Travers Day is upon us. For those who bet horse racing, it’s time to put your money where your handicapping has led you.
The $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1), the showcase race of the summer at Saratoga Race Course, takes place as the grand finale of five Grade 1 stakes on Saturday’s blockbuster 14-race card.
While the field of five 3-year-olds is the smallest since Holy Bull won the race in 1994, the Travers features the top horse in the country in Sovereignty. (Holy Bull went on to be voted 1994 Horse of the Year.)
Winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1) and the Belmont Stakes (G1), Sovereignty is the early 2-5 favorite over Magnitude, Strategic Focus, McAfee and Bracket Buster – none of whom ran in a Triple Crown race.
The eyes of the racing world will be watching the telecast on FOX Sports (12 p.m-7 p.m. FS2 and FOX), with fans packing Saratoga and hoping to make it to the betting windows in time to place their wagers on the races. (Travers post time is 6:14 p.m. ET).
The 1 ¼-mile Travers looks to be a no-brainer as Sovereignty is far and away the best horse in the field. But at Saratoga, aka the ‘Graveyard of Favorites,’ anything can happen. Ten years ago, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah was sent off at 3-10 odds and was upset by 16-1 longshot Keen Ice.
Sovereignty, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, is attempting to become the first Derby-Belmont winner to capture the Travers since Thunder Gulch in 1995.
With a field of five, there is plenty of prize money for all – the winner earns $687,000 plus, the runner-up picks up $250,000, third is worth $150,000, fourth $75,000 and fifth and last $50,000.
Chad Brown, the trainer of 6-1 shot Strategic Focus, says second place works for his colt, a maiden winner making just his fourth career start.
“If Sovereignty runs his race, everybody else is running for second, but I'm OK with that,” Brown said. “I'd be happy with that, but it's Saratoga and anything can happen.”
Two other Triple Crown champions Gallant Fox in 1930 and Affirmed in 1978 did not win the Travers. Gallant Fox was beaten by 100-1 longshot Jim Dandy; Affirmed finished first but was disqualified and his rival and runner-up was declared the official winner.
Rick Dutrow, Jr., who trains 20-1 longshot McAfee, knows his maiden winner doesn’t have much of a chance.
“We see the horses going in there, we're hoping we can beat one or two of them and be happy with a third place,’’ Dutrow said. “Anything can happen up there. Our horse might love the track and maybe somebody might not like it that day.”
No matter what happens, there will be high drama for a few minutes ... Is a huge upset in the works? A photo finish? Or are we witnessing an exceptional horse overpowering the opposition once again?
“His record, people have watched him, it’s in black and white what he’s done,” Mott, seeking his first Travers win, said. “Probably a well-known fact is that he is the horse to beat, but by the same token, they’ve got to go around there. They need to do it in the afternoon.
“It is not a done deal, that is why they are going to run the race.”
Magnitude (2-1) could be Sovereignty’s toughest opponent. The Not This Time colt trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen was a top Derby contender after winning the Risen Star Stakes (G2) by 9 ¾ lengths. But an ankle chip sidelined him through the Triple Crown races. He returned with a 9 ¼-length romp in the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows on July 5 and is the likely pacesetter in the Travers.
“We thought that was the perfect race back,” said Scott Blasi, longtime assistant to Asmussen, of the Iowa Derby. “We have to run against a (potential) champion, and that is never an easy task, but hopefully he is doing as well as he can physically and can get the job done.”
Last year’s Travers was one of the best in years as Fierceness hung on by a head to defeat champion filly Thorpedo Anna, with Sierra Leone third.
Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna returns to the scene of her narrow loss in the 2024 Travers as the 6-5 favorite in the $500,000 Personal Ensign Stakes (G1).
The 4-year-old star filly trained by Kenny McPeek takes on six rivals in a much tougher field than the Travers. The 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign is one of three Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In" races on the card – the others are the Forego Stakes (G1) and the Ballerina Stakes (G1).
Trainer Chad Brown has a 1-2 punch taking on Thorpedo Anna, 4-1 Randomized and 5-1 Raging Sea. And Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher sends out Leslie’s Rose at 6-1.
A winner of 11 of 14 starts and over $5 million, Thorpedo Anna has already bagged six Grade 1 victories including last year’s Kentucky Oaks (G1). And now she’s back and ready to make amends at the Spa after she came so close against the boys in the Travers.
“She’s ultra-consistent. She loves her work, she’s very happy in Saratoga, and has been for a long time,” McPeek said. “As always, she’s been a pleasure to be around. She’s doing great.”
Thorpedo Anna is in the middle of another stellar campaign with three wins in four starts, all stakes.
Her latest outing was a three-length victory in the Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. That was a solid rebound from a rare poor outing, a seventh-place finish behind Raging Sea in the La Troienne (G1) on the Kentucky Oaks undercard.
Brian Hernandez, Jr., who has never missed a start on the filly, has the return call from post 7.
Leslie’s Rose (9-2) is getting strong support after her easy score last month in Saratoga’s Shuvee (G2). However, Thorpedo Anna trounced her the three times they met last year in the Kentucky Oaks, the Acorn (G1) and the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1).
A major danger is Raging Sea (5-1), winner of last year’s Personal Ensign and only horse to beat Thorpedo Anna in the last six starts (in the La Troienne). She placed third in the Ogden Phipps (G1) and the Shuvee in her last two starts.
“It’s been disappointing – she started off the year terrific in the La Troienne, and her last two starts have been disappointing, so I’m hoping she can get back on track,” Brown said. “Thorpedo Anna is a tough customer, and either of my horses are going to have to run a really top race to beat her.”
Post time for the Personal Ensign is 3:45 p.m.
It’s been a quiet Saratoga meet for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. That could change dramatically.
Somewhat surprisingly, Baffert does not have an entrant in the big show, the Travers. Instead, he’s here loaded with sprinters.
Baffert sends out three of the eight runners in the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) and he has the horse to beat in the $500,000 Ballerina Stakes (G1) for fillies and mares at 7 furlongs.
The Ballerina winner earns an all-fees paid berth into the BC Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).
Hope Road is the 3-1 second choice leaving from post 9. The assignment got easier when Ways and Means was forced to miss the race after spiking a temperature. Hope Road has a history of running big off the bench.
She returned from a three-month layoff to run one of her best career races, a second-place finish to Kopion in the Derby City Distaff (G1) on Derby Day in the slop at Churchill Downs.
The follow-up was a huge disappointment, an uninspired third in the Winning Colors Stakes (G3) three weeks later as the 4-5 favorite.
The daughter of Marley’s Freedom has gotten plenty of rest since that race on May 26 … and that makes her very dangerous in here.
For those looking for an exacta pairing, check out Zeitlos at 6-1, Scylla and My Main Squeeze.
Post time for the Ballerina is 4:59 p.m.
Can Book’em Danno complete a rare Saratoga sweep in the $500,000 Forego Stakes (G1)?
It takes a special horse to win three consecutive graded stakes at Saratoga. Book’em Danno is on the verge of that feat.
Book’em Danno is the 8-5 favorite against 10 rivals in the 7-furlong contest. Book’em Danno launched his assault on the Spa on Belmont Stakes Day with a 1 1/4 length win over archrival Mullikin in the True North (G3). Last month, he prevailed again in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G2) with a 2 1/2 length score over Mullikin.
He will be hard to beat over a track he has dominated with a record of 3-0-1 in four starts with the other victory coming last year in the H. Allen Jerkens.
“He doesn't go up there just to look at the place,” trainer Derek Ryan said. “He likes the distance; he likes the track. He's been training awfully good, and he seems to run for Paco (Lopez). He's 3-for-4 at Saratoga now. I just want them to get position and go from there.”
This one, too, is a BC “Win and You’re In’’ race to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
Mullikin returns for another try as the 7-2 second choice. The third-place finisher in last year’s BC Sprint (G1), Mullikin had the misfortune the last two times out to face one of the East Coast’s top sprinters.
Trainer Rodolphe Brisset hopes his decision to remain in Saratoga turns out to be a winning one.
“Could that be the answer where he has a little extra energy the last eighth of a mile? I don't know,” Brisset said. “Maybe Book'em Danno is just a better horse, but staying in the stall is not going to give us any answers. Even if we are second choice, there's nothing wrong with being second choice in a Grade 1. We'll see what happens Saturday.”
Post time for the Forego is 5:36 p.m. ET.
Bet H. Allen Jerkens Memorial: Baffert Trio Heads Field of Eight
It may not be a BC “Win and You’re In” race but the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) is deep and likely to produce several Breeders’ Cup runners.
Patch Adams, Chancer McPatrick, and Smoken Wicked, all winners in their most recent starts, all at Saratoga, are familiar to horseplayers. All three will be popular with bettors.
Patch Adams, trained by Brad Cox, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite, Chancer McPatrick is 5-1, and Smoken Wicked is 6-1.
But Baffert sends a trio, topped by Barnes (9-2) who impressed early on the road to the Derby but missed the Triple Crown races.
The colt named for Baffert’s longtime assistant Jimmy Barnes finished fifth in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 5 after winning the San Vicente Stakes (G2) and running second to Journalism in the San Felipe Stakes (G2). He’s fresh and ready to go again.
And so are Madaket Road (second in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens) and Midland Money (2-for-2). Madaket Road is 6-1; Midland Money is 8-1.
“I think this is their distance, and this is a big Grade 1. They’re all doing well. It’s an important race on an important day, so we’re looking forward to it,” said Baffert, a two-time Jerkens winner. “They have to bring their ‘A’ game and it’s going to be a tough race with good horses in there, but they’re doing very well.”
Post time for the H. Allen Jerkens is 4:22 p.m.
