The Amsterdam Stakes is a Grade II Thoroughbred race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Contested at 6½ furlongs on the dirt exclusively for 3-year-olds, it is the premier sophomore dirt sprint test of the Saratoga summer meet and a key benchmark for the division targeting the Grade I H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Sprint in the fall. The race was inaugurated in 1993 at Belmont Park as the Screen King Stakes and moved to Saratoga the following year, where it was renamed the Amsterdam Stakes in 1998 in honor of Amsterdam, New York, a city approximately 26 miles southwest of Saratoga Springs. Classified Grade III in 1998 and upgraded to Grade II in 2001, the Amsterdam has a roll of honor that includes future Hall of Famers and champions. Quality Road set the race record of 1:13.74 in 2009, one of the fastest 6½-furlong clockings in Saratoga history. Steve Asmussen holds the trainer record with six wins, while Joel Rosario and Pat Day each hold the jockey record with four victories. Notable alumni include Distorted Humor (1996), who later became North America's leading sire, and Jackie's Warrior (2021), who went on to win five consecutive Grade I races.
The 2026 Amsterdam Stakes is scheduled for Friday, July 31 at Saratoga Race Course. Contested at 6½ furlongs on the dirt with a purse of $200,000, the race draws the top 3-year-old dirt sprinters in the country targeting the Grade I H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes and Breeders' Cup Sprint trail.
The Amsterdam Stakes has an exceptional record of identifying top 3-year-old sprinters who go on to championship campaigns. Smoken Wicked gave trainer Dallas Stewart and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. a 2025 victory in 1:15.64 for Valene Farms, the colt gating brilliantly to post a front-running score. World Record gave trainer Rodolphe Brisset and jockey Flavien Prat a 2024 score in 1:16.20 for Siena Farm and WinStar Farm. New York Thunder produced a sparkling 2023 win in 1:14.65 under Tyler Gaffalione for trainer Jorge Delgado and AMO Racing USA — the fastest Amsterdam time in the modern era. Gunite gave trainer Steve Asmussen his sixth Amsterdam win in 2022 under Gaffalione in 1:15.75 for Winchell Thoroughbreds, en route to his Grade I Aristides title at Churchill Downs the following spring. Jackie's Warrior gave Asmussen and jockey Joel Rosario a 2021 score in 1:15.46 for J. Kirk and Judy Robison, launching the campaign that would see him earn champion sprinter honors.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Smoken Wicked | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 1:15.64 |
| 2024 | World Record | Flavien Prat | 1:16.20 |
| 2023 | New York Thunder | Tyler Gaffalione | 1:14.65 |
| 2022 | Gunite | Tyler Gaffalione | 1:15.75 |
| 2021 | Jackie's Warrior | Joel Rosario | 1:15.46 |
The Amsterdam Stakes is the premier 3-year-old dirt sprint of the Saratoga summer meet and one of the most reliable indicators of future sprint champions in American racing.
