The Fourstardave Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses that are three years old or older over a distance of one mile on the turf course scheduled annually in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $750,000.

History

The event was inaugurated on 31 July 1985, Opening Day of the Saratoga meeting for that year as the Daryl's Joy Stakes at a distance of miles and was won by Roving Minstrel who was ridden by United States' Racing Hall of Fame jockey Ángel Cordero Jr. in a time of 1:45. The New Zealand-bred Daryl's Joy was a Two Year Champion in 1968 there, and after a successful spring campaign in Australia in 1969 winning the W. S. Cox Plate and Victoria Derby the colt was sold to the US where he won six races in eleven starts for United States' Racing Hall of Fame trainer Charles E. Whittingham.

Early winners of the event won even more important events and the status of the race grew in importance. In 1988 the event was classified as Grade III. The winner of the First Division of the split divisions in 1989, the British bred horse Steinlen later that year would win the Breeders' Cup Mile. In 1990 and 1991, the New York State bred Fourstardave won the race.

In 1995 New York Racing Association renamed the event to The Fourstardave, nicknamed "The Sultan of Saratoga" because he won at least one race at the Saratoga track each year from 1987 to 1994. Fourstardave died of a heart attack in October 2002 at the age of 17 and is buried in Clare Court at Saratoga Race Course. This is a rare honor since only three horses are buried there.

In 2012 the distance of the event was decreased from miles to one mile.

The event was upgraded to Grade II in 2000 and achieving Grade I status in 2016.

The race was moved off the turf to dirt in 1992 and 2002 due to weather conditions. In 2002 the grade of the event was lowered due to the change of surface as designated by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

In the 2014 renewal, Seek Again set a Saratoga course record in the event which was broken again in 2019 by the mare Got Stormy, who is the only mare to have won the race. In 2021 Got Stormy won the event again at odds of 12–1.

Several horses who have won this event became celebrated champions. The 1993 winner Lure went on to win the Breeders' Cup Mile later in the year also the 1996 winner Da Hoss went on to win the Breeders' Cup Mile later. Both horses were two-time winners of the Breeders' Cup Mile. The 2005 Brazilian bred winner Leroidesanimaux would become US Champion Male Turf Horse. Dual winner Wise Dan would become US Horse of the Year in both 2012 and 2013 the years he won the event. The last horse to win the event and the Breeders' Cup Mile was the champion World Approval in 2017.

The event was run with handicap conditions between 1998 and 2024. In 2025 the event reverted to stakes conditions with allowances.

Records Speed record: 1 mile: Got Stormy (2019) – 1:32.00 miles: Fourstardave (1991) – 1:38.80

Most wins: 2 – Fourstardave (1990, 1991) 2 – Wise Dan (2012, 2013) 2 – Got Stormy (2019, 2021) 2 – Casa Creed (2022, 2023)

Most wins by a jockey: 9 – John R. Velazquez (1992, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013)

Most wins by a trainer: 6 – William I. Mott (2000, 2007, 2014, 2016, 2022, 2023)

Most wins by an owner: 2 – Fernwood Sable (1986, 1987) 2 – Frances A. Genter (1987, 1988) 2 – Richard Bomze & Bernard Connaughton (1990, 1991) 2 – Juddmonte Farms (1992, 2014) 2 – Darley Stable (2003, 2009) 2 – WinStar Farm (2011, 2016) 2 – Morton Fink (2012, 2013) 2 – LRE Racing, LLC and JEH Racing, LLC (2022, 2023) 2 – St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven C. Duncker & Vicarage Stable (2025, 2026)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefFourstardave Stakes2026 Deterministic 5 Kendrick Carmouche Miguel Clement St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven C. Duncker & Vicarage Stable1 mile 1:35.07$750,000I2025 Deterministic 4 Kendrick Carmouche Miguel Clement St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven C. Duncker & Vicarage Stable1 mile 1:33.87$750,000IFourstardave Handicap2024Carl Spackler (IRE)4Tyler GaffalioneChad C. Browne Five Racing Thoroughbreds1 mile 1:36.63$500,000I2023 Casa Creed7Luis SaezWilliam I. MottLRE Racing & JEH Racing Stable 1 mile1:34.20$500,000I2022 Casa Creed6Luis SaezWilliam I. MottLRE Racing & JEH Racing Stable 1 mile1:34.20$500,000I2021ƒ Got Stormy6Tyler GaffalioneMark E. CasseSpendthrift Farm & My Racehorse Stable1 mile1:33.09$500,000I2020Halladay4Luis Saez Todd PletcherHarrell Ventures 1 mile1:33.32$400,000I2019ƒ Got Stormy4Ricardo Santana Jr.Mark E. CasseGary Barber & Southern Equine Stable 1 mile1:32.00$500,000I2018Voodoo Song4Jose LezcanoLinda L. RiceBarry K. Schwartz1 mile1:35.96$513,750I2017World Approval5Manuel FrancoMark E. CasseLive Oak Racing 1 mile1:37.65$500,000I2016Tourist5Joel RosarioWilliam I. MottWinStar Farm, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber1 mile1:34.29$500,000I2015Grand Arch6Luis Saez Brian A. LynchJim & Susan Hill1 mile1:34.65$500,000II2014Seek Again4Joel RosarioWilliam I. MottJuddmonte Farms1 mile1:33.25$500,000II2013Wise Dan6John R. VelazquezCharles LoPrestiMorton Fink1 mile1:34.00$500,000II2012Wise Dan5John R. VelazquezCharles LoPrestiMorton Fink1 mile1:37.30$500,000II2011Sidney's Candy4John R. VelazquezTodd A. PletcherWinStar Farm & Rubio B. Stable miles1:43.25$150,000II2010Get Stormy4Javier CastellanoThomas M. BushSullimar Stable miles1:39.09$150,000II2009Justenuffhumor4Alan GarciaKiaran P. McLaughlinDarley Stable miles1:42.83$158,750II2008Red Giant4John R. VelazquezTodd A. PletcherPeachtree Stable miles1:41.93$150,000II2007Silver Tree7William I. MottPeter Vegso miles1:41.88$150,000II20064Javier CastellanoAngel A. Penna Jr.Holly Rincon miles1:40.81$147,000II2005Leroidesanimaux (BRZ)5John R. VelazquezRobert J. Frankel Stud TNT miles1:39.92$200,000II2004Nothing to Lose4John R. VelazquezRobert J. FrankelKenneth & Sarah Ramsey miles1:39.50$200,000II2003Trademark (SAF)7Richard MiglioreKiaran P. McLaughlinDarley Stable miles1:39.29$200,000II2002Capsized6José A. SantosLisa L. LewisGold Spur Stable & Stonerside Stable miles1:50.90$200,000III2001Dr. Kashnikow4John R. VelazquezJohn C. KimmelErdenheim Farm miles1:39.30$200,000II2000Hap4Jerry D. BaileyWilliam I. MottEdward White & Michael Paulson miles1:40.24$200,000II1999Comic Strip4Pat DayNeil J. HowardWilliam S. Farish III, G. Watts Humphrey Jr. & James Elkins miles1:41.76$150,000III1998Wild Event5Mark GuidryLouis M. GoldfineArthur I. Appleton miles1:39.25$114,900IIIFourstardave Stakes1997Soviet Line (IRE)7Pat DayKiaran P. McLaughlinShiek Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum miles1:39.99$112,500III1996Da Hoss4John R. VelazquezMichael W. DickinsonPrestonwood Farm miles1:40.54$118,500IIIDaryl's Joy Stakes1995Pride of Summer7Eddie MapleAnthony J. BizeliaTOC Stable, et al. miles1:40.85$115,400IIIDaryl's Joy Handicap 1994§ A in Sociology4Jean-Luc SamynPhilip G. JohnsonBarbara Ronca miles1:41.23$115,400IIIDaryl's Joy Stakes1993Lure4Mike E. SmithClaiborne Farm miles1:40.84$120,200III1992Now Listen5John R. VelazquezRobert J. FrankelJuddmonte Farms1 mile1:36.64$119,400III1991Fourstardave6Mike E. SmithLeo O'BrienRichard Bomze & Bernard Connaughton miles1:38.80$119,400III1990Fourstardave5Mike E. SmithLeo O'BrienRichard Bomze & Bernard Connaughton miles1:41.20$95,250III1989Steinlen (GB)5Ángel Cordero Jr.D. Wayne LukasGeorge E. Rowand miles1:41.00$89,925IIIHighland Springs6Edgar S. PradoBarclay TaggWildenstein Stable1:41.60$89,9251988San's the Shadow4Ángel Cordero Jr.Timothy A. HillsFrances A. Genter miles1:40.00$93,900III 1987Persian Mews (IRE)4José A. SantosThomas J. SkiffingtonFernwood Stable miles1:42.00$85,200 Duluth5Jean CruguetFlint S. SchulhoferFrances A. Genter1:42.80$85,2001986Mourjane (IRE)6José A. SantosThomas J. SkiffingtonFernwood Stable miles1:42.80$56,600 1985Roving Minstrel4Ángel Cordero Jr.Larry A. KellyCraig F. Cullinan Jr. miles1:45.40$56,100

Legend:

Notes:

§ Ran as an entry

ƒ Filly or Mare

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races

References