The Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes is a Grade I Thoroughbred race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Contested at 1 3/16 miles on the turf exclusively for 3-year-olds, it is the second leg of the Turf Trinity, the premier championship series for sophomore turf horses in North America alongside the Belmont Derby Invitational in July and the Jockey Club Derby Invitational in the fall. Reestablished in 2019 after a 113-year absence — the original Saratoga Derby was run only three times, in 1904, 1905, and 1906 — the race was elevated to Grade I status in 2021 and carries a purse of $600,000. The Saratoga Derby has immediately established itself as one of the most international Grade I races in American racing, with winners from Ireland (State Of Rest, 2021), UAE (Nations Pride, 2022), Great Britain (Program Trading, 2023) and the United States (Carson's Run, 2024 and World Beater, 2025). Chad Brown holds the trainer record with two wins in 2020 and 2023. No jockey has won the race more than once. State Of Rest remains the most celebrated Saratoga Derby winner — the 21-1 longshot went on to win the Group 1 W.S. Cox Plate in Australia and the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot the following year.
The 2026 Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes is scheduled for Saturday, August 8 at Saratoga Race Course on the same card as the Test Stakes and Fourstardave Stakes. Contested at 1 3/16 miles on the turf with a purse of $600,000, the race draws an elite international field of 3-year-old turf horses targeting the Jockey Club Derby and the Breeders' Cup Turf in the fall.
World Beater gave trainer Riley Mott and jockey Jaime Torres a 2025 victory in 1:52.82 for Pin Oak Stud, the son of Oscar Performance — the same sire as 2021 Belmont Derby winner Test Score — adding a Grade I triumph to what has become an impressive summer campaign. Carson's Run gave trainer Christophe Clement the final Grade I win of his training career in 2024 under Dylan Davis in 1:55.81 for Steven Bouchey and West Point Thoroughbreds — a deeply emotional victory for the connections following Clement's passing later that year. Program Trading (GB) gave trainer Chad Brown a second Saratoga Derby title in 2023 under Flavien Prat in 1:56.63 for Klaravich Stables. Nations Pride (IRE) delivered the most dominant performance in the race's modern era in 2022 — the Godolphin colt trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick stormed clear by 1¾ lengths in 1:54.72 before going on to win the Canadian International. State Of Rest (IRE) gave trainer Joseph O'Brien and jockey John Velazquez the inaugural Grade I edition in 2021, the 21-1 longshot closing from sixth to win in 1:53.35 before becoming a global champion.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | World Beater | Jaime Torres | 1:52.82 |
| 2024 | Carson's Run | Dylan Davis | 1:55.81 |
| 2023 | Program Trading (GB) | Flavien Prat | 1:56.63 |
| 2022 | Nations Pride (IRE) | William Buick | 1:54.72 |
| 2021 | State Of Rest (IRE) | John Velazquez | 1:53.35 |
The Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes is one of the most prestigious and internationally contested Grade I events in American racing and the centerpiece of Saratoga's summer turf program for 3-year-olds each August.
