Travers Stakes by the Numbers

The first time a Thoroughbred meet was held at Saratoga was 1863, a month after the Battle of Gettysburg. The year 2024 - 161 years later - is not too soon or too late for the track tucked off the corner of Union and Nelson avenues to experience another first: Hosting the Belmont Stakes. When the show comes to town June 6-9, the history-rich…

The Travers Stakes, sometimes called the fourth jewel of the Triple Crown and a natural target in late August for 3-year-olds who competed in the Triple Crown races, doesn't show up very often on the 13 resumes. In fact, only four Triple Crown winners have also run in the Travers, and only Whirlaway won it. But the Spa exploits of the 13 include…

Just because one horse beats another the first time they face off doesn't mean the outcome won't be reversed in subsequent meetings. Even if one horse beats another horse in their first two or three meetings, this apparent superiority can shift on a dime. The history of horse racing is replete with examples. Remember Blind Luck, the champion…

The biggest day of the summer at Saratoga is headlined by the 2023 Travers Stakes on Saturday. All three Triple Crown winners will run, along with champion two-year-old Forte, who was the morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby before being scratched. Forte is the 7-5 favorite in the 2023 Travers Stakes odds, while Belmont Stakes winner…

The Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday drew a field of seven 3-year-olds, including the winners of the Triple Crown races for the first time since 2017 and last year's 2-year-old champion. Five of the horses are millionaires with Grade 1 victories in the field, and there's a Grade 3 winner and another with a recent…

Saratoga Race Course is famous for a lot of reasons: it's the oldest sporting venue in the United States, it's host to some of the best horse racing in the world, and it's the summer playground for titans of industry and celebrities. But perhaps the Spa is most well-known for this: it's the racetrack where favorites lose and longshots score the…

The Travers Stakes is coming to Saratoga Race Course this Saturday, and if you're planning to attend New York's biggest day of summer racing, we have ten things you need to know before you go. 1. The Travers is also known as the "Mid-Summer Derby" Why is the Travers called the Mid-Summer Derby? Well, a couple of reasons: the Travers is restricted…

When horses achieve greatness, or accomplish particularly memorable feats, it is customary for stakes races to be named in their honor. Across the country, there are races the bear the names of legends like Man o' War, Secretariat, Kelso, and Cigar; even more recent greats like Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra, and Wise Dan are remembered with stakes…

The 2023 Preakness Stakes (Saturday 6:50 p.m. ET post time, NBC) will mark the 148th running of the Triple Crown horse race at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. With the Preakness post positions being drawn on Monday, it's time to break down the field, which includes Kentucky Derby winner Mage in his quest for the second jewel. Mage (15-1) won the…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) - "The Run for the Roses," "The most exciting two minutes in sports," or simply "The Derby," the lore and pageantry of the Kentucky Derby have been etched in racing history since its inaugural running in 1875. Churchill Downs has hosted many races over the last 148 years. Long-shot winners like Rich Strike in 2022 and…

Longshot Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will try to match the feat of his father, Keen Ice, when he leaves the starting gate in the 2022 Travers Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. In the 2015 Travers, Keen Ice, a 16-1 longshot, rallied past Triple Crown hero American Pharoah to post one of the most shocking upsets in the history of the…

The oldest stakes race in the country for three-year-olds will have its 153rd running on Saturday when the 2022 Travers Stakes will take place at Saratoga Race Course. First held in 1864, this 1 1/4 miles race is nicknamed the Midsummer Derby and offers a $1.25 million prize to the winner. The 2022 Travers Stakes field is stacked with multiple…

SARATOGA SPRINGS - For the first time since 2017, the Kentucky Derby winner will participate in the Travers Stakes. Rich Strike, who delivered the 80-1 Derby shocker, will be joined in the Travers field by another Classic winner in Preakness Stakes victor Early voting. Neither of the Triple Crown race winners, however, will be the favorite when the…

They trotted out Nicole Kidman. Tom Cruise was in tow. And Ray Bryan was at a racetrack for the first time in his life. The Kentucky Derby likes to provide a celebrity red-carpet experience as part of the overall spectacle. (You may even have heard of some of the celebrities) But this wasn't that. Bryan was a freshman at Skidmore College who had…

Stepping into the wagering world of the Breeders' Cup for the first time? Or second? Or more? Whatever, this one is for the $2 win bettors looking for a sizeable return from their minimum investment. Of course, if you're looking to score big, you can expand your betting menu to include exactas, trifectas, Pick 4's, Pick 6's, etcetera. But that…

With a new distance and a new place on the calendar, this year's Belmont Stakes is unlike any other. A compact field of nine, highlighted by Tiz the Law, is expected for the historic race. Read on for 12 things to know about Saturday's Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. 1. This year is the first time ever that the Belmont will precede both…

The Betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes is a summer staple, featuring top 3-year-olds and a hefty purse at the "shore's greatest stretch," Monmouth Park. This year's race is expected to attract Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve runner-up and 2017 2-year-old champ Good Magic, as well as Preakness Stakes runner-up Bravazo. Read on for…

The Travers Stakes is one of the most historic races in the country and has been an annual feature at Saratoga for nearly as long as the track has been running. Known as the Mid-Summer Derby, this year's Travers has attracted a competitive field squaring off in a race that could help determine year-end championship honors. Read on for a rundown of…

The Xpressbet.com Florida Derby is one of the most important preps on the road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, and this year's race is expected to attract a slew of Derby hopefuls looking for a spot in the gate on the first Saturday in May. Get a closer look at this Saturday's big race at Gulfstream Park with the stats and figures…

Almost all of the prerace hype for the Pegasus World Cup is focused on the rematch between California Chrome and Arrogate. The fervor was stoked by their duel in the Breeders' Cup Classic, with Arrogate winning by a half-length. Saturday at Gulfstream Park the two top-rated thoroughbreds will reprise their rivalry with $7 million on the line as the…

Monmouth Park takes the national spotlight this Sunday as the $1 million betfair.com Haskell Invitational is broadcast on NBC. Last year's race featured Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and this year's edition promises plenty of thrills as the top three Kentucky Derby finishers line up for the historic track. The 2016 Haskell is a Breeders'…

Oaklawn Park, the host of Saturday's $1-million Arkansas Derby. (Photos by Eclipse Sportswire unless noted) Oaklawn Park's race meet is nearing the finish line, and that means one thing: it's time for the Arkansas Derby. This Saturday a field of 12 3-year-olds will compete for their share of 170 Kentucky Derby points and a $1-million purse. Learn…

Making his stakes debut, Arrogate wrested command from stablemate American Freedom into the first turn and ran right into the history books Saturday, winning the Grade 1 Travers Stakes in a record time of 1:59.36 seconds before a packed house of 48630 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Smashing General Assembly's 1 1/4-mile stakes…