Travers Stakes ( Discussion )

Duckgawd

With the Travers Stakes coming up this saturday, I wanted to see how everyone is feeling about the race, I believe the Post Drawing is this morning, if not then tommorow! Should be about 7 contenders including street sense, and sightseeing, and I believe hard spun as well! As we all know the spa can be a tough course for good horses, Do you guys think Street Sense will be able to handle this track and competetion? I dont know who all the horses are or how the pace will factor but for an up and coming horse sightseeing might be able to steal this one! Thoughts on the Travers in general or on how any of the horses have been working...... Post them here!

P.S. also any other horses running on Saturday that stand out, are welcome

wire2wire

I like STREET SENSE and HAED SPUN but will wait until I see rest of field...maybe an outsider with a good shot will change my mind...w2w

DiscreetCat

To be honest, i haven't given the race much thought yet. That being said, i'm scheduled to appear on the Leroy's Sports Hour this Friday (2pm-3pm Pacific Time) to discuss the race. If you're not in Vegas, you can listen over the internet at American Wagering, Inc.. Just follow the Leroy's links on the left-hand toolbar to get to the radio show.

I'll post whatever thoughts i have in this thread, as soon as i form an opinion. Street Sense should be very tough to beat, obviously...

Duckgawd

The field has been set, and No Hard Spun, Probally going to be a 3 horse race, Street Sense, CP West, and Sight Seeing..... There is a total of 7 Horses, Hard Spun opted for the Kings Bishop which looks like a much better Betting Race! 12 Race card looks like some good betting oppurtunities, we shall see how the card shapes up!

hotbustop

Street Sense is the best 3 year old in the country and for the 1st time in years Saratoga will actually get to host the "best 3 year old". Lately the track has had tough luck with the triple crown horses - going all the way back seven years or so to Point Given!
With that being said, I don't think it will be competitive. The field isn't strong and if Street Sense goes off anywhere near even mony I'd be shocked.

Good luck

PS He as worked out over the track and absolutely ate it up. I think it will be a romp.

PacMan

9th (5:40)

Travers S. (G1)

1 1/4 Miles | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $1,000,000

Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Helsinki Leparoux J R Zito Nicholas P 126 Blk-Off L 20-1
2 2 C P West Velasquez C Zito Nicholas P 126 L 5-1
3 3 For You Reppo Gomez G K Pitts Helen 126 L 20-1
4 4 Street Sense Borel C H Nafzger Carl A 126 L 3-5
5 5 Grasshopper Albarado R J Howard Neil J 126 L 8-1
6 6 Loose Leaf Desormeaux K J McPeek Kenneth G 126 L 12-1
7 7 Sightseeing Prado E S McGaughey III C R 126 L 6-1

Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pick 3 Races (9-11), Pick 4 Races (9-12) Daily Double Wagers

Mikenyce

I think Sightseeing might have a shot here. If Cp West goes out there and sets ultra fast fractions Sightseeing might be able to get them all. Love Shug in big races like this and you know he will have this horse ready. Just the question is he good enough???

Duckgawd

Street Sense looks much the best in this spot, but I cant take a 1/5 shot which he most likely will be! Looking over Sightseeing's PP's, I dont really like his chances here, hasnt shown that good late kick, and doesnt have the tatical speed like others here. Loose Leaf I think will the closer of the race if there is one, while CP West and Grasshopper will set the pace, with Street Sense sitting 5th or so, and Sightseeing trying to keep up early. Helsinki and For You Reppo I think are just out matched here, and might just be in it for a small chunk of the purse money! With that said, I would put my money on Grasshopper to try to sit a comfortable second behind CP West and have some tatical speed to hold off the charge of Street Sense.

DiscreetCat

Street Sense is gonna be extremely tough in this spot. He's likely the best 3yo route horse in the country, and he certainly has the best turn of foot. He'll also be much more cranked up for this one than he was the Jim Dandy. He already has a win over the track, and he's shown the ability to handle just about any kind of surface (there's some possibility of rain, i think). He's also shown that he can handle the distance, which is no small factor here. You certainly can't bet on him, but that doesn't mean you have try and beat him. I've never understood that about horseplayers. There's always another race...

Mikenyce

Lol Cat its just like Monday night football. So many people think they have to make a wager because its the prime time game on TV.

Duckgawd

I have stated before that the Travers is not a good betting race, I think the Kings Bishop is a far better betting race with a full field of talented horses. The travers does fall in the $1 million Guarnteed Pick 4! Which I probally would single Street Sense for that, but on a race by race wager, I would just throw $5 to Win on grasshopper because I am excited for the race, Im going to watch and $5 is not that big of a deal..... And as im sure everyone here will attest to, you cant bet on 1/5 Favorites! I do have some thinking behind my pick of beating street sense!

With that said, I do feel as though my wager is a good one. Grasshopper is taking a big step up here from Optional Claiming 50K To Grade 1 Stakes! But it seems as though he is eating up the saratoga track, He put up a nice buyer speed figure last time out when he won by a good 6 lengths with no competion late, sat close to the pace and then kicked on similar to when Street Sense start his running from father back! I like he is running styles, has the ability to adapt to the race, has sat back got dirt in the face to come on and win, and has sat close to the pace and won as well!