Intercontinental Stakes

The Intercontinental Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged four years old and older, over a distance of six furlongs on the turf held annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.

Intercontinental Stakes

Class	Grade II
Location	Belmont Park Elmont, New York, United States
Inaugurated	2014
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing - Inner Turf
Sponsor	MTV Solutions (2024)
Website	NYRA
Race information
Distance	6 furlongs
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Fillies and Mares, four years old and older
Weight	124 lbs with allowances
Purse	$200,000 (2021)

History

The race was inaugurated in 2014^[1] with a stakes purse of $100,000.^[2]

The event is held on the Thursday before the Belmont Stakes as part of the Belmont Racing Festival.^[3]

In 2017 the event was classified as Grade III.^[2]

The race is named after American Champion Female Turf Horse for 2005 Intercontinental who in that year won the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.^[4]

In 2022 the distance of the event was decreased from seven furlongs to six furlongs.^[2]

In 2024 the event was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to Grade II status.^[5] Also the event was moved to Saratoga Racetrack due to infield tunnel and redevelopment work at Belmont Park and the distance of the event was decreased to 5+1⁄2 furlongs.^[6]

Records

Speed record:

• 6 furlongs: 1:07.59 - Caravel (2022)
• 7 furlongs: 1:19.83 - Significant Form (2019)

Largest margin of victory:

• 3+1⁄2 lengths - Zindaya (2015)

Most wins:

• 2 – Zindaya (2015, 2016)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 2 – Irad Ortiz Jr. (2019, 2020)
• 2 – José Ortiz (2023, 2025)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 3 – Chad C. Brown (2016, 2019, 2020)

Most wins by an owner:

• No owner has won this race more than once.

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
At Saratoga
2025	Pipsy (IRE)	4	José Ortiz	William Walden	Woodford Thoroughbreds LLC	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:00.98	$200,000	II	[7]
2024	Future Is Now	4	Paco Lopez	Michael Trombetta	R. Larry Johnson	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:01.35	$200,000	II	[8]
At Belmont Park
2023	Poppy Flower	4	José Ortiz	William Mott	Arnmore Thoroughbreds	6 furlongs	1:08.53	$200,000	III	[9]
2022	Caravel	5	Tyler Gaffalione	Brad H. Cox	Qatar Racing, Madaket Stables, & Marc Detampel	6 furlongs	1:07.59	$200,000	III	[10]
2021	Change of Control	5	Colby J. Hernandez	Michelle Lovell	Perry Harrison	7 furlongs	1:22.07	$194,000	III	[11]
2020	Newspaperofrecord (IRE)	4	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Chad C. Brown	Klaravich Stables	7 furlongs	1:22.71	$100,000	III	[12]
2019	Significant Form	4	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Chad C. Brown	Stephanie Seymour Brant	7 furlongs	1:19.83	$200,000	III	[13]
2018	La Sardane (FR)	4	Flavien Prat	Neil D. Drysdale	Team Valor International	7 furlongs	1:20.04	$200,000	III	[14]
2017	Mississippi Delta	5	Jose Lezcano	Mark E. Casse	Mike Rutherford & Terry Green	7 furlongs	1:20.05	$250,000	III	[15]
2016	Zindaya	5	Javier Castellano	Chad C. Brown	e Five Racing Thoroughbreds	7 furlongs	1:22.44	$150,000	Listed	[16]
2015	Zindaya	4	Manuel Franco	Christophe Clement	Regis Racing	7 furlongs	1:22.17	$150,000		[17]
2014	Free as a Bird	5	Joel Rosario	Ian R. Wilkes	Elizabeth J. Valando	7 furlongs	1:20.52	$100,000		[18]

See also

• List of American and Canadian Graded races