Saratoga Race Course: Travers Stakes Day, August 26th
Besides the Kentucky Derby, the 2023 Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in New York is the biggest 1.25-mile race for 3-year-olds. Aka The Midsummer Derby, Travers is one of the oldest events in American sports, 1st running in 1864.
There are 13 races at Saratoga on Travers Stakes day that begin at 11:30 a.m. ET. The Travers is a Grade 1 stakes race with a 6:11 p.m. ET post time. TV coverage on FOX for the Travers goes from 3-6:30 p.m. ET.
All three Triple Crown winners are running in the Travers. Kentucky Derby winner Mage, Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure, and Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo.
Four other Grade 1 stakes races make the undercard at Saratoga Saturday. These include the Forego Stakes (Race 7), H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (Race 9), Ballerina Handicap (Race 10), and Sword Dancer Stakes (Race 11).
Travers Stakes Day at the Saratoga Race Course
H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes
The field for H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes, August 26th at Saratoga Race Course, courtesy of NYRA.com.
After breaking his maiden in his debut at Saratoga last summer, 3 Verifying's past eight races have been at least 1-mile long. Verifying is 3-3-0 (Win-Place-Show) in his 9-race career. The cut-back in distance should help Verifying Saturday.
He's made the board in three of his past four races. In July, Verifying won the Grade 3 Indiana Derby by a nose and went off as a $0.60 favorite. He came up a 1/2-length short to place behind a Travers-entrant (Disarm) at the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes in June.
Verifying is trained by one of the best. He is running out of Brad Cox's barn who is a 2-time Eclipse Award winning trainer in 2020-21. Cox won the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes in 2021.
Verifying runs on the track during the morning training for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Furthermore, Verifying has an elite pedigree. Verifying's sire, Justify, has a perfect 6-0-0 record in six races, winning the 2018 Triple Crown and Santa Anita Derby.
Finally, this number is just too good to pass up for Verifying. He's closed as the favorite in three of his last six races and no 3-year-old in this field has more graded stakes races under his belt.
BET: 3 Verifying Across the board (3-6-4)
Ballerina Handicap
The field for the Ballerina Handicap on Travers Stakes day at Saratoga Race Course, courtesy of NYRA.com.
I'm going with another Brad Cox trained thoroughbred in Race 10: 2 Matareya. She has made money in 11 of her 12 career races (6-3-2). Matareya has been the favorite in nine of those sprints.
If Matareya's 6-1 morning-line is the price at post time, it would the juiciest price in her career. Matareya got up to $5.06 at the Grade I Derby City Distaff at Churchill Down two runs ago.
She beat two horses in this Ballerina field at the Derby City: 5 Wicked Halo (scratched) and 7 Goodnight Olive who has the 2nd-best odds on the morning-line.
Matareya has four graded wins including three Grade 1 victories. She's had back-to-back impressive works this month at Saratoga. Matareya finished 5th out of 29 horses in a five-furlong work last week and 2nd out of 14 two weeks ago.
BET: 2 Matareya Across the board (2-6-7)
Sword Dancer Stakes
The field for the Sword Dancer Stakes, August 26th at Saratoga Race Course, courtesy of NYRA.com.
No one has as much experience at Saratoga or at this distance than 6 Channel Maker. This is Channel Maker’s 5th Sword Dancer start and he won in 2020 by 5-and-3/4th lengths.
Channel Maker's 108 Beyer speed figure at the 2020 Sword Dancer tied for his fastest ever, according to the Daily Racing Form (DRF). We know he can handle this distance because Channel Maker is 6-2-1 in 22 starts at a 1.5-mile.
BET: 6 Channel Maker Across the board (6-2-7)
Travers Stakes
The field for the Travers Stakes, August 26th at Saratoga Race Course, courtesy of NYRA.com.
Over the last 40 years, there have only been two times all three Triple Crown winners have run in the Travers. None of those horses won. Saratoga is called The Graveyard of Champions for a reason. Secretariat lost here to a horse named “Onion” in 1973.
With that in mind, 6 Disarm is my look for Saturday's main event. This jockey (Joel Rosario) and trainer (Steve Asmussen) combo won the 2022 Travers Stakes. Also, the last three Travers winners won at Saratoga before running in the “Midsummer Derby”.
He has three consecutive 100+ Beyer speed figure performances however he came up short twice. In those races, Disarm was 4th at the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes, 1st at the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes, and 4th at the Kentucky Derby.
Disarm had a bad trip in the Jim Dandy. But, he ran a 102 Beyer at the Matt Winn and outran his odds at the Derby. He has made the board in six of his eight career races (2-2-2) including three graded sprints.