3 Travers Stakes Best Bets

The Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes happens at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, August 24. The race covers the classic 1 ¼ miles on dirt, and it is perennially the most eagerly awaited three-year-old dirt race aside from the Triple Crown. The rich history and the huge purse make it one of the biggest events of the horse racing year. It is a destination race for everyone with a top three-year-old, and even for some connections with up-and-comers who hope to prove that their horse fits in the championship conversation for the second half of the year.

In 2023, the winners of all three Triple Crown races lined up against each other in the Midsummer Derby. Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo defeated Kentucky Derby winner Mage and Preakness winner National Treasure, solidifying his place at the top of the division by taking down the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Although this year only one of the three Triple Crown race winners lines up for this race, he is perhaps the most exciting one: Dornoch, who has already franked his Belmont Stakes form with a victory in the Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park last month.

Though Dornoch won’t be facing the other winners of Triple Crown races, he will face a deep field. Sierra Leone, the Blue Grass (G1) winner who missed by just a nose in the Kentucky Derby, lines up for the Travers. So does Thorpedo Anna, the impressive winner of the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), who faces males for the first time in the Travers. Fierceness, the brilliant but inconsistent juvenile champion, and Florida Derby winner, comes into the Travers off a win in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) over Sierra Leone. And, as always, there are some horses trying to prove themselves at the top level.

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1. Thorpedo Anna (Travers Stakes odds: 3-1 ML)

Thorpedo Anna has been too good for the sophomore fillies’ class this year. She won the Fantasy (G3) in a blowout. She won the Kentucky Oaks in a blowout. She won the Acorn (G1) in a blowout. And, even though she had a nightmarish start in the Coaching Club American Oaks, she won that race for fun. Her trainer, Kenny McPeek, knows how to target a star filly to run well against males: he trained Swiss Skydiver to a second-place finish in the Blue Grass and a victory in the Preakness Stakes in 2020. And, he has a filly who is perhaps even better this year.

The biggest question for her is the rail post. It’s a field of eight and not ten or twelve, meaning it isn’t as bad as it could be, but there is always the risk. However, Thorpedo Anna does not have to be right on the front—as long as she can find a place somewhere in range of the pace, she can run a winning race. And, as she proved in the Coaching Club American Oaks, she can overcome trouble and still run like the Thorpedo Anna we know.

Of course, this is a deeper field than she was facing in the Coaching Club American Oaks. But she is fast enough, she is consistent enough, she is adaptable enough, and she runs like a horse who is worth a shot stretching out the extra furlong from her last three outings. For a barn who has gotten a top filly ready to face the boys before, this is a lot to like.

2. Dornoch (Travers Stakes odds: 5-2 ML)

Earlier this year, you couldn’t hear anything about Dornoch without being reminded that he was a full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, especially since his Blue Grass and even Kentucky Derby were a bit disappointing after wins in the Remsen (G2) and the Fountain of Youth (G2). By now, the Danny Gargan trainee has proven himself a top sophomore on his own merits. The Blue Grass was a failed experiment in rating, and then he encountered a rough trip in the Kentucky Derby. However, his last two starts have proven that Dornoch is one of the grittiest and most talented horses in his class.

Dornoch is already a 1 ¼-mile winner at the Spa, since Belmont Park construction forced the final jewel of the Triple Crown to be run at 1 ¼ miles on the dirt at the Spa—the same course and distance as the Travers Stakes. In the Belmont, he pressed the pace early, battled with Mindframe late, and scored narrowly. His Haskell Stakes effort was even better. He set a contested pace that day, was headed once again by Mindframe in the lane, and rebuffed him to win by 1 ¼ lengths in the end.

This all adds up to exactly the kind of horse who can shine in the Travers. He has the stamina. He has the speed, but does not need to make the top. He drew relatively outside, meaning he can work a cleaner trip than if he had drawn down inside. And, he has the relentless fighting spirit that you just can’t teach a horse. Even as the morning-line favorite, Dornoch has all the form and all the tools to belong on tickets.

3. Honor Marie (Travers Stakes odds: 20-1 ML)

There is a possibility that the pace in the Travers gets hot. Batten Down has to go, Dornoch has to be at least close, Fierceness has to be close as well, and so does Unmatched Wisdom. Even Thorpedo Anna will not be far away, barring a bad snarl at the start. There’s enough tactical speed that a pace collapse is not a guarantee, but it is within the realm of possibility.

That makes closers interesting. Of course, Sierra Leone is the best-proven closer, but the price will be short, and he has yet to prove that he can get all the way there—only most of the way there—with this class and distance. Sierra Leone is a logical horse for underneath rungs of exotics, but the win odds aren’t appealing. On the other hand? Now that the buzz has calmed down on Honor Marie, this may be the time to take a shot.

Honor Marie still has to prove himself against this quality of field. But, he has excuses: his start in the Kentucky Derby was downright rough, and his start in the Belmont was not very good either. If he can get away cleanly he can settle toward the rear but not in the next ZIP code over, especially with the newly added blinkers. If the pace is honest, that may be enough to get him a piece. If the pace actually collapses, it could be enough to make him this year’s Keen Ice-type upset figure.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.