Fourstardave Stakes: Deterministic Puts His Crown on the Line in an Explosive Mile

The defending champion returns to Saratoga looking to repeat in one of the premier grass events of the North American summer. Lagynos enters in peak form, Rhetorical seeks redemption, and the mare Classic Q will aim to follow in the footsteps of Got Stormy by taking on the males

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York.— Few turf races gather as much quality as the Fourstardave Stakes (G1—1,600 m), and this Saturday's edition will be no exception. With just seven runners—all of the absolute highest caliber—the traditional mile test over Saratoga's inner turf will once again be an unmissable event, while also offering a direct ticket to the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) at Keeneland.

The main protagonist will be Deterministic, who will look to defend the title he captured a year ago and extend an outstanding campaign. The Miguel Clement trainee enters following two new G1 victories this season, first defending his crown in the Fort Marcy Stakes (G3) and then claiming the Manhattan Stakes (G1), where he defeated several of the rivals he will cross paths with again this weekend.

In that effort, the son of Liam's Map stalked close behind Rhetorical (Not This Time) before surging with authority down the stretch to win by half a length, setting a track record for the 1,900 meters over the Mellon turf in 1m50s50/100.

"He's giving us all the right signals that he's ready for another big performance," Clement assured. "Many believe cutting back to the mile could prove challenging for him. They said the exact same thing last year before he won this race. When a horse possesses this much quality, distance ceases to be an issue. He can stretch out or cut back and continue performing at the highest level."

With nine victories in fifteen starts and over $2.63 million in earnings, Deterministic will once again have Kendrick Carmouche as his partner from post five.

If anyone is riding a comparable wave of momentum, it is Lagynos, who arrives on a five-race winning streak and has established himself as one of the most reliable turf milers in the country. Trained by Steven Asmussen, the son of Kantharos boasts four stakes victories during that span, including the recent Wise Dan Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs.

"He always had talent, but now he has learned how to win," Asmussen summarized. "He's having an extraordinary year and now gets his chance in a G1. The mile is absolutely ideal for him."

Curiously, his only previous experience at this level came in last year's Fourstardave, where he finished seventh after being sent off at 49-1. This time, he will enter as one of the primary contenders.

Another heavy hitter in the line-up is Rhetorical, the 2025 New York-bred Horse of the Year and a dual G1 winner. The Will Walden representative comes off a fourth-place finish in the Manhattan after setting the pace for nearly the entire journey while dealing with a foot issue.

"It wasn't the ideal preparation, yet he still set the race record while finishing fourth. He did all the heavy lifting up front and ran a huge race," Walden explained.

Prior to that, Rhetorical had dazzled when winning the Turf Classic Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs with a 107 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest among all entrants.

"He is stronger physically and mentally. He can run anywhere between eight and nine furlongs without issue, and he has a tremendous ability to adapt to the race flow. That's one of his greatest assets," added the trainer.

The pace promises to be honest, due in large part to the presence of the mare Classic Q, another strong hand for Mark Casse. The daughter of Classic Empire comes off a wire-to-wire victory in the Just a Game Stakes (G1) against fillies and mares, and will now aim to repeat the feat achieved by Casse with Got Stormy (Get Stormy), who defeated the males in this event in 2019 and 2021.

"There is plenty of speed in the race," analyzed the Canadian conditioner. "Johnny Velazquez will have to decide how to ride her. You can't choke her back too much. If they go out and duel for the lead early, it likely won't benefit either of them."

Casse will also saddle Mi Bago (Vekoma), who comes off a dead-heat for the win with Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns) in the Kelso Stakes (G3) over this exact course and distance.

"We were planning to wait for the New York-bred stakes at the end of the meet, but in the mornings he was telling us: 'Put me in here.' He is a machine," he commented with a smile.

Zulu Kingdom himself, conditioned by Chad Brown, returns following that dead-heat and looms as another top contender. A winner of two G1s, including this year's Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland, the son of Ten Sovereignsregained his top form after an uncharacteristic effort in the Poker Stakes.

"I'm very pleased with him. It's a tough group, but that's precisely what a Grade 1 at Saratoga is all about," noted Brown.