Amsterdam Stakes

The Amsterdam Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses over the distance of furlongs on the dirt, scheduled annually in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.

History

The event was inaugurated at Belmont Park on 17 July 1993 as the Screen King Stakes and was run over a distance of seven furlongs and the winner Evil Bear was ridden by United States' Racing Hall of Fame jockey José A. Santos in a time of 1:22.09. The event honored Screen King who had won his first four races including the Grade III Swift Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The following year the event moved to Saratoga and the distance was decreased to six furlongs and split into two divisions.

In 1998 the event was renamed for Amsterdam, New York, a town about 26 miles from Saratoga Springs in Upstate New York. That same year the race was upgraded to a Grade III and was run in split divisions. In 2001 the event was upgraded to Grade II.

Of the notable winners of this event are 1996 winner Distorted Humor who much later on in 2011 became Leading sire in North America and in 2017 the Leading broodmare sire in North America. In 2009 Quality Road resumed after injury after winning the Grade I Florida Derby missing all three legs of the U.S. Triple Crown series and winning the event in track record time of 1:13.74 breaking Saratoga's 30-year track record.

An earlier edition of the Amsterdam Stakes was run at Saratoga from 1901 through at least 1915 that was open to horses age three and older.

Records Speed record: furlongs: 1:13.74 – Quality Road (2009) 6 furlongs: 1:08.50 – Yaupon (2020)

Margins: lengths – Shancelot (2019)

Most wins by an owner: 2 – Lewis G. Lakin (In partnership) (2001, 2002) 2 – Fox Hill Farms (2008, 2014 in partnership)

Most wins by a jockey: 4 – Pat Day (1995, 1996, 2000, 2002) 4 - Joel Rosario (2013, 2016, 2020, 2021)

Most wins by a trainer: 6 - Steven M. Asmussen (2004, 2005, 2015, 2020, 2021, 2022)

Winners Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefAmsterdam Stakes2026Local KnowledgeJohn R. VelazquezTodd A. PletcherSpendthrift Farm furlongs1:14.89$250,000II2025Smoken Wicked Brian Hernandez Jr.Dallas StewartValene Farms furlongs1:15.64$200,000II2024World Record Flavien Prat Rodolphe BrissetSiena Farm & WinStar Farm furlongs1:16.20$194,000II2023New York ThunderTyler GaffalioneJorge DelgadoAMO Racing USA furlongs1:14.65$194,000II2022GuniteTyler GaffalioneSteven M. AsmussenWinchell Thoroughbreds furlongs1:15.75$200,000II2021Jackie's WarriorJoel RosarioSteven M. AsmussenJ. Kirk & Judy Robison furlongs1:15:46$200,000II2020YauponJoel RosarioSteven M. AsmussenL. William & Corinne Heiligbrodt6 furlongs1:08.50$150,000II2019ShancelotEmisael JaramilloJorge NavarroIvan Rodriguez, Albert Crawford & Michelle Crawford furlongs1:14.01$200,000II2018Promises FulfilledLuis SaezDale L. RomansRobert J. Baron furlongs1:15.18$200,000III2017Coal FrontJohn R. VelazquezTodd A. PletcherRobert V. LaPenta & Head of Plains Partners furlongs1:16.05$200,000II2016Mind Your BiscuitsJoel RosarioRobert N. Falcone Jr.J Stables, Scott, Hope & Daniel Summers furlongs1:15.25$200,000II2015Holy BossRicardo Santana Jr.Steven M. AsmussenJerry Durant furlongs1:15.38$200,000II2014Coup de GraceRosie NapravnikJ. Larry JonesFox Hill Farms furlongs1:15.32$200,000II2013Forty TalesJoel RosarioTodd A. PletcherPerretti Racing Stable furlongs1:15.64$200,000II2012Currency SwapRajiv MaraghTeresa M. PompayKlaravich Stables & William H. Lawrence furlongs1:15.33$200,000II2011Caleb's PosseRajiv MaraghDonnie K. Von HemelMcNeill Stables & Cheyenne Stables furlongs1:15.88$150,000II2010Discreetly MineJohn R. VelazquezTodd A. Pletcher E. Paul Robsham Stables furlongs1:14.12$150,000II2009Quality RoadJohn R. VelazquezTodd A. PletcherEdward P. Evans furlongs1:13.74$150,000II2008Kodiak KowboyGabriel SaezJ. Larry Jones Vinery Stables & Fox Hill Farm furlongs1:15.56$150,000II2007Rafael BejaranoNicholas P. ZitoLive Oak Plantation furlongs1:15.97$150,000II2006Court FollyCalvin H. BorelIan R. WilkesRobert Manfuso furlongs1:16.14$142,500II2005Santana StringsEibar CoaSteven M. AsmussenMillennium Farms6 furlongs1:10.18$150,000II2004Bwana CharlieShane SellersSteven M. AsmussenHeiligbrodt Racing Stable6 furlongs1:09.40$150,000II2003ZavataJerry D. BaileyPatrick L. BianconeMichael B. Tabor6 furlongs1:08.64$150,000II2002Listen HerePat DayWilliam I. MottKim and Rodney Nardelli & Lewis G. Lakin 6 furlongs1:09.58$150,000II2001City ZipJorge F. ChavezLinda L. RiceCharles R. Thompson, Carl Bowling, Becky Thomas & Lewis Lakin 6 furlongs1:11.03$135,700II2000Personal FirstPat DayDavid E. PaulusDianne Waldron, Leah Killingworth and William Shively 6 furlongs1:09.33$110,000III1999Successful AppealEdgar S. PradoJohn C. KimmelStarview Stable6 furlongs1:10.20$83,900IIIAt Saratoga – Screen King Stakes1998Secret FirmEdgar S. PradoH. Graham Motion Buckram Oak Farm6 furlongs1:10.28$82,650IIIMintEibar CoaMea Culpa Stables1997Oro de MexicoChris AntleyPhilip M. SerpeJohn T. Dee6 furlongs1:10.58$82,125 Listed 1996Distorted HumorPat DayW. Elliott WaldenPrestonwood Farm6 furlongs1:09.13$54,700Listed 1995Kings FictionPat DayH. Allen JerkensHardwicke Stables, et al. 6 furlongs1:09.75$53,750 Listed 1994Chimes BandJerry D. BaileyD. Wayne LukasFares Farm6 furlongs1:09.90$53,876 Listed Mr. ShawklitHerb McCauleyFrank LaBoccettaEdward Anchel1:10.80$53,876At Belmont Park – Screen King Stakes1993Evil BearJosé A. SantosRobert E. Reid Jr.Joseph Sabini7 furlongs1:22.09$48,000

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races

References