The 2014 Travers Stakes

The 145th Travers Stakes (G1)

Saratoga Race Course

Date: Aug. 23, 2014             Distance: 1¼ mile (dirt)              Post Time:  PM (EST)

For the last four weeks, Saratoga has hosted some of the biggest graded stakes races in the nation, been home to some of the biggest names in the industry, and witnessed superstars — both thoroughbred and jockey — gallop to victories,  so great, that they will be remembered by thousands for years and years to come. Saturday, marks the 145th running of the Travers Stakes, reserved for 3-year-olds ambitious enough to take on the distance. Known as the Mid-Summer Derby, The Travers was first run in 1864 and was named after the Saratoga Racing Association’s president William R. Travers, who’s horse, Kentucky, won in its inaugural year.

Last year a packed grandstand saw Will Take Charge edge out Moreno by a nose. Lemon Drop Kid was victorious by ¾’s of a length in 1999, while Gary Stevens and Thunder Gulch hit the wire 4½ lengths in front of the field in 1995. Still the winningest margin belongs to Bernardini and Javier Castellano, who outran the field and won by a glorious 7½ lengths in 2006.

This years field features ten immensely talented 3-year-olds; five of which appeared on the Triple Crown trail, four relatively new long shots, and a seemingly misplaced turf champion. Bayern headlines the race as the 2-1 morning-line favorite, but can he pull off the additional furlong? Will Wicked Strong’s blinkers take him to the winner’s circle, OR, will a long shot step up and steal the show? Cap the 145th Travers with us and catch the action on NBC Sports Network this Saturday at 4:30pm (ET).

Official Contenders & Post Positions

Click on horse’s name for Past Performances

The Maiden’s Take

The Kings:

1)     Bayern- A son of Offlee Wild, Bayern knocked the socks off everyone with his wire to wire win in last month’s 1 1/8 Haskell Invitational (G1), demolishing the field by 7¼ lengths. The Bob Baffert entry counteracted his troubled Preakness Stakes run with a 7½ length victory in the 7-furlong Wood Stephens (G2) on Belmont day, back in June. Going into Saturday’s Travers, he holds the highest beyer (108), has run the fastest 1 1/8 mile (1:47.4), is coming off two impressive wins, has a huge ground covering stride, and his dam’s sire won the Travers in 1995. While the question of whether or not he can handle the distance remains a mystery, count on this morning-line favorite to set the pace and hold his ground on the stretch. Martin Garcia will attempt to replicate their Haskell victory for Kaleem Shah Inc.

2)     Tonalist- This year’s Belmont Stakes winner has taken, trainer, Christophe Clement on quite the ride since his first career start in November of last year. His 2nd place finish in last month’s 1 1/8 Jim Dandy (G2) left many surprised when the explosive gallop he is so well-known for went missing-in-action, leaving him unable to catch Wicked Strong down the stretch. This son of Tapit can be found stalking the early pace, running comfortably in second or third before taking off with his monstrous stride. The distance shouldn’t be an issue, but he’s never run against a speed horse quite like Bayern. Joel Rosario has ridden this colt flawlessly in his last three starts and his aggressive, yet smart, style will make Tonalist a major threat.

3)     Wicked Strong– The son of Hard Spun dead-heated for 4th with California Chrome in this years 1½ mile Belmont Stakes (G1), but his first major graded stakes win came back in April, when he won the Wood Memorial by 3½ lengths. The addition of blinkers in last month’s Jim Dandy (G2) resulted in a victory that left people wide-eyed and drooling as he passed the Belmont winner, Tonalist, with never before seen power and ease. With the blinkers back on for Saturday’s Travers and the advantage of having already run the distance — he ran a solid 4th in this year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) despite stumbling and running into traffic — Wicked Strong is a top contender with the second highest beyer speed (104) in the field. Rajiv Maragh will pilot this king for Centennial Farms.

The Nobles:

1)     Commanding Curve– The runner up in this years Kentucky Derby is deserving of far more praise than what he has received for his accomplishment in a 19-horse field that offered little room to move, let alone make a move from 18th to 2nd in 1/2 a mile. There were high expectations going into the Belmont Stakes for the Dallas Stewart trained colt. When he flopped, not only was his derby effort discarded, his fans seemingly gave up on him too. With nine career starts and a single victory in a Maiden Special Weight, last November, it’s understandable to have doubts about this son of Master Command. His 4th place finish in last month’s Jim Dandy was a decent bounce back and Saturday’s distance seems favorable for the colt. Emotions aside, there’s a big chance he’ll get squashed by Bayern coming right out of the gate, so he’ll need to recover and position himself mid-pack by the 3/4 poll if he plans on finishing in the top four. Shaun Bridgmohan is back in the saddle for West Point Thoroughbreds.

2)     Kid Cruz- The son of 1999’s Belmont Stakes and Travers winner, Lemon Drop Kid, Kid Cruz is a proven winner at the 1 1/16 and 1 1/8 distance. His 3rd place finish in last month’s 1 1/8 Jim Dandy (G2) showed the Linda Rice trained entry was worthy of running with the best, finishing six lengths behind the victor, Wicked Strong. A solid competitor that has run in top company, his biggest challenge will be the distance. Saturday isn’t looking to be a repeat of his Preakness flop, but this field doesn’t seem to favor his typical back-burner style. While suggesting he move up earlier than usual seems unwise for a horse that faded at a shorter distance, he doesn’t have enough tactical speed to pull off trailing these horses. If Irad Ortiz Jr. doesn’t keep him within reasonable distance behind the pace, there’s a chance he might just get left behind.

The Knights:

1)     V.E. Day– Sired by 2007’s Eclipse Award winning champion grass horse, English Channel, and Sovereign and Eclipse winning dam’s sire Deputy Minister, the Jimmy Jerkens entry is a prove winner on dirt and turf at the 1 1/8 distance. Though he has no graded stakes experience, he goes into the Travers undefeated since May of this year and used great tactical speed to win last month’s Curlin Stakes. His winning time of 1:50.2, going 1 1/8 on dirt, is about two seconds slower than his competitors, and his 90 beyer ranks in the middle of the pack. It’s important to note that he is rather inexperienced, ran twice last month, has never been tried at this distance, and will be going up against the toughest group of 3-year-olds in the nation. If one of the above contenders has an awful trip, V.E. Day would be in contention to finish in the top five. Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano may just give him the extra push he needs.

2)     Charge Now– This William Mott trained entry is by Hall of Famer Tiznow and has strong lineage that includes Seattle Slew, Secretariat and Northern Dancer. Recently 2nd, by a head, to V.E. Day in last month’s Curlin Stakes, the Winstar Farm LLC owned colt has five career starts, two victories at the 1 1/16 distance, and ran his first and only graded stakes race in late June’s Iowa Derby (G3), where it is noted he had gate trouble and finished 7th. Though he has never been tested at the 1¼ distance, he displayed nice tactical speed in the Curlin, but I have to point out that both of his wins resulted from being on the pace and coincidentally occurred with Joel Rosario up. So, he may be a colt that requires a more aggressive jockey to keep him focused. Nonetheless, his tactical speed may come in handy when the pace begins to tire on the stretch. Junior Alvarado returns for his third consecutive race.

The Peasants:

1)     Viva Majorca– The baby of the bunch, Ian Wilkes’ entry is by 2007’s Belmont Stakes 3rd place finisher Tiago and has close ties to Nasrullah and Princequillo in his bloodlines. The colt ran his first career start back in March of this year and is the second runner in the field that has yet to partake in a graded stakes. Both career wins were achieved at distances of 6½-7 furlongs and he dominated the latter by a whopping 12 lengths, about 1.3 seconds slower than Bayern’s Woody Stephens time. A decent 4th in last month’s 1 1/8 Curlin Stakes against V.E. Day (1st) and Charge Now (2nd), his 96 beyer ranks fairly well against the competition, but his past performances indicate a lack of experience that may let his nerves get the best of him. The Marylou Whitney Stables LLC colt is a mid-pack runner and will have Julien Leparoux back in the irons.

2)     Ulanbator– Ian Wilkes’ second entry is by Offlee Wild and a half brother to Bayern. His most recent start was in last month’s 1 1/8 Jim Dandy (G2) where he finished 5th behind Commanding Curve (4th), Kid Cruz (3rd), Tonalist (2nd) and Wicked Strong (1st). Running 3rd to Kid Cruz in the Dwyer Stakes (G3) early last month and 2nd to West Virginia Derby winner, Tapiture, the second week of June, so it’s safe to say he’s run against some of the best 3-year-olds in the country. However, of eight career starts, his only win came at the one mile distance and he doesn’t appear to have the tactical speed that makes off the pace horses threats on the stretch. With the second lowest beyer (89) in the field, Ulanbator seems to be a little out classed in Saturday’s Travers. Brian Hernandez hops on for the first time.

3)     Mr. Speaker– Claude McGaughey’s entry is by far the hardest one to put a finger on. With lineage that includes A.P. Indy and Unbridled, this son of Pulpit has experienced a total of four wins since his career debut at Saratoga, back in August of 2013, and three of those wins were in graded stakes.  His most recent victory came last month in the 1¼ Belmont Derby (G1), but this was a turf race and it is important to note that none of his victories have been achieved on dirt. His single attempt on the dirt was back in January, in the Holy Bull Stakes (G2), where he held 3rd for most of the race until he came undone at the top of the stretch, running on empty and dropping back to finish in 7th. I have a feeling this one may surprise us on Saturday, but his past performances and low beyer (76) are certainly not pointing in his favor. Regular Jose Lezcano will hold the reins on the Phipps Stable owned colt.

The Maiden’s Ten Dollar Crusade

$4.00 Show Bet →  #1

$2.00 Exacta Box for $4.00 →  #2 – 7

$2.00 Superfecta →  #6 – 2 – 7 – 8

Through the Eyes of the Mad Capper

The Kings:

1)     Bayern– It has been said that nothing in our sport is as deadly as front end speed. Bob Baffert calls on Martin Garcia, a jockey who is recognized by few, but is as crafty as they come with a horse that runs on the lead. Bayern cut out strong fractions in the Woody Stephens and in the Haskell, and this “catch me if you can” style has been far more difficult to overcome than the competition could have ever imagined. Many in the field will be double-digit lengths back by the time Bayern reaches the three-eighths pole, and because of this, the morning line favorite will be ready to duplicate the success he has had in his two most recent outings.

2)     Wicked Strong– The performance that Wicked Strong turned in for the Jim Dandy was a surprise to some, but not to his connections. This hard-knocking son of Hard Spun is yet to win at the mile and one-quarter distance, but given the right trip, it certainly should be right up his alley. The James Jerkens trained colt will be ridden by jockey Rajiv Maragh, a consummate underachiever who now has the opportunity to elevate his game to new heights with a victory in the Travers.

The Nobles:

1)     Tonalist– Many horse racing “experts” have accepted the notion that Tonalist was using the Jim Dandy only as a prep race for the Travers. Christophe Clement is clearly one of the most gifted trainers conditioning horses on American soil, but the idea of the Jim Dandy being used simply as a prep race is ludicrous. Tonalist was decisively defeated by Wicked Strong over this very course, and the added distance here will do nothing to help him leapfrog the two Kings lining up alongside of him.  

2)     V.E. Day– The Curlin Stakes run on July 25, 2014 was one of the most remarkable races of the year. The sheer determination and will that was expressed on the face of the winner was clearly a sight to behold. This three-year-old son of English Channel has now been victorious in three consecutive races. His upside is tremendous, and the addition of Javier Castellano in the saddle does nothing to hurt his chances.

3)     Viva Majorca– Another horse that is yet to hit his prime is this lightly raced colt by Tiago out of the mare Quick Town. Viva Majorca has yet to win in graded company, but he did flash great desire as he closed rapidly on a front end battle in the Curlin Stakes. The mile and one-quarter length distance will be a gift to the Ian Wilkes trained entrant. His work tab over the Saratoga surface these past few weeks has also been outstanding.

The Knights:

1)     Charge Now– Bill Mott trains this son of Tiznow that will be making only his sixth lifetime start. Charge Now exits the Curlin Stakes where he ran a commendable second to V.E. Day. His inclination to engage the pace early will be costly to him in the Travers. Junior Alvarado retains his mount, but the added distance will afford him no advantage amid this exceptionally talented field.

2)     Commanding Curve– Commanding Curve will break from the rail post and will be immediately shut off by the controlling inside speed of Bayern. It will be an uphill struggle from there for the horse whose lone win came in a Maiden Special Weight race last year at Churchill Downs. Dallas Stewart trains this son of Master Command, while Shaun Bridgmohan rides in hopes of rediscovering the horse’s best efforts.

3)     Kid Cruz– This son of Lemon Drop Kid is the entry that everyone loves to cheer for. Linda Rice has flown under the national radar as a trainer of considerable merit for too long. She is able to find ways to get the absolute most out of every horse. It is no different with Kid Cruz. His career has been decorated by numerous achievements, but his inability to deliver on the big stage will haunt him yet again in the Travers.

The Peasants:

1)     Mr. Speaker– Shug McGaughey’s turf phenomenon has just one career race on a dirt surface. This three-year-old son of Pulpit finished a disappointing seventh place in the Holy Bull back in January. Mr. Speaker is likely to be heavily backed at the betting windows, but despite his prowess on the grass, the manner in which he faded down the stretch on the Gulfstream Park dirt is of great concern.

2)     Ulanbator– Ian Wilkes’ other entry is a horse that is tough not to root for. He most recently finished fifth in the Jim Dandy Stakes and he always seems to be giving all that he has to the jockey that sits atop his back. Brian Hernandez will get the mount on this son of Offlee Wild that is sure to go off as the longest shot on the board.

The Mad Capper’s Ten Dollar Crusade

$2.00 Exacta Box:  #2 – 4

$0.50 Trifecta:   #2,4 – 2,4,7 – 2,4,5,6,7