Saratoga Racecourse hosts the Grade 1 $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes which is run over one mile and two furlongs this Saturday and welcomes eleven runners which include one filly set to partake among the rest of the field of colts.
Last year’s winner of the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Good Magic is the favourite. The son of 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin, is trained by Chad Brown and is set to be ridden by Jose L. Ortiz. The three-year-old won the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational Stakes on his last outing at Monmouth Park last July by an impress three-length victory.
Connections will be confident that the one mile and the two-furlong trip will suit the colt and after his latest strong performance, he holds leading claims. Prior to his win in the Haskell, Good Magic has won the Blue Grass Stakes, finished second in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness Stakes. This form behind Triple Crown winner Justify looks very strong,
Mark Casse’s stable star Wonder Gadot is another strong contender and is set to be steered by Irad Ortiz Jr. The Gary Barber-owned runner is the only filly in the race and with her current consistent form she will be a danger to all in the race. The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro defeated male rivals in two of Canada’s most prestigious three-year-old races in the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
Wonder Gadot is the first filly to run in the Travers since 1979. La Rotha was the last filly to win the Travers back in 1915. Can Wonder Gadot break the 103-year colt-winning streak? It may just be possible with this strong game filly.
Son of More Than Ready, Catholic Boy will be one to watch as the colt has returned to the winners’ circle on his last two outings. He won impressively at Belmont in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes and previous to this winning the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge Stakes at the Belmont track last June. The Jonathan Thomas-trained
Chad Brown has a double hand on the card and another big player set to run for the trainer is Gronkowski. The son of Lonhro, has some strong form this season with figures of 2111 to his name and although the three-year-old changed trainer from Jeremy Noseda to Brown only last June, connections are hopeful Gronkowski can continue his impressive form to leave his mark on the results of the Travers contest.
Others to watch include Steven Asmussen-trained Tenfold who is set to be ridden by Richardo Santana Jr and Vino Rosso who is trained by Todd Pletcher ridden by John R. Velazquez.
Selection: Wonder Gadot
