The Midsummer Derby is finally here: the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes. The most prestigious three-year-old dirt route that is not part of the Triple Crown, the 2024 edition drew an eight-horse field that is one of the most exciting fields of the year. The runners include Belmont Stakes and Haskell (G1) winner Dornoch, Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Thorpedo Anna, Jim Dandy (G2) winner and juvenile champion Fierceness, Blue Grass winner Sierra Leone (G1), and more tough contenders trying to take their place at the top of the division.

The Travers Stakes has a rich racing history. Founded in 1864 and named after Saratoga Racing Association president William R. Travers, this is the oldest three-year-old race in the country. Travers himself even owned Kentucky, the first-ever winner of the Travers Stakes.

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 (or she!) will be a fitting addition to that list.

Travers Information

• Race Date: Saturday, August 24
• Track: Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York
• Post Time: 6:10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 ¼ miles
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds
• Where to Watch: FanDuel Racing, Fox
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

2024 Travers Stakes Draw and Odds

These are the runners in the 2024 Travers Stakes, along with their post positions, trainers, jockeys, and official morning-line odds from Saratoga Race Course.

Travers Stakes Prep Race Results

The eight runners in the Travers Stakes come out of five different races, all of them at the stakes level and all but one of those races at the graded stakes level.

Five of the eight runners come out of one of the two traditional local preps for the Travers Stakes. The top three finishers from the Jim Dandy (G2), the deeper of the local preps, all press on to Saratoga’s signature sophomore dirt race. Those include Fierceness, who worked a perfect outside tracking trip; Sierra Leone, who rallied from last but could not reel in Fierceness; and Batten Down, who tracked the pace in the Jim Dandy but could not keep up with the top two in deep stretch.

Two others come out of the Curlin Stakes, a prep restricted to non-winners of a graded-stakes race at a mile or more this year. Unmatched Wisdom led all the way around, while Corporate Power tracked the pace and chased on to finish second beaten by a length. These top two finishers progress to the Travers.

The three others come into the Travers Stakes out of top-level races. Thorpedo Anna, the lone filly in the field, most recently won the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) on July 20, where she stalked the pace and kicked away to win by 4 ½ lengths. Dornoch last raced July 20, when he won the Haskell (G1) by 1 ¼ lengths in game and gritty fashion. Honor Marie has freshened up since the Belmont Stakes, where he closed for fourth, 5 ½ lengths behind Dornoch.

Travers Stakes Contenders

These are the seven contenders in the 2024 Travers Stakes, organized by their post positions in the race:

1. Thorpedo Anna: The impressive Kentucky Oaks winner takes on males for the first time for Kenny McPeek: a trainer who has experience getting a filly ready to take on the boys under the biggest lights, as he won the 2020 Preakness with Swiss Skydiver. Her tactical speed is a plus, and even though she has only gone up to 1 ⅛ miles, her pedigree and running suggest the extra furlong may be fine. The rail is the biggest concern, though, and given how well she handled early adversity in the Coaching Club American Oaks, she is also the kind of horse who can stay engaged after early adversity.
2. Sierra Leone: He has never been worse than third and never been beaten more than a length and a half, meaning he has a consistency that surpasses most horses, especially most deep closers. He has just failed to catch the last horse or two in his last few starts—though, to be fair, he has been racing against the best his class has to offer. He has already found a couple of strong efforts over 1 ¼ miles and also over the course at Saratoga, meaning he is a reliable choice for those second- and third-place rungs in exotic bets.
3. Unmatched Wisdom: He is the untested new face in the Travers Stakes. He is undefeated in three starts, including a victory in the Curlin at Saratoga, though the Travers will be his first attempt at 1 ¼ miles and his first race against the best of the best. His tactical speed is a plus, and his pedigree makes him interesting for the extra ground. However, with truly top horses both at the front end and rallying from the back, he is going to need to take another step forward from an already-career-best effort in the Curlin, so demand a price.
4. Corporate Power: He has a bit more experience than Unmatched Wisdom, the horse who beat him in the Curlin, though he is a similar profile: a late-blooming runner who faces graded stakes foes for the first time in the Travers. He has an extremely appealing distance pedigree, being by Curlin out of a Grade 2-winning Quality Road mare. He does need a career best to have a shot against the truly top horses in the Travers, though, and even then, lower rungs of exotics seem like the ceiling at this point.
5. Batten Down: Unlike everyone but Dornoch, Batten Down actually has a victory at 1 ¼ miles, winning at the distance in a Kentucky Derby-week maiden race. The big concern here is pace. He has never been able to win a race without making it on the front end and dictating terms. However, with both Dornoch and Fierceness entered in the Travers, it is hard to imagine Batten Down getting the trip he needs in order to run his best.
6. Honor Marie: He is a deep closer, and he always makes some kind of a run. On one hand, perhaps a turnback in distance or a step back in class could help. On the other hand, he hasn’t had a smooth trip in either the Kentucky Derby or the Belmont Stakes, meaning perhaps we have not seen the best of him at the top level … and, he may have the best 1 ¼-mile pedigree in this race of any horse not named Dornoch. His best chance will come if things get feisty on the lead—something that may happen with Fierceness, Dornoch, Batten Down, Unmatched Wisdom, and even Thorpedo Anna in the fray. In short? He is a long shot for a reason, but especially if he gets ignored and remains near his morning line, folks who like to bet wild long shots could do worse.
7. Dornoch: Things got rocky through the rating experiment in the Blue Grass (G1) and a rough trip in the Kentucky Derby, but he has gotten back on track in a huge way through the Belmont Stakes and the Haskell. As long as he can use his early speed, life is good for this full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage. In his last two starts, the Belmont and the Haskell, he had to battle hard with Mindframe, and was even headed—no problem, he came back both times and won anyway. The start may be tougher this time, with the likes of Fierceness, Batten Down, Unmatched Wisdom, and Thorpedo Anna having early speed. But, even if he can work an outside pressing trip like he did in the Belmont, he’ll be mighty hard to pass late.
8. Fierceness: He has the class, and he’s brilliant on his best. The question is, which Fierceness shows up? He got the dream outside post … which should help, though his Holy Bull (G3) proved a good post is no guarantee of a brilliant effort. There are plenty of points in his favor other than the post: he has tactical speed, and both his races at Saratoga have been downright Brilliant. But, he also has never had to deal with a race that had a truly fast early pace—and he is almost certain to face that challenge this time, with so many horses who like to go hard early.

Travers Stakes FAQ

Q: When is the Travers Stakes?

A: The Travers Stakes happens Saturday, August 24, at 6:10 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 2024 Travers, Shug McGaughey leads with four, most recently in 2019 with Code of Honor. He can tie Mulholland’s record if Corporate Power wins.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Travers Stakes?

A: The morning-line favorite for the Travers Stakes is Dornoch, at 5-2. Coming off of wins in the Belmont Stakes and Haskell Stakes, Dornoch will probably hold as the favorite come post time. However, it would be no surprise for Thorpedo Anna (3-1) or even Fierceness (3-1) to challenge for favoritism, given their recent victories and their classy back form.

Q: Who is the best Travers Stakes jockey?

A: Javier Castellano leads all riders with seven victories in the Travers, most recently with Arcangelo in 2023. He can make it eight with Corporate Power this year.

Q: Who won the Travers Stakes in 2023?

A: Arcangelo, coming off a win in the Belmont Stakes, won the Travers Stakes in 2023. His trainer, Jena Antonucci, does not have a horse in the 2024 Travers, but his rider, Javier Castellano, comes back with Corporate Power for Shug McGaughey.

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