Travers Stakes 2024: Odds and analysis for mid-summer derby

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers drew a field of eight that features a matchup between Thorpedo Anna and Dornoch, who currently are the leaders of the 3-year-old filly and colt divisions.

All of the 3-year-olds in the Travers are stakes winners and four of them are Grade 1 winners, with a total of eight victories at that level. They have combined career earnings of more than $8 million.

Here is a full-field analysis for the Travers with the official track morning line, sires, trainers, jockeys, records and purse earnings. The mid-summer derby is scheduled as race 13 of 14 with post time set for 5:43 p.m. EDT.

1. Thorpedo Anna, 3-1. Fast Anna – Kenny McPeek / Brian Hernandez Jr. – 7: 6-1-0, $1,980,663. Thorpedo Anna comes to the Travers as the undisputed leader of the 3-year-old fillies division based on her four impressive victories this year. She began the year winning the Fantasy (G2) at Oaklawn as a prep to her victory in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). She added two Saratoga victories in the Acorn (G1) in June and the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) last month. She won each of those races by more than four lengths. Thorpedo Anna is ranked first in this week’s National Thoroughbred Racing Association top Thoroughbreds poll. Trainer Kenny McPeek won the Travers in 2012 with Golden Ticket. Win contender.

2. Sierra Leone, 7-2. Gun Runner – Chad Brown / Flavien Prat – 7: 3-3-1, $2,218,000. Sierra Leone added another top three-finish with closing moves that had him looking like a possible winner in mid-stretch. In the Jim Dandy (G2), he was second behind Fierceness, which was the third time he came up short since he became a Grade 1 winner in the Blue Grass Stakes in April. The Travers will be Sierra Leone’s sixth start of year, and he has shown that he is a durable colt who can handle regular racing at long distances. Once again, he faces an outstanding field. Use underneath.

3. Unmatched Wisdom, 8-1. Gun Runner – Brown / Irad Ortiz Jr. – 3: 3-0-0, $178,750. Unmatched Wisdom began his career in May for Chad Brown and is undefeated in three starts by combined margins of 13 lengths. His maiden breaker was at Aqueduct going a mile. He moved up to two turns in an allowance at the Big A and then won the restricted Curlin Stakes at Saratoga last month. The Travers will be his first start in a graded-stakes race. Irad Ortiz Jr. gets on board after regular rider Flavien Prat opted to stay on Sierra Leone. His preferred running style is to be on or near the lead. Toss.

4. Corporate Power, 15-1. Tapit – Shug McGaughey / Javier Castellano – 5: 2-2-0, $148,200. Corporate Power comes to the Travers as part of a team that really knows how to win this race. Jockey Javier Castellano holds the record with seven previous victories from 2006 to 2023 including the upset of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in 2015. Trainer Shug McGaughey won the Travers four times, beginning with Easy Goer in 1989 and most recently in 2019 with Code of Honor. Corporate Power has two starts in restricted stakes, winning the Sir Barton and then finishing second behind Unmatched Wisdom in the Curlin. He also will try graded-stakes company for the first time. Live long shot.

5. Batten Down, 20-1. Tapit – Bill Mott / Junior Alvarado– 6: 2-1-2, $454,850. Batten Down needed five starts to break his maiden, which he did in April at Churchill Downs. He moved on to win the Ohio Derby (G3) while again racing on the lead. In the Jim Dandy he could not get to the front and ran third all the way around the track. It seems unlikely that he will be able to get to the lead in this Grade 1 field. His Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is seeking his first Travers victory. Toss.

6. Honor Marie, 20-1. Honor Code – Whit Beckman / Tyler Gaffalione – 7: 2-2-0, $626,175. Honor Marie was the winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) to complete his 2-year-old campaign as one of the most promising horses in that division. This year he made four starts in graded stakes to qualify for the Kentucky Derby, where he finished eighth. Honor Marie last was seen running fourth in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga. Blinkers go on with the hopes that he will not get as far behind in the early going. Toss.

7. Dornoch, 5-2. Good Magic – Danny Gargan / Luis Sáez– 9: 5-2-0, $2,352,275. Dornoch won his last two starts in the Belmont Stakes and Haskell Stakes (G1) with courage and determination down the stretch, turning back serious challenges. The Belmont Stakes was run at Saratoga at the classic distance of the Travers. Dornoch prefers to race as part of the early pace and then display considerable stamina. Dornoch is ranked third in this week’s NTRA top Thoroughbred poll. Jockey Luis Sáez won the Travers in 2021 with Essential Quality and with Will Take Charge in 2013. Top choice.

8. Fierceness, 3-1. City of Light – Todd Pletcher / John Velazquez – 7: 4-0-1, $1,978,850. Fierceness re-established himself as one of the top 3-year-olds in the country with his victory in the Jim Dandy over Sierra Leone and Batten Down. He is another horse who prefers to do his running near the front in the early going. His four victories include a pair of Grade 1s in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Florida Derby. Both jockey John Velazquez and trainer Todd Pletcher have a pair of previous Travers wins. Fierceness is ranked ninth in this week’s NTRA Top Thoroughbred poll.  Win contender.

Summary: You do not need to look past the four horses with Grade 1 victories in the Travers to pick a winner.

Most of the attention will center on the match-up of Thorpedo Anna and Dornoch and rightfully so. The filly overwhelmed the fields in her last four starts and will try the classic distance for the first time. Dornoch displayed a special kind of determination in his last two starts.

The Jim Dandy victory showed a more mature Fierceness who reminded racing fans that he can compete against the best. Sierra Leone will have to find a way to get back to the winner’s circle.

Racing fans overlooked Dornoch in the Belmont Stakes and then a bit more in the Haskell. I was certainly one of them, but after those impressive wins I will not do it again. Dornoch is the top choice in the Travers.