THE Grade 1 $1 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga this evening attracted a top-quality field of eight, including McKinzie and Godolphin’s world traveller Thunder Snow, who ran second and third, respectively, in the June 8th Met Mile behind Mitole.

The Bob Baffert-trained McKinzie, the morning-line favourite with jockey Mike Smith, has improved dramatically as a four-year-old and endured traffic problems in the stretch when failed to catch Mitole at Belmont Park. McKinzie will be chasing a first victory for Baffert in the Whitney.