Race Details
Event: Intercontinental Stakes (Grade II)
Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
Time: 4:02 PM ET
Venue: Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
Distance: 5 ½ furlongs (Turf)
Purse: $200,000
Broadcast: TVG, FanDuel Racing
Recent Performance:
Future Is Now won the Giant’s Causeway Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland in April.
Pandora’s Gift finished second in the same race, narrowly missing the win.
Danse Macabre placed third in the Giant’s Causeway Stakes, showing late speed.
Top Horses, Jockeys & Trainers
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Pedigree |
| Future Is Now | Paco Lopez | Michael Trombetta | Sired by Great Notion, out of Past as Prelude |
| Pandora’s Gift | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Miguel Clement | Sired by Churchill (IRE), out of Amthaal (GB) |
| Danse Macabre | Joel Rosario | Miguel Clement | Sired by Army Mule, out of Sylphide |
| Twirling Queen | Luis Saez | Jose Francisco D’Angelo | Sired by Twirling Candy, out of Adventurous Lady |
| Pipsy (IRE) | Jose Ortiz | William Walden | Sired by Kodiac (GB), out of Experte (FR) |
| Kairyu (IRE) | Flavien Prat | Cherie DeVaux | Sired by Kuroshio (AUS), out of Vegatina (GB) |
| Time to Dazzle | Javier Castellano | Mark Casse | Sired by Not This Time, out of Staria |
| Creed’s Gold | Dylan Davis | Mark Casse | Sired by Jimmy Creed, out of Foxyfromfairbanks |
Race Analysis & Prediction
The Intercontinental Stakes is a premier turf sprint for fillies and mares aged four and up, featuring a competitive field of speedsters and closers. This year’s lineup includes several graded stakes winners, setting up a thrilling showdown.
Future Is Now enters as the morning-line favorite, having secured a Grade III victory at Keeneland. Her Great Notion pedigree suggests elite sprinting ability, and with Paco Lopez aboard, she’s a strong contender.
Pandora’s Gift, trained by Miguel Clement, has shown explosive early speed and could dictate the pace. If she gets a clean break, she’ll be tough to catch.
Danse Macabre is the wild card, having shown late acceleration in her last race. If the frontrunners tire, she could capitalize.
Best Bets & Predictions
Win Bet: Future Is Now (2-1) – Strong pedigree and top jockey.
Exacta Box: Future Is Now / Pandora’s Gift – Speed duel potential.
Longshot Play: Danse Macabre (9-2) – Late-running threat.
