2023 Travers Stakes Preview

The Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes, often called the Midsummer Derby, is one of the most important three-year-old races of the year. Though the race drew a field of just seven, every single horse is either a proven top-level runner or a legitimate rising star. All three Triple Crown race winners are in the field: Kentucky Derby winner Mage, Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure, and Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo.

In addition to the Triple Crown series winners, the field also features Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and Eclipse Award champion Forte, Blue Grass (G1) winner Tapit Trice, Matt Winn (G3) winner Disarm, and Curlin Stakes winner Scotland. The race will be a fascinating test of tactics and stamina, and the winner will be in the catbird seat for champion three-year-old honors as the year goes on.

The field befits the rich racing history of the Travers. The Travers is the oldest three-year-old race in the country and one of the oldest major races in the world. Its history dates back to 1864, when the old Saratoga Racing Association named it after its president, William R. Travers. In addition to being president of the Saratoga Racing Association, Travers also owned the first-ever winner of the race, Kentucky.

Since then, its winners list reads like a who’s who of the best horses in history. Stars like Ruthless, Man o’ War, Whirlaway, Native Dancer, Alydar, Holy Bull, and Arrogate have all won the race over the years. And, no matter who wins the Travers Stakes at Saratoga this year, he will be a fitting addition to that list.

Travers Information

• Race Date: Saturday, August 26
• Track: Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York
• Post Time: 6:11 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 ¼ miles
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds
• Where to Watch: TVG.com, Fox
• Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

2023 Travers Stakes Draw and Odds

This is the field for the 2023 Travers Stakes, along with post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines for each horse.

Travers Stakes Prep Race Results

The seven horses in the Travers come out of four different races. Three of them are graded stakes, with two last-out runners from each. Though Haskell (G1) winner Geaux Rocket Ride does not ship out for the Travers, second-place Mage and fifth-place Tapit Trice make it to the Midsummer Derby. Two others come out of another major summer spot, the Jim Dandy (G2): Forte won the race, while Disarm finished an evenly chasing fourth.

Two others come straight from the final jewel of the Triple Crown. Arcangelo and National Treasure have both freshened since the Belmont (G1) in June. Arcangelo won the race confidently, while National Treasure weakened to sixth.

The only horse in the Travers who comes out of an ungraded stakes is Scotland. He made his stakes debut in the Curlin, a restricted local prep for the Travers. After a strong gate-to-wire victory, he steps up to the top level.

Travers Stakes Contenders

These are the seven contenders in the 2023 Travers Stakes, organized by their post positions in the race:

1. Forte: Last year’s juvenile champion, Forte, looked like the horse to beat in the Kentucky Derby after a strong Florida Derby win over Mage, but had to be scratched due to a foot bruise. He has come back well, however. Though he couldn’t get to Arcangelo late in the Belmont, he finished a credible second over the demanding 1 ½-mile trip, and then got up by a nose over pacesetter Saudi Crown in the Jim Dandy. Though the 1 ¼-mile distance is a question, he should be fitter now than he was when he tried the 1 ½-mile Belmont. Furthermore, his tactical speed and his grit down the lane make him a serious threat.
2. Arcangelo: Already the Belmont Stakes winner, the Travers may well be in his blood: after all, he is a son of Arrogate, who won this same race in track record time in 2016. He stepped straight up from maiden company to win the Peter Pan (G3) at Belmont Park, and then stepped up from that to win the Belmont, suggesting he is a horse who is finding himself with time and distance. The 1 ¼-mile distance of the Travers should be no trouble. And, even though he comes from off the pace, he can move early (like he did in the Belmont) and he can win even when the pace dawdles (like he did in the Peter Pan).
3. Tapit Trice: After sharp wins in both the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and the Blue Grass, Tapit Trice looked like a rising star. However, he has not put it back together in the last three. Setting the Haskell aside may be logical, as Monmouth does not tend to be friendly to true late runners like Tapit Trice. However, the Kentucky Derby and (particularly) the Belmont Stakes were disappointing efforts compared to the talent he showed earlier. He has the stamina, and perhaps blinkers set him closer, but be wary unless he is a big price.
4. Mage: Though he has not won since the Kentucky Derby, he has not run poorly either. He ran a chasing third in the Preakness behind National Treasure, who set a slow pace and kept on going. In the Haskell, he made a rally but was outfinished by Geaux Rocket Ride. Still, it was a good second, and his connections made it clear even at Haskell time that the Haskell was a prep for the Travers. (Note also that he parlayed a good second in the Florida Derby into a big win in the Kentucky Derby.) The stretch out to a 1 ¼-mile distance helps, as does the switch to a fairer surface from a pace perspective.
5. National Treasure: He is the pace wildcard of the race. He showed speed in both the Preakness and the Belmont while wearing blinkers. Now, he has them taken back off. In a field of seven, it would help him to be forward. But, his graded stakes tries without blinkers have tended to show him sitting in range and chasing for a share without ever quite looking a winner. Perhaps he has improved since then, and trainer Baffert typically comes loaded to the Travers. But, if you’re betting this horse to win, you’re betting Baffert, full stop.
6. Disarm: He needed a third-place finish in the Lexington (G3) to get into the Kentucky Derby at all, but surprised virtually everyone when he rallied to finish fourth behind Mage. His win in a sloppy Matt Winn (G3) was another step in the right direction. He was an even fourth behind Forte in the Jim Dandy over a sloppy Saratoga race track next out, though the race still came back fast enough that he makes sense in this spot. This field is so deep that he probably finds a few too good once again, but he is consistent, plucky, and pace-versatile enough to get a piece of the exotics.
7. Scotland: Absent from the Triple Crown series, he is the only horse in the 2023 Travers who can be considered a new face. After all, his only stakes try came in the Curlin, a local prep restricted to horses who have never won a graded stakes race. Furthermore, the Curlin was his first try going two turns. He aced that test, leading at every call despite some periodic pestering from next-out Smarty Jones (G3) winner Il Miracolo. His earlier races against softer company show he can pass horses, though, giving him the versatility to work a trip from this clean outside gate. When Bill Mott steps a relatively inexperienced horse into the deepest three-year-old dirt race of the year, there is usually a good reason, and a reasonable step forward makes Scotland a contender at appealing odds.

Travers Stakes FAQ

Q: When is the Travers Stakes?

A: The Travers Stakes happens Saturday, August 26, at 6:11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Q: Where is the Travers Stakes?

A: The Travers Stakes is the flagship race of the season at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is carded as the 12th and featured event on the flagship racing day at Saratoga Race Course.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Travers Stakes?

A: Trainer Bert Mulholland leads all conditioners with five Travers wins, dating between 1939 and 1963, with his best-remembered winner being Jaipur, now the namesake of a Grade 1 turf sprint at Belmont Park. Among trainers with horses in the 2023 Travers, Bob Baffert leads with three: Point Given (2001), Arrogate (2016), and West Coast (2017). He sends out Preakness winner National Treasure this year.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Travers Stakes?

A: Despite all three Triple Crown race winners in the field, someone else is almost certain to go off as the shortest price. Forte has been named the 7-5 favorite off of his win in the premier local prep, the Jim Dandy. However, take notice if another horse—most likely either Kentucky Derby winner Mage or Belmont winner Arcangelo—takes a lot of interest at the windows.

Q: Who is the best Travers Stakes jockey?

A: Javier Castellano leads all riders with six victories in the Travers, most recently with Catholic Boy in 2018. Castellano will try to extend his record this year with Arcangelo.

Q: Who won the Travers Stakes in 2022?

A: Epicenter won the 2022 Travers Stakes for trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Joel Rosario. The pair unites again this year behind Disarm: who, like Epicenter, carries the silks of Winchell Thoroughbreds.