The Travers Stakes (also known as Mid-Summer Classic) is held at Saratoga Race Course and is likely the most important and biggest race between the Belmont Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup.This is a Grade 1 , $1,25 million race for a field of eight where all entrants have won either a stakes races or are a Grade 1 winner. the combined winnings of all of the entries are more than $18 million.
Let’s take a look at the field by their post position.
- Thorpedo Anna– is getting the most buzz out of this group as she is the only filly in the Travers Stakes. She is trained by Kenny McPeek and has opening odds of 3-1 to win the race. She started 2024 by winning the GR Fantasy at Oaklawn and then went on to victory oat the grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. She won two races ar Saratoga with the Coaching Club American Oaks and Acorn. Each win was by over four lengths. She is the daughter of Fast Anna.
- Sierra Leone– is the son of Gun Runner and is trained by Chad Brown. The opening odds are 7-2 to win. He got second in the Jim Dandy behind Fierceness. He was a Grade 1 winner of the Blue Grass Stakes. This will be his sixth start of the year. Look for him to close strong in the Travers Stakes.
- Unmatched Wisdom- at 9-1 odds he is also a son of Gun Runner and trained by Chad Brown He is undefeated in three starts. This is his first graded stakes races. Irad Ortiz, Jr, will be on board. Odds are 9-1 to gain victory at the Travers Stakes.
- Corporate Power– the son of Tapit and is 15-1 odds. Trained by Shug McGaughey. Don’t look for this one to give up. A sleeper in the group.
- Batten Down– trained by Bill Mott, this son of Tapit is 20-1 odds to win the Travers Stakes. In April, this horse broke his maiden at Churchill Downs and went on to win the Ohio Derby and got third in the Jim Dandy
- Honor Marie is a longshot at 20-1 and the son of Honor Code and finished fourth in the Belmont Stakes. He will wear blinkers to help him.
- Dornoch- This is an impressive horse trained by Danny Gergen . He is the son of Good Magic. Dornoch won his previous two race in the Belmont and Haskell Stakes. Jockey Luis Saez has won the Travers Stakes in previous years. opening odds to win are 5-2.
- Fierceness– is trained by Todd Pletcher and is the son of City of Light. He is 3-1 odds to win. He likes to run near the front of the pack most of the time and is a previous winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Florida Derby.
Travers Stakes Pick and Prediction
The majority of interest is in Thorpedo Anna, as a filly hasn’t won this race since 1915. There are four quality horses in the Travers Stakes. You probably can’t go wrong with any of the four(Thorpedo Anna, Dornoch, Fierceness, Sierra Leone).
My money goes to Dornoch first, then Fieceness second, Thorpedo Anna third and Sieraa Leone fourth.
Travers Stakes Past Winners
Notable Travers winners from years past include Kentucky (1864), Ruthless (1867), Duke of Magenta (1878), Hindoo (1881), Henry of Navarre (1894), Broomstick (1904), Roamer (1914), Man o’ War (1920), Twenty Grand (1931), Granville (1936), Whirlaway (1941), Native Dancer (1953), Gallant Man (1957), Sword Dancer (1959), Buckpasser (1966), Damascus (1967), Arts and Letters (1969), Alydar (1978), Temperence Hill (1980), Forty Niner (1988), Easy Goer (1989), Holy Bull (1994), Thunder Gulch (1995), Point Given (2001), Medaglia d’Oro (2002), Bernardini (2006), Street Sense (2007), Arrogate (2016), Essential Quality (2021), and Arcangelo (2023).
How to Watch the Travers
The 155th Travers will be broadcast nationwide on FOX during NYRA’s “Saratoga Saturdays” show airing from 3 to 6:30 p.m. ET. Post time is set for 6:10 p.m.
Check us out each Saturday on race day here.