8/26 (SAR): 148th Travers Day (5 G1's, G2 undercard)
 

West Coast.

Wow --- can't wait to see the field/post positions!!

Good Samaritan's effort in the Jim Dandy almost has to be upgraded due to how the track has played so far this meet. He looked great in the stretch despite the bias. That said, he definitely has that "last time was THE time to have him" feel about him, something along the lines of what Andy S likes to say.

Man, there's a few horses on this list that look like they could play the role of Arrogate last year and pull off an upset. McCraken, Pavel to name a couple. Not sure what to think of Tapwrit being trained up to this race. West Coast & Girvin are two that will be bet heavily off their last races, imo, but ya never know! The one thing that I DO know is that 3 yr old honors are still highly up for grabs! Can't wait to see how this one shakes out!

One could argue the best 3yr old at this point is not even running.

Unique Bella, I presume?

Irish Freedom
I meant in the race.

Gotcha. Sure looked good last night, geared down.

Personally, I enjoy years like this one where the water is so murky that you could poll 100 different race trackers and not find a single Top 5 list that would be duplicated.

It was an utter fail running that horse in the Santa Anita Derby off a "short horse" effort in the Battle of Midway allowance.

It's kind of a shame that he came off the bench fully loaded so soon as there is now a second opportunity to burn him out trying to make the Breeder's Cup.

Hopefully Baffert takes it slow and shoots for something like the Clark towards the end of the year.

Of course, the reality is he'll probably show up for the Pennsylvania Derby.

Two week turn around is probably not ideal for Oscar Performance.

I know, of the horses who will be bet, who the biggest bet against is for me... Good Samaritan.

I am indifferent.

Yes he was on the good rail for most of the race, and caught a race where several were stopping, and its the whole wedding - funeral deal but...

I wonder if he isnt somewhat overloooked again, to a certain extent.

We know West Coast, who is distance challenged, is going to take way to much money for the obvious reasons.

Both CC and Always Dreaming will take some money again. Girvin and McCraken will take money off that last race.

I see him in the 8/1 range and unlike the others there may actually be some upside still to him.

Care to expound on this Nick, as to why you feel this way? Is it because of how low his odds are certain to be and that the Jim Dandy was the time to have him or is it the fact that you think the race doesn't shape up in his favor?

If you don't respond here I'm sure I'll catch your answer on one of the 15 podcasts you're a cinch to be on before next week's race haha -- keep up the great work btw! I listen to mostly all of them but when I see you and Serling are one of the guests on that episode, I tune in extra closely. Love me some Kinchen as well!

8-1??? Really?!? I think it'll still be too fresh in player's minds of him blowing the proverbial doors off of AD & CC in Jim Dandy.

I can see him 3rd or 4th choice behind West Coast, Tapwrit, and perhaps one more.

Can't wait to see this year's running!

Well its going to be a big field that you can go a lot of directions, the autotosses are few. You could be right, I am going to handicap the race square and maybe make a bet based on how they bet it.

Haha, thanks.

If you believe, like I do, that the July 29 main track had one of the strongest gold rails of the meet, then Good Samaritan is a toss. Too much attention is going to be paid to the fact that he made a wide move in upper stretch. In actuality, he saved more ground than every horse in the race besides Always Dreaming. That slingshot inside-out move on a strong rail is the best trip outside of being on the rail the whole way.

I also feel like he's exposed at this point and your opportunity to make money betting him is gone.

I think Good Samaritan is the 2nd or 3rd most likely winner. I dont want any horses out of TC races. Im all West Coast, Good Samaritan and a little KM horse.

Irap at a nice price.

The SD looks like a BC race........I hope the three Euro's all appear on the scene.

i remember seeing Whitmore run earlier this meet at Sar and thought that he for sure would run in the Kings Bishop?? . Any word on what he has planned next?

he is an older horse, and i think he had a little issue right before the vanderbelt

thank 10pt, much appreciated. forgot that he wasnt a 3 yr old as now that i think about it im pretty sure i lost money on him last year during the triple crown races, just thought he looked pretty good winning the sprint race tht he was in up there earlier in the meet.

Possibly the Delmar Futurity. Distance should be perfect for him.

Anticipated Field

Always Dreaming (John Velazquez)
Cloud Computing (Javier Castellano)
Fayeq (Luis Saez)
Girvin (Robby Albarado)
Giuseppe the Great (Tyler Gaffalione)
Good Samaritan (Joel Rosario)
Gunnevera (Edgard Zayas)
Irap (Mario Gutierrez)
Lookin At Lee (Ricardo Santana Jr.)
McCraken (Brian Hernandez Jr.)
Tapwrit (Jose Ortiz)
West Coast (Mike Smith).

Just trying to recall more competitive travers races than this one...last year was pretty good as well on paper going on but not sure this one doesnt have more horses in good form.

Arnaud Delacour seems to be coming into the weekend with a hot hand for the Forego (Divining Rod) and Allen Jerkens (No Dozing). Not sure if Divining Rod will make the quick turnaround in 2 weeks from his last race, but love the parallel cut-backs for both horses and the twin small field 7 furlong minor stakes tuneups at Laurel for these Grade 1s.

Divining Rod was on the cusp of breaking out last year when he gave the much-heralded but ultimately ill-fated Connect all he could handle in the Cigar Mile. If he pulls this off he and Accelerate will keep the BC Dirt Mile legit for at least another year.

No Dozing has a lot to prove, especially against the bunch lining up for the Allen Jerkens, but he's unbeaten at less than a mile (3 for 3) and at the very least he will do enough to warrant summer book favorite for the Discovery Handicap at Aqueduct.

The Will Take Charge, Colonel John, and Sea Hero Travers were all fairly loaded if not featuring any world-beaters (much like this race).

There are several in form here, but not a whole lot of consistency unfortunately. The horses coming from the second tier of the division seem to be the sharpest. At this point, the Classic winners look about as dead in the water as the 3 from last year.

Taprit is the only one I would want, and thats if he is well overlooked in the odds.

I am basically going to play the race being against certain horses and use several in the pick 3 or 4.

He's a very solid trainer, but i think both of those horses are in deep.

BC mile? Isn't that Mor Spirit's long term goal?

Considering Mor Spirit's last work was 10 days ago and was 70/70 I don't know how much of a factor he is going to be the rest of this year.

The Travers field, in post order and with riders and morning-line odds:

1. Cloud Computing (Castellano, 8-1)
2. Giuseppe the Great (Tyler Gaffalione, 20-1)
3. West Coast (Mike Smith, 4-1)
4. Tapwrit (Jose Ortiz, 7-2)
5. Good Samaritan (Joel Rosario, 5-1)
6. Girvin (Robby Albarado, 10-1)
7. Always Dreaming (John Velazquez, 6-1)
8. Lookin At Lee (Ricardo Santana Jr., 30-1)
9. McCraken (Brian Hernandez Jr., 12-1)
10. Irap (Mario Gutierrez, 8-1)
11. Gunnevera (Edgard Zayas, 20-1)
12. Fayeq (Luis Saez, 30-1)

7 horses that ran in the KD are in. That has to be some kind of record for the Travers.

Derby, Preakness, Belmont winners, top 2 from the Dandy and Haskell, Derby runner up, and by post time none of them will likely wind up the favorite. Not the fastest Travers field ever assembled but certainly has to be the best in terms of recent top two finishes in top races.

The 1987 Travers didn't have the runner-up in the Jim Dandy (Pledge Card) drawing just the 3rd place finisher (Cryptoclearance) instead. But the field also included the 1-2 finishers from the Whitney (Java Gold and Gulch) with the winners of the Grade 1 American Derby and Grade 1 Swaps thrown in as well. The only classic-placed horse missing was Avie's Copy, otherwise the race would have had the 1-2-3 finishers in all 3 Triple Crown races.

The overall career accomplishments of the field is staggering.

Kentucky Derby II

minus the fluff

Tapwrit, the fav, lost at SAR before, doubt he has a win here,

whereas, Good Samaritan, third in the BCJ Turf - 2016, has all the pedigree he needs to take this years eclipse.

Status: Active Owner(s): WinStar Farm LLC - China Horse Club International Ltd.
Trainer: William I. Mott
Bred: Kentucky (USA) by WinStar Farm LLC
Pedigree: Harlan's Holiday - Pull Dancer by Pulpit(sire of Tapit)

The $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 26, is expected to attract Always Dreaming, Cloud Computing, Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit. If all three horses run in Midsummer Derby, it would mark the first time that's happened since Gato del Sol, Aloma's Ruler and Conquistador Cielo dueled in the 1982 Travers, won by Runaway Groom in a surprise.

might as well start painting that canoe white and blue for Winstar :)

the only other race this year for colts and horses that will be this full is the BCC at Del Mar...which dortmund will win

A little early to be drunk isn't it ?

i can't drink as much as I used to, now only gambling and medical MJ are my only vices, and they, combined, cost enough.

As you get older the drinking and the whoring diminish...poor girls...how will they survive ?

A lot cheaper growing your own :)

that might be true, and not to sway the thread direction,
but medical grade is the only real weed....:zz:
and for $500 you too can get a card...oh...you also need a qualifying medical condition