Travers Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Travers Day Card Generates $51 Million In All-Sources Handle

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that the 13-race Runhappy Travers Day card generated all-sources handle totaling $51,381,515 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

A paid crowd of 44,507 witnessed Essential Quality secure victory in the Runhappy Travers for reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox and jockey Luis Saez. Essential Quality, owned by Godolphin, posted a final time of 2:01.96 in the 152nd running of the $1.25 million Grade 1 Runhappy Travers. With today's victory in the Runhappy Travers, Cox becomes just the third conditioner to sweep the Whitney and Travers in the same summer with two different horses.

On-track handle was $9,406,526.

NYRA was honored to welcome New York Governor Kathy Hochul to Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, where she presented the Man o' War Cup to the connections of Essential Quality. On Tuesday, August 24, Gov. Hochul made history by becoming the first female governor in New York State history.

“The New York Racing Association thanks our fans for their tremendous support today and throughout the 2021 summer meet here at historic Saratoga Race Course, and we look forward to closing out the meet with fan appreciation week,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke.” We would also like to thank Gov. Hochul for joining us today to witness history and present the Man o' War Cup.”

For the third consecutive year, fans nationwide watched the Runhappy Travers action unfold on the FOX Broadcast Network as part of a special 90-minute telecast. Overall, the FOX Sports family of networks broadcast 7 ½ hours of live racing action from Saratoga which included all seven graded stakes on Runhappy Travers Day.

The Runhappy Travers was the centerpiece of a card featuring six Grade 1s among seven stakes in total, including the $750,000 Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer; $600,000 Grade 1 Personal Ensign presented by Lia Infiniti; $500,000 Grade 1 Ketel One Ballerina; $600,000 Grade 1 Forego; and $500,000 Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial. Rounding out the blockbuster card was the $400,000 Grade 2 Ballston Spa.

The 2021 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course continues through Labor Day, Monday, September 6. For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com.

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Essential Quality Duels Midnight Bourbon Down Stretch To Win Travers

After a half-length victory in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy, Essential Quality came into the Grade 1 Travers Stakes as the overwhelming favorite and demonstrated once again why as he dueled with a game Midnight Bourbon down the Saratoga stretch to win the Midsummer Derby by a neck. The Godolphin gray tracked Midnight Bourbon, who stumbled and unseated Paco Lopez in the Grade 1 Haskell in his last start, throughout the 1 1/4-mile Travers, hooked up with him at the top of the stretch, and refused to quit, adding another G1 stakes to his rich resume.

At the break, Ricardo Santana, Jr. hustled Midnight Bourbon to the front, with Luis Saez and Essential Quality on his heels into the first turn. After a first quarter in :24.18, Midnight Bourbon had a comfortable lead, which gave Santana a chance to give his colt a breather on the backstretch, running the half-mile in :48.96 and the three-quarters in 1:14.49. By the time the field of seven entered the far turn, horses were closing on Midnight Bourbon, Essential Quality catching him as they approached the last part of the race. From the top of the stretch on, it was a duel between the two front runners, the rest of the field unable to catch them.

Down the Saratoga stretch, Midnight Bourbon and Essential Quality ran head to head, neither able to gain an advantage on the other until the last sixteenth of a mile, Essential Quality gaining inch by inch as they closed in on the wire. At the finish, it was the Belmont Stakes winner by a neck over Midnight Bourbon, with Miles D third.

The final time for the 1 1/4-mile G1 Travers Stakes was 2:01.96.

Bred and owned by Godolphin, Essential Quality is a 3-year-old colt by Tapit out of the Elusive Quality mare Delightful Quality. The Brad Cox trainee and 2-year-old champion colt has five wins in six starts in 2021, his only loss coming in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, where he finished fourth, for a lifetime record of eight wins in nine starts.

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Champ Tops ‘Quality’ Travers Field

Eclipse winner Essential Quality (Tapit) headlines a strong field of seven in Saratoga's prestigious GI Runhappy Travers S. Saturday evening. Should he succeed he would be the second colt in as many as years to complete the GI Belmont S./Travers double and the first juvenile champion to take the Midsummer Derby since Street Sense won the 2007 renewal.

Opening his sophomore account with wins in the GIII Southwest S. Feb. 27 and GII Toyota Bluegrass S. Apr. 3, the Godolphin homebred was fourth as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby May 1. Skipping the GI Preakness S., the gray captured the June 5 Belmont and defeated Keepmeinmind (Laoban) by a half-length in the Spa's GII Jim Dandy S. July 31 with GIII Ohio Derby victor Masqueparade (Upstart) in third.

“I feel like he's as good as he's ever been,” trainer Brad Cox said. “If we run our race, we'll be tough. There's six other good colts in there and we still have to play our game. If we do, I think we'll be a big factor.”

The ultra-consistent Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) looks to rebound after an unlucky incident in Monmouth's GI Haskell Invitational S. last out July 17. The bay clipped heels and almost went down, losing rider Paco Lopez in the process, when Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) came over on him in the stretch. Hot Rod Charlie crossed the line first, but was disqualified for that incident and Mandaloun (Into Mischief) was promoted to first. Kicking off 2021 with a win in the GIII Lecomte S., Midnight Bourbon was third to Mandaloun in the GII Risen Star S. Feb. 13 and was second to Hot Rod Charlie in the GII Louisiana Derby next out Mar. 20. Rallying for sixth in the Run for the Roses, the $525,000 KEESEP buy was second in the Preakness prior to his Haskell incident.

“He's a big horse and time should benefit him a bunch as he gets bigger and stronger and more mature,” said David Fiske, bloodstock advisor to Winchell Thoroughbreds. “He'll have to break well but I should expect to see him on or near the lead.”

Missing by a head in the GII Wood Memorial S. Apr. 3, Dynamic One (Union Rags) could only manage 18th on the First Saturday in May. The $725,000 KEESEP purchase seems to be coming around at just the right time, rallying to a decisive score over the re-opposing Miles D (Curlin) in the restricted Curlin S. going nine panels at this oval July 30. The chestnut represents new Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, who saddled his last Travers winner 10 years ago in Stay Thirsty.

Rounding out the field is blue-blooded King Fury (Curlin), who started his sophomore season on a winning note in a sloppy renewal of Keeneland's GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. Apr. 10. A close second in the Ohio Derby, the $925,000 FTSAUG acquisition was forced to miss the Jim Dandy due to his barn's quarantine. Left with limited options, trainer Ken McPeek ran his pupil on grass in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational and he showed the turf was not for him, finishing 10th in that Aug. 7 event.

“He came out of it fine. He just got hung wide on the second turn,” McPeek said. “I really feel like he needed a run. It was going to be a couple of months between races otherwise. Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to run in the Jim Dandy, but he will be prepared for this.”

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Essential Quality Morning-Line Favorite for Travers

Essential Quality (Tapit) drew post two of seven and was installed the 4-5 morning-line favorite when post positions were drawn Wednesday morning for Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S. Last year's champion 2-year-old colt rebounded from his lone loss to date, a fourth in the GI Kentucky Derby, to win the June 5 GI Belmont S. and July 31 GII Jim Dandy S. Trainer Brad Cox said the Godolphin homebred has only improved since the Jim Dandy.

“He's sharp, mentally,” Cox said. “He's sharper this race than going into the Jim Dandy. My plan all along was to have him peak in this spot. Our goal since the Kentucky Derby was to have him at his best Travers Day and from a mental and physical standpoint, I feel he's right where we want him.

“I feel like he's as good as he's ever been,” Cox continued. “I feel like if we run our race, we'll be tough. There are six other good colts in there and we still have to play our game. If we do, I think we'll be a big factor.”

Keepmeinmind (Laoban), who came up a half-length short of Essential Quality when second in the Jim Dandy, breaks just to that colt's outside in post three and is 6-1 on the morning line. Trainer Robertino Diodoro has seen marked improvement in the colt, who is winless since taking last year's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S.

“I've emphasized this quite a bit,” Diodoro said at Wednesday's draw. “Even back in January, he's a horse that we thought would get better with time; grow into himself and be a good late 3-year-old and hopefully early 4-year-old year. He's showing signs of that. His last couple of races have been improvements and his works up here have been outstanding.”

Seventh in the GI Kentucky Derby and fourth in the GI Preakness S., Keepmeinmind was third behind Travers contender Masqueparade (Upstart) in the June 26 GIII Ohio Derby. Following that effort, Diodoro tinkered with the sophomore's training schedule.

“We just started easing off his training going into the races,” Diodoro said. “Each horse is different, and this horse is one that just puts so much into his training. On days that he's down to gallop, he goes out there and gives you 110%. He just loves his job. We eased off him going into the Jim Dandy and he was a lot sharper that day. His running was a lot sharper and he laid a lot closer.”

King Fury (Curlin), second in the Ohio Derby, moves back to the main track after a 10th-place effort in his turf debut in the Aug. 7 GI Saratoga Derby Invitational.

“In hindsight, we should have scratched [in the Saratoga Derby] because he drew the 11 [post] and he hanged wide and wider on both turns,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “I wish I could un-ring that bell, but that doesn't happen. It's a shame he didn't get to run in the Jim Dandy, but it is what it is. We think he'll perform well this weekend.”

King Fury, who drew post seven and is 15-1 on the morning line, was forced to skip the GI Kentucky Derby with a fever, but he should relish the Travers' 1 1/4-mile distance, according to McPeek.

“He's doing great,” McPeek said. “This horse is really, really a nice horse. He's been easy to be around. He's begging for a mile and a quarter. He was unlucky in the spring again because he had a fever on the day before the Derby, and we really felt like that was going to be a big day but, once again, he didn't get the opportunity. Saturday is a really big deal to make amends.”

Of King Fury's double-digit morning-line odds, McPeek added, “The odds surprised me because we ran right with Robertino's horse and Al [Stall]'s horse in the Ohio Derby [Keepmeinmind and Masqueparade]. We split those two and we really thought we could make a case that he should have won that day. He got shuffled back in the second turn and had to rally and still almost won the race. He's a good colt and he's going to make his presence felt.

“I'm not a gambler,” he continued. “The price is the price. When Golden Ticket won [the Travers], nobody paid any attention. When Sarava won [the Belmont], nobody was paying any attention. Maybe that's better. No pressure.”

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