Week Seven of the 2021 racing season at Saratoga Race Course beginning August 25 is Travers Week.
The penultimate weekend of the season features the marquee event– The Travers – plus a whopping 15 other stakes races. The Saturday Travers super card has seven graded stakes – six of them Grade I– with purses ranging from $400,000 to $1,250,000. The best card of the season, Travers’ Day typically draws the biggest and most fashionably dressed crowd of the meet.
Known as the Mid-Summer Derby, the Travers matches established three-year-old winners against later developing three-year-olds that seek to challenge the division leaders. Run at the classic distance of a mile and a quarter on the dirt for a purse of $1,250,000 a Travers win typically places a horse in contention for Horse of the Year honors and/or a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic against older horses.
This year will be the 152nd running of the Travers which was run for the first time in 1864. It is the oldest race specifically for three-year-olds and among the oldest of any sporting events in the country. It is run at the classic distance of a mile and a quarter with all colts carrying equal weights of 126 pounds.
The race is named after William R. Travers, a Wall Street lawyer who, in 1863 founded Saratoga Race Course and served as its first president.
A racing fan is well served by watching replays of some of its famous renewals, including:
1941 Whirlaway winning as the only Triple Crown winner to do so.
1962 Jaipur vs. Ridan (a must watch – trust me);
1978 Affirmed beating Alydar but being disqualified for interference;
1982 Runaway Groom defeating the winners of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont;
1994 Holy Bull somehow lasting the mile and one-quarter;
2004 Mary Lou Whitney’s Birdstone winning in apocalyptic weather conditions;
2012 Alpha and Golden Ticket dead heat;
2015 American Pharoah being caught in the final strides by Keen Ice after Frosted pressed the Triple Crown winner from the start.
This Travers is expected to see Belmont and Jim Dandy winner Essential Quality face a small field as he looks to solidify his claim as North America’s best three-year-old. He is likely to face the impressive winner of the Curlin – Dynamic One -trained by Todd Pletcher.
Saturday’s undercard features five other Grade I stakes:
The Forego is at 7 Furlongs for older horses with a purse of $600,000; named after the great Hall of Fame gelding who won 8 Eclipse Awards, including three Horse of the Year awards 1974-1976. (To watch an amazing example of his famous closing kick, watch his victory over Honest Pleasure in the 1976 Marlboro Cup while carrying an imposing 137 pounds.)
The H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at 7 furlongs for three-year-olds with a purse of $500,000; named after the Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens. Known respectfully as “The Chief”, due to his knowledge and demeanor, Jerkens also earned the moniker – “The Giant Killer” by training horses to upset champions, Kelso, Buckpasser, Riva Ridge and Secretariat (twice) among others. This race was originally named after King’s Bishop a stakes winner that Jerkens trained. Recent winner Jackie’s Warrior is expected to head the field.
The Ballerina at 7 furlongs for fillies and mares three and up with a purse of $500,000.; this race is expected to see a controversial entrant in Gamine who has had recent medication violations for trainer Bob Baffert
The Personal Ensign at a mile and one eighth for older fillies and mares with a purse of $600,000; named after the undefeated (13 for 13) champion mare and blue hen broodmare who overcame a severe injury to become champion older filly or mare in 1988. (Treat yourself and watch her final race – a win over Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.) This year the mare Letruska will seek to extend her impressive winning streak.
The Sword Dancer on the grass at a mile and one-half for older horse with a $750,000 purse.
A Grade II stakes - the Ballston Spa - at a mile and a sixteenth on the grass for older fillies and mares for a mere $400,000 is also on the Travers undercard.
Friday acts as a prelude to the Travers card with six stakes races for horses bred in New York State. The races consist of matching stakes for three-year-old males and females at a mile and an eighth; matching races for two-year-old male and female runners at six and one-half furlongs and matching races for older males and females on the grass at a mile and a sixteenth.
Wednesday’s highlight is the John’s Call - a race for older horses on the grass at one mile and five eighths for a purse of $120,000. The race’s namesake was the oldest horse to win a Grade I stake at Saratoga when he won the 2000 Sword Dancer at the age of 9.
Thursday offers the Riskaverse at a mile on the grass for three-year-old fillies with a purse of $120,000.
Sunday completes the week with the Better Talk Now a restricted stake for three-year-old fillies and mares on the grass at a flat mile with a purse of $120,000.
