Albany Stakes (United States)
The Albany Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race that is held at the Saratoga Race Course and is open to Thoroughbred three-year-old horses of either gender running at a mile and one eighth on the dirt. It currently offers a purse of $250,000. It is restricted to horses foaled in New York states.
The Albany is the third and final leg of the "Big Apple Triple," a grouping of three races in New York for horses bred in that state. A horse who wins all three of the Big Apple Triple wins the purse total of $400,000 plus a $250,000 bonus. The first leg is the Mike Lee Handicap run at Belmont Park, and the second leg is the New York Derby at Finger Lakes race track. The series began in 1999.
Run since 1978, the Albany was held at Belmont Park in 1981, at Aqueduct Race Track in 1980, and also from 1982 to 1985.
In 2008, Tin Cup Chalice won the first Big Apple Triple by taking the Albany Stakes, the New York Derby, and the Mike Lee Handicap. In the Albany Stakes, Tin Cup Chalice went up against Big Truck, a Kentucky Derby runner and Icabad Crane, the third-place finisher in the Preakness Stakes.
Fourstardave won this race in 1988 and Julie Krone won it on Copper Mount in 1994.
Past winners
- 2016 - Hit It Once More (Kendrick Carmouche)
- 2015 - Good Luck Gus (Luis Saez)
- 2014 - So Lonesome (Jose Lezcano)
- 2013 - Escapefromreality (Javier Castellano)
- 2012 - Willy Beamin (Alan Garcia) (Willy Beamin won the 2012 Mike Lee Handicap)
- 2011 - Bigger is Bettor (Abel Lezcano) (Socialsaul, winner of the New York Derby, placed. Preachintothedevil, winner of the Mike Lee Handicap, came in third.)
- 2010 - Stormy's Majesty (Edgar Prado)
- 2009 - Fiddlers Afleet (Ramon Dominguez)
- 2008 - Tin Cup Chalice (Pedro Rodriguez) (Won the Big Apple Triple)
- 2007 - Stunt Man (Ramon Dominguez)
- 2006 - Indian Hawke (Jose Santos)
- 2005 - Naughty New Yorker (Jean-Luc Samyn)
- 2004 - West Virginia (John Velazquez)
- 2003 - Traffic Chief (Jose Santos)
- 2002 - Private Emblem (Jerry Bailey)
- 2001 - Personal Pro (Edgar Prado)
- 2000 - Gratiaen (Edgar Prado)
- 1999 - Gander (Pat Day)