Post Time: Forte favored over Triple Crown foes in Travers

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The 3-year-old division is up for grabs this weekend at Saratoga in the 154th edition of the Travers Stakes.

It’s rare that all three Triple Crown race winners converge in the Travers and this year the trio will be joined by last year’s 2-year-old champion.

The three Triple Crown winners have faced off in the Travers only three other times – 1918, 1982 and 2017. In each scenario, a winner emerged from outside of the trio, including the Canadian-bred Runaway Groom, who upset the 1982 race.

Kentucky Derby winner Mage, Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure and Belmont Stakes victor Arcangelo will face off with last year’s champ Forte, who won the traditional Travers prep race last month.

The $1.25 million race known as the Midsummer Derby is the signature race of the 40-day Saratoga meet and, with none of the top contenders making a case for the division to date, it could be the deciding factor for Eclipse award voters next January.

Ironically, Forte (7-5) is favored over the three Triple Crown race winners, another indication of the wide open nature of the division and how important this race will be in deciding this year’s champion sophomore.

Jockey Javier Castellano is looking to extend his record six Travers wins aboard Arcangelo, the colt he selected to ride over his Derby mount, Mage. The decision could not have been easy for the Venezuelan jockey, who has had a solid Saratoga to date.

Jena Antonucci made history in June when she became the first female trainer to saddle a winner of a Triple Crown race when Arcangelo captured the Grade 1 Belmont. A victory from the gray colt would make her the second female trainer to win the Travers, 85 years after Mary Hirsch saddled 1938 winner Thanksgiving.

The Grade 1 Travers at the classic mile-and-a-quarter distance drew seven entrants and is scheduled to go to post at approximately 6:11 p.m. as Race 12. An expanded edition of Saratoga Live will begin at 11:30 a.m. on FS2 with continuing coverage on FS1 at 1:30 p.m. Fox Saratoga Saturday will present live coverage and analysis of the Travers Day stakes action beginning at 3 p.m.

The Travers is the feature race of a blockbuster card, which includes the Grade 1 $600,000 Forego, the Grade 1 $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, the Grade 1 $500,000 Ballerina, which offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, and the Grade 1 $750,000 Sword Dancer Invitational – a “Win And You’re In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Here’s a look at the field from top to bottom for the Travers (post position, trainer, jockey, morning line odds in parenthesis):

1 – Forte (Pletcher, Ortiz Jr., 7-5). Todd Pletcher put the blinkers on the son of Violence in the Jim Dandy and it seemed to sharpen his focus in winning over a sloppy track last month. He had to work for it, though, and will face a fresh Arcangelo, who’s been off since the Belmont. He’s a classy horse who will be in the mix, but he’ll have to move forward from his last effort to win on Saturday. Contender.

2 – Arcangelo (Antonucci, Castellano, 5-2). Was the most impressive of the three Triple Crown race winners in capturing the Belmont after an honest early pace and it looked like the gray had more in the tank. His sire, Arrogate, holds the record time for the Travers in a scintillating effort in 2016 that is etched in this turf writer’s memory. He has been working well at the Spa and has improved in every race this year. The pick.

3 – Tapit Trice (Pletcher, Ortiz, 12-1). Has burned a lot of money since his last win in the Blue Grass and the Hall of Fame trainer puts the shades on to sharpen his focus. The son of Tapit should have no problem with the classic distance and is on a cycle of good race/bad race that points toward a good race but is hard to trust. Passing.

4 – Mage (Delgado, Prat, 4-1). Flavien Prat picks up the mount for the injured Luis Saez on the Derby winner. The son of Good Magic used the Haskell as a prep for this race, the one the connections really crave. Normally I’d stay away from horses coming out of the Haskell based on past history, but he seems to be in form, working well over the track and ready to move forward. Will be dueling with Arcangelo down the stretch for the win.

5 – National Treasure (Baffert, Velazquez, 8-1). Bob Baffert will be looking for his fourth, and John Velazquez his third Travers victory with the Preakness winner. He tired in the Belmont and has filled out nicely since then in watching his workouts from Del Mar. He seems to be sharp and likely will be dueling on the front end with Scotland. The main factor is he won’t get away with an easy time on the front end like he did in Baltimore. Looking elsewhere.

6 – Disarm (Asmussen, Rosario, 8-1). Has produced nothing but decent efforts throughout his career for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Has raced over sloppy tracks in his last two races, so if the track is dried out, expect a better effort from the Gun Runner colt. The live long shot.

7 – Scotland (Mott, Alvarado, 12-1). Bill Mott is seeking his first Travers training win with the son of Good Magic. Won easily on the front end in the non-graded Curlin Stakes in July over the Saratoga main track. The gray gelding will try and steal it on the front end, but pressure from the Baffert horse should neutralize a merry-go-round scenario. This will be a significant class test for the lightly raced, but promising sophomore.

Post Time Outlook: 1 – Arcangelo; 2 – Mage; 3 – Forte; 4 – Disarm.

Gene Kershner, a Buffalo-based turf writer, is a member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association, and tweets @EquiSpace.