2017 Travers Stakes Preview

Drefong on Travers Stakes Day 2016 (Coglianese Photos)

Who Should I Bet On Travers Day?

The excitement surrounding the 2017 Travers Stakes is undeniable. With all three Triple Crown champions contending in this prestigious race alongside some of the summer’s biggest winners, the Travers could very well produce a contender for the Breeders’ Cup Classic just as it did one year ago. Here’s a look at the full field.

Always Dreaming will attempt to be the first horse to score a double result in the Kentucky Derby and the Travers Stakes since Street Sense did so in 2007. Entering with promising 6/1 odds, Always Dreaming has much to prove after finishing 3rd in the Jim Dandy Stakes and 8th in the Preakness.

Cloud Computing comes in with 8/1 odds after a 5th place finish in the Jim Dandy despite winning the Preakness Stakes and being well rested by Chad Brown. It’s been an odd turn for this son of Maclean’s Music, who seemed to take advantage of an exhausted Triple Crown field during the second leg of the circuit. To say that he was unconvincing in the Jim Dandy is an understatement.

Both Triple Crown champions were bumping each other down the stretch of the Jim Dandy and that may have slowed both of them down though neither camp indicated as such.

The eventual winner of the Jim Dandy was Good Samaritan, 5/1 third choice, who has both the patience and electric closing speed to perpetuate his winning ways when he arrives at Saratoga.

Tapwrit, who has not competed since winning the 2017 Belmont Stakes is the actual favorite at 7/2 but that is sure to change come Saturday once the money starts flowing in. The Todd Pletcher trainee has as good of a shot as any. Few will doubt Taprwit’s talent, but it’s difficult to register why the oddsmakers would rate him so highly given hi inactivity.

The top-two finishers from the recent Haskell Invitational will also be on hand in the Travers Stakes to add some more competition. Girvin won the Haskell and will run as a 10/1 outside shot, while runner-up McCraken will attempt to regain his form at 12/1.

Bob Baffert’s West Coast is impossible to ignore given his 4–2–0 record in 6 starts through the 2017 campaign. This son of Flatter has been astounding in the Easy Goer and the Los Alamitos Derby and also came second in the Lexington at Keeneland. West Coast is a fine candidate with 4/1 odds as strong second choice and is certainly trending in the right direction.

One of the biggest threats on the board, however, will be the ever improving Irap who will hold 8/1 odds. Irap erupted in both the Ohio Derby and Indiana Derby this summer with explosive victories that more than justified the talent trainer Doug O’Neill has said the colt’s always had. If Irap is to prove he belongs on the top level, he must do so against this dense Travers Field.

A handful of longshots including Lookin At Lee, Gunnevera, Fayeq and Guiseppe The Great will round out the field.

The 2017 Travers Stakes will take place on Saturday, August 26th out of Saratoga Race Course on an action packed day in the state of New York.

by Tim Quek

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TwinSpires.com | Handicapping Horse Racing

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