of City of Light dominant through every stage. Forte gave Pletcher his seventh title in 2023 under Irad Ortiz Jr. in 1:49.61 for Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable. Epicenter gave trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Joel Rosario a 2022 score in 1:48.99 for Winchell Thoroughbreds, the Preakness runner-up bouncing back from his Triple Crown near-misses in dominant fashion. Essential Quality gave trainer Brad Cox and jockey Luis Saez a 2021 win in 1:49.92 for Godolphin, launching a campaign that would end with the colt's Horse of the Year candidacy.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sovereignty | Junior Alvarado | William I. Mott | Godolphin LLC, Carcone Holdings, Pietras Racing Stable | 1:49.52 |
| 2024 | Fierceness | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Repole Stable | 1:49.15 |
| 2023 | Forte | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd A. Pletcher | Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable | 1:49.61 |
| 2022 | Epicenter | Joel Rosario | Steven M. Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds | 1:48.99 |
| 2021 | Essential Quality | Luis Saez | Brad H. Cox | Godolphin Racing LLC | 1:49.92 |
| 2020 | Mystic Guide | José Ortiz | Michael Stidham | Godolphin Racing LLC | 1:49.00 |
The Jim Dandy Stakes is the most important Travers prep at Saratoga and one of the most storied races in American 3-year-old racing — a race where legends are made and history is written each August.
