{{about|the event previously held at Belmont Park and the Saratoga Race Course as the Forbidden Apple Stakes|the event held at Belmont Park that was previously known as the Kelso Handicap |Forty Niner Stakes}} {{Infobox horseraces | surface = Turf | class = Grade III | horse race = Kelso Stakes | image = | caption = | location = Saratoga Race Course<br>Saratoga Springs, New York, United States | inaugurated = 2014 ''(as Forbidden Apple Stakes at Belmont Park)'' | website = [https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/stakes-schedule/kelso/ NYRA] | distance = 1 mile (8 furlongs) | track = Left-handed | qualification = Four-year-olds and older | weight = 124 lbs with allowances | purse = US$175,000 (since 2022) | bonuses = }} The '''Kelso Stakes''', previously held as the '''Forbidden Apple Stakes''', is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four years old and older held over a distance of one mile (8 furlongs) on the turf held annually in mid-July at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.

==History==

The inaugural event was named in honor of Forbidden Apple<ref name=horse>{{cite web|url=https://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php?query_type=horse&search_bar=horse&h=FORBIDDEN+APPLE&g=5&cellpadding=0&small_font=1&l= |title=Forbidden Apple (USA) dkb/br. H, 1995 - 31 Starts, 8 Wins, 6 Places, 9 Shows Career Earnings: $1,680,640 |work=Thoroughbred Pedigree Online |date=2021 |accessdate=3 July 2021}}</ref> who won the 2001 Grade I Manhattan Handicap and won the Grade II Kelso Handicap twice.

The event's inaugural running was on Independence Day in 2014 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York as the seventh race on the ten race holiday card and was won by Shadwell Stable's Sayaad who defeated the favorite Kharafa in a five horse field by {{frac|2|1|4}} lengths in a time of 1:38.27 on a soft yielding turf track.<ref name=R2014/>

From 2014 until 2018 the event was held at Belmont Park.<ref name=equibase>{{cite web|url=https://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Stakes&stkid=23805 |title=Forbidden Apple Stakes (Gr. 3) |work=equibase |date=2021 |accessdate=3 July 2021}}</ref>

In 2019 the event was moved to Saratoga.<ref name=equibase/> That same year the event was classified as Grade III by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.<ref name=Pedigree>{{cite web|url=https://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php?search_bar=stakes&query_type=stakes&field=view&id=13684 |title=FORBIDDEN APPLE STAKES - MULTIPLE TRACKS |work=Thoroughbred Pedigree Online |date=2021 |accessdate=3 July 2021}}</ref>

In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, NYRA did not schedule the event in their Saratoga summer meeting. <ref>{{cite web |last1=Ehalt |first1=Bob |title=Saratoga Stakes Schedule Released, Travers Now Aug. 8 |url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/241850/saratoga-stakes-schedule-released-travers-now-aug-8 |publisher=BloodHorse |access-date=3 July 2021 |date=19 June 2020}}</ref>

In 2023 NYRA announced that the event would be renamed to the '''Kelso Stakes'''.<ref>{{cite web |title=2023 Saratoga Summer Meet Stakes Schedule Released The 40-day summer meet will open July 13 and continue through Sept. 4. |url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/267059/2023-saratoga-summer-meet-stakes-schedule-released |website=Bloodhorse.com |publisher=NYRA |access-date=8 March 2023 |date=8 March 2023}}</ref> The event was renamed in honor of Kelso, Allaire du Pont's five-time winner of American Horse of the Year honors. Kelso won the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park five times (1960&ndash;1964) consecutively at the then distance of 2 miles on the dirt.

==Records== '''Speed record:''' * 1:31.67 – Voodoo Song (2018)

'''Margins:''' *{{frac|3|1|4}} lengths – Disco Partner (2017)

'''Most wins:''' * 2 – King Kreesa (2015, 2016)

'''Most wins by an owner:''' * 2 – Gerald & Susan Kresa (2015, 2016)

'''Most wins by a jockey:''' * 3 – José L. Ortiz (2014, 2017, 2025)

'''Most wins by a trainer:''' * 2 – David G. Donk: (2015, 2016) * 2 – Christophe Clement: (2017, 2022)

==Winners== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Winner ! Age ! Jockey ! Trainer ! Owner ! Time ! Purse ! Grade ! Ref |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:white" | colspan="10" align="left" |'''At Saratoga''' &ndash; '''Kelso Stakes''' |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:lightcyan" | align="center" |2025 |Think Big | align="center" |4 |Jose L. Ortiz |Michael Stidham |Godolphin | align="center" |1:32.81 | align="canter" |$175,000 | align="center" |III |<ref name=R2025>{{cite web |title=2025 Kelso Stakes Grade 3 - (race 10) |url=http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=10&BorP=P&TID=SAR&CTRY=USA&DT=07/05/2025&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB |website=Equibase |date=5 July 2025 |access-date=6 July 2025}}</ref> |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:lightcyan" |align=center |2024 |Carl Spackler (IRE) |align=center| 4 |Tyler Gaffalione |Chad C. Brown |e Five Racing Thoroughbreds |align=center |1:34.72 |align=canter |$162,750 |align=center |III |<ref name=R2024>{{cite web |title=2024 Kelso Stakes Grade 3 - (race 2) |url=http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=2&BorP=P&TID=SAR&CTRY=USA&DT=07/13/2024&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB |website=Equibase |date=13 July 2024 |access-date=14 July 2024}}</ref> |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:lightcyan" |align=center |2023 |Casa Creed |align=center | 7 |Luis Saez |William I. Mott |LRE Racing, JEH Racing Stable |align=center |1:35.51 |align=center |$175,000 |align=center |III |<ref name=R2023>{{cite web |title=2023 Kelso Stakes Grade 3 - (race 9) |url=https://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/SAR071523USA9.pdf|website=Equibase |access-date=15 July 2023}}</ref> |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:white" | colspan="10" align="left" |'''Forbidden Apple Stakes''' |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:lightcyan" |align=center |2022 |City Man |align=center |5 |Joel Rosario |Christophe Clement |Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles, & Patty Searles |align=center |1:33.76 |align=center |$175,000 |align=center |III |<ref name=R2022>{{cite web |title=2022 Forbidden Apple Stakes Grade 3 - (race 9) |url=http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=9&BorP=P&TID=SAR&CTRY=USA&DT=07/15/2022&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB |website=Equibase |access-date=16 July 2022}}</ref> |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:lightcyan" |align=center |2021 |Rinaldi |align=center | 5 |Luis Saez |H. James Bond |Bond Racing Stable |align=center |1:35.70 |align=center |$150,000 |align=center |III |<ref name=R2021>{{cite web |title=2021 Forbidden Apple Stakes Grade 3 - (race 9) |url=https://www.equibase.com/premium/chartEmb.cfm?track=SAR&raceDate=07/16/2021&cy=USA&rn=9 |website=Equibase |access-date=17 July 2021}}</ref> |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:white" |align="center" |2020 | colspan="9" align="center" |''Race not held'' |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:lightcyan" |align=center |2019 |{{nowrap|Mr. Havercamp (CAN)}} |align=center | 5 |{{nowrap|Junior Alvarado}} |Catherine Day Phillps |Sean & Dorothy Fitzhenry |align=center |1:37.50 |align=center |$150,000 |align=center |III |<ref name=R2019>{{cite web|url=http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=9&BorP=P&TID=SAR&CTRY=USA&DT=07/12/2019&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB |title=2019 Forbidden Apple Stakes Grade 3 - (race 9) |work=Equibase |date=12 July 2019 |accessdate=3 July 2021}}</ref> |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:white" | colspan="10" align="left" |'''At Belmont Park''' |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:lightcyan" |align=center |2018 |Voodoo Song |align=center | 4 |Manuel Franco |Linda L. Rice |Barry K. Schwartz |align=center |1:31.67 |align=center |$150,000 |align=center | Listed |<ref name=R2018>{{cite web|url=http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=9&BorP=P&TID=BEL&CTRY=USA&DT=07/14/2018&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB |title=2018 Forbidden Apple Stakes Listed - (race 9) |work=Equibase |date=14 July 2018 |accessdate=3 July 2021}}</ref> |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:lightcyan" |align=center |2017 |Disco Partner |align=center | 5 |Irad Ortiz Jr. |{{nowrap|Christophe Clement}} | Patricia A. Generazio |align=center |1:33.49 |align=center |$150,000 |align=center | Listed |<ref name=R2017>{{cite web|url=http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=8&BorP=P&TID=BEL&CTRY=USA&DT=07/15/2017&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB |title=2017 Forbidden Apple Stakes Listed - (race 8) |work=Equibase |date=15 July 2017 |accessdate=3 July 2021}}</ref> |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:lightcyan" |align=center |2016 |King Kreesa |align=center | 7 |Irad Ortiz Jr. |David G. Donk |Gerald & Susan Kresa |align=center |1:33.06 |align=center |$150,000 |align=center | Listed |<ref name=R2016>{{cite web|url=http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=8&BorP=P&TID=BEL&CTRY=USA&DT=07/16/2016&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB |title=2016 Forbidden Apple Stakes Listed - (race 8) |work=Equibase |date=16 July 2016 |accessdate=3 July 2021}}</ref> |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:lightcyan" |align=center |2015 |King Kreesa |align=center | 6 |Jose L. Ortiz |David G. Donk |Gerald & Susan Kresa |align=center |1:32.34 |align=center |$147,000 |align=center | Listed |<ref name=R2015>{{cite web|url=http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=9&BorP=P&TID=BEL&CTRY=USA&DT=07/11/2015&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB |title=2015 Forbidden Apple Stakes Listed - (race 9) |work=Equibase |date=11 July 2015 |accessdate=3 July 2021}}</ref> |-style="font-size:90%; background-color:lightcyan" |align=center |2014 |Sayaad |align=center | 4 |Jose L. Ortiz |Kiaran P. McLaughlin | Shadwell Stable |align=center |1:38.27 |align=center |$144,000 |align=center | |<ref name=R2014>{{cite web|url=http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=7&BorP=P&TID=BEL&CTRY=USA&DT=07/04/2014&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB |title=2014 Forbidden Apple Stakes Black Type - (race 7) |work=Equibase |date=4 July 2014 |accessdate=3 July 2021}}</ref> |}

==See also== * List of American and Canadian Graded races

==References== {{reflist|2}}

Category:Turf races in the United States Category:Open mile category horse races Category:Horse races established in 2014 Category:Saratoga Race Course Category:2014 establishments in New York (state) Category:Grade 3 stakes races in the United States