Travers Stakes 2022: Odds, free PPs, handicapping, more

As a field of 20 3-year-olds turned for home on the first Saturday in May, Epicenter was out front and poised to achieve Kentucky Derby glory.

Morning-line favorite Zandon was going to make him earn it. He drew up on the outside of the post-time favorite Epicenter but could not fight his way by him.

And then, as those two battled to the wire, 80-1 shot Rich Strike flew up along the rail and passed them both.

Now the 1-2-3 finishers from the Derby are ready to do battle again. They will be joined by a two-time Grade 1 winner, the Preakness Stakes hero, a flashy Saratoga stakes victor and two long shots in the Mid-Summer Derby.

Epicenter (7-5) is the morning-line favorite for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes. Post time from Saratoga is 5:44 p.m. EDT, with FOX to broadcast the 1 1/4-mile event for 3-year-olds.

The Travers has been a frequent springboard toward Eclipse Award crowns, including in 2021 with sophomore champion Essential Quality. It has also featured memorable upsets, from Jim Dandy over Gallant Fox in 1930 to Keen Ice over American Pharoah in 2015.

Epicenter will hope to fit the former of those categories. He notched Grade 2 wins in the Risen Star Stakes, Louisiana Derby and last out July 30 in the Jim Dandy Stakes but lacks a Grade 1 score after running second in the Derby and the Preakness.

Steve Asmussen, North America’s all-time winningest trainer, does not have a Travers trophy in his case. Epicenter’s reigning champion jockey, Joel Rosario, also has never won the mid-summer derby.

Cyberknife (7-2) can stamp himself the clear frontrunner in this division with a Travers triumph after winning the Haskell Stakes on July 23 at Monmouth Park. The Brad Cox trainee also took the Arkansas Derby (G1) and Matt Winn Stakes (G3) this season although he finished 18th in the Kentucky Derby.

Artorius (9-2) makes his graded-stakes debut for trainer Chad Brown off a Curlin Stakes win July 29 at Saratoga. He crossed the wire 4 3/4 lengths in front that day to stamp himself a Travers prospect.

Stablemate Zandon (5-1) won the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) but is 0-for-3 this year when facing Epicenter. He finished behind that rival in the Risen Star, Kentucky Derby and most recently in the Jim Dandy, where he was runner-up.

Early Voting (8-1) is the longest shot of Brown’s three entries on the morning line. He held off Epicenter to win the Preakness but finished last of four in the Jim Dandy, weakening late after enjoying an uncontested lead.

Rich Strike (10-1) returns to the starting gates for trainer Eric Reed off a layoff dating to the Belmont Stakes on June 11. The improbable Kentucky Derby hero could not replicate that magic at Belmont Park and was never a factor when finishing sixth.

Trainer Kelly Von Hemel’s Iowa Derby winner Ain’t Life Grand (20-1) and Curlin Stakes runner-up Gilded Age (30-1) for trainer Bill Mott round out the eight-horse Travers field.

Here is a look at the field for the 2022 Travers Stakes (trainer and jockey in parentheses) with morning-line odds:

1. Cyberknife (Brad Cox, Florent Geroux), 7-2

2. Rich Strike (Eric Reed, Sonny Leon), 10-1

3. Ain’t Life Grand (Kelly Von Hemel, Tyler Gaffalione), 20-1

4. Gilded Age (Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado), 30-1

5. Artorius (Chad Brown, Irad Ortiz Jr.), 9-2

6. Epicenter (Steve Asmussen, Joel Rosario), 7-5

7. Early Voting (Chad Brown, Jose Ortiz), 8-1

8. Zandon (Chad Brown, Flavien Prat), 5-1

TimeformUS’ pace projections show Early Voting taking the early lead under jockey Jose Ortiz, with favorite Epicenter finding a spot mid-pack.

Visit Horse Racing Nation’s free past performances page for more information on the Travers Stakes.

Travers Stakes links

Matt Shifman offers Travers Stakes odds and analysis, finding one of trainer Chad Brown’s three entries to be the top choice.

“Enough with the excuses. It’s time to win one of these things,” Steve Asmussen says of Travers favorite Epicenter. “We’re proud of the horse, but you want to win. That’s what you’re in it for.”

Reinier Macatangay writes that the common knock against Epicenter remains his moderate Beyer Speed Figures, which hover around 100 to 102. He says is a unique situation where Epicenter’s stagnant speed figures are forgivable.

Macatangay also considers whether Epicenter will use his speed and make a heated early pace battle with Early Voting happen.

The connections of Travers contender Cyberknife believe he is following the path of his white-hot sire, Gun Runner, by displaying more and more talent with every start.

“It’s like a movie, isn’t it?” marvels Cyberknife owner Al Gold. “It’s really very shocking how everything fell into place.”

Against a dark and disturbing backdrop, brilliant trainer Chad Brown will take three shots at the breakthrough victory he covets in the Travers.

Horse Racing Nation's Andrew Capone hit the Saratoga backside this week to talk to Rich Strike trainer Eric Reed and Ain’t Life Grand conditioner Kelly Von Hemel.

Peggy and Ray Shattuck will take the shot of a lifetime by entering Ain't Life Grand, their homebred Iowa Derby winner, in the Travers Stakes. “I think there is a vulnerability with each and every one of those horses," Ray Shattuck said of the 3-year-old division.

Charting Horse Value, a product developed by Jeff Bessa, is a major handicapping timesaver. In this video, Bessa discusses the chart for the Travers.

This week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod, jockey Florent Géroux discusses Cyberknife’s bid to win the signature event at Saratoga.

On this week’s edition of HorseCenter, hosts Brian Zipse and Shifman offer analysis and top picks for the Travers Stakes and Personal Ensign Stakes (G1), two races from Saratoga with championship implications.

Charge It romped in the Dwyer Stakes (G3) by 23 lengths and was set to be a short price in the Travers but is missing the race due to a foot abscess.

With the Labor Day close of the 40-day Saratoga summer meet nearing, the New York Racing Association is responding to concerns about the main track expressed by three of the game’s most prominent trainers.

Saturday stakes

Here is a look at graded stakes taking place Saturday at Saratoga and elsewhere. All post times are EDT.

1:17 p.m. – $400,000 Ballston Spa Stakes (G2), 4-and-up fillies and mares, 1 1/16 miles (turf), Saratoga, FS1

Technical Analysis (1-1) won a pair of Saratoga stakes last season and was runner-up earlier this meet in the Diana Stakes (G1) on July 16. Chad Brown trains the Grade 2-winning, 4-year-old Kingman filly, who will have jockey Jose Ortiz up. Brown also trains Lemista (3-1), an Irish Group 2 winner who took Monmouth Park’s Matchmaker Stakes (G3) on July 23. A third Brown entrant, Grade 2 heroine Fluffy Socks (7-2), was runner-up in the Matchmaker.

1:55 p.m. – $600,000 Forego Stakes (G1), 4-and-up, seven furlongs, Saratoga, FS1

Jackie’s Warrior (1-2) aims for the sixth Grade 1 victory of his career for trainer Steve Asmussen, including his fourth at Saratoga. Joel Rosario rides the 4-year-old Maclean’s Music colt, whose four-race winning streak includes the local Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) on July 30. Bill Mott trains Cody’s Wish (7-2), a Grade 3 winner who took the Hanshin Stakes on Independence Day at Churchill Downs. Baby Yoda (8-1), also for Mott, beat allowance foes July 16 at Saratoga.

3:52 p.m. – $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1), 3-year-olds, seven furlongs, Saratoga, FS2

Jack Christopher (6-5) returns to one-turn action after finishing third July 23 at Monmouth Park in the Haskell Stakes (G1). Ortiz attempts to score his third Grade 1 win aboard the 3-year-old Munnings colt for Brown. Michael Tomlinson trains Conagher (7-2), who makes his graded bow off an Aug. 1 win at Colonial Downs in the Housebuster Overnight Handicap, also at seven furlongs. Accretive (9-2) makes only his third start for Brown and was runner-up July 31 at Saratoga in the Amsterdam Stakes (G2).

4:32 p.m. – $600,000 Personal Ensign Stakes (G1), 4-and-up fillies and mares, 1 1/8 miles, Saratoga, FOX

Clairiere (6-5) has risen to the top of the distaff division after winning the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) in June at Belmont and the Shuvee Stakes (G2) on July 24 at Saratoga. Asmussen trains and Rosario rides the 4-year-old Curlin filly, who runs for a third career Grade 1 score. Todd Pletcher trains Malathaat (5-2), a three-time Grade 1 victor who was second to Clairiere in the Phipps and the Shuvee. Letruska (3-1) won the 2021 Personal Ensign – one of five U.S. Grade 1 triumphs for trainer Fausto Gutierrez – but finished fifth last out in the Phipps.

5:05 p.m. – $750,000 Sword Dancer Stakes (G1), 4-and-up, 1 1/2 miles (turf), Saratoga, FOX

Broome (3-1), runner-up in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Turf, is the morning-line favorite in this “win and you’re in” qualifier toward the 2022 running of that event. Jockey Ryan Moore comes stateside to pilot the Group 1-winning, 6-year-old son of Australia for trainer Aidan O’Brien. Brown trains Adhamo (7-2), victor of the United Nations Stakes (G1) on July 23 at Monmouth. Gufo (9-2) earned his second Grade 1 win in the 2021 Sword Dancer for trainer Christophe Clement and looks to bounce back from a fifth-place effort in the United Nations.

9:02 p.m. – $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2), 3-and-up, seven furlongs, Del Mar, TVG

Speaker’s Corner (6-5) ships west for Mott and headlines this Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile “win and you’re in” qualifier. Jockey Mike Smith gets the call on the Grade 1 winner, a 4-year-old Street Sense colt who was second July 2 at Belmont in the John A. Nerud Stakes (G2). George Papaprodromou trains American Theorem (4-1), winner of Del Mar’s Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at six furlongs July 30 at Del Mar. Laurel River (5-1) is out to make the grade for trainer Bob Baffert after winning a local allowance race July 31.