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A field of 12 horses will head to the post on Saturday trying to win the 139th running of the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. The field will be the largest since 13 horses were entered in 1990. Any number of horses could win including Belmont Stakes winner Da’Tara. The $1 Million dollar Travers should provide horse betting players with a lot of good options and could be one of the best horse races this year. Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out Harlem Rocker in the Travers and the horse will be one of the favorites. Since Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown is not in the field, Harlem Rocker and Mambo in Seattle are two of the logical contenders. Also in the Travers Stakes betting mix should be Da’Tara, Louisiana Derby winner Pyro, Santa Anita Derby winner Colonel John, Wood Memorial winner Tale of Ekati, Jim Dandy winner Macho Again, and Swaps Stakes winner Tres Borrachos. That should make this Travers very competitive and a great horse betting race. ESPN will provide live coverage of the race on Saturday.
Another horse expected to be in the mix is Macho Again. He won the Jim Dandy and is trying to become the fourth straight horse to complete the Jim Dandy-Travers double. Street Sense pulled off the feat last year. "I thought we ran well the other day," trainer Dallas Stewart said. "I think we fit well. We've got a very nice horse who is very game. I don't feel like he was all-out the other day. I think he had a little bit left in the tank, I think a mile and a quarter is within his reach, and we're hoping for some good racing luck." Macho Again will not be favored though. The pace should be quick on Saturday and that could help both Mambo in Seattle and Harlem Rocker who can close. Colonel John was the second choice in the Kentucky Derby and flopped but some people still believe he has talent. Tale of Ekati finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby and is a longshot here but trainer Barclay Tagg likes his chances. "He might be 20-1 on the morning line, but I like the way he's come up to this race, and I think he's a good enough horse to win it," Tagg said.
Here is the field for Saturday’s Travers Stakes:
1 Tale of Ekati - Edgar Prado - 20-1
2 Colonel John - Garrett Gomez - 8-1
3 Da' Tara - Alan Garcia - 8-1
4 Tizbig - Cornelio Velasquez - 30-1
5 Macho Again - Julien Leparoux - 6-1
6 Cool Coal Man - John Velazquez - 15-1
7 Amped - Jorge Chavez - 30-1
8 Harlem Rocker - Eibar Coa - 4-1
9 Mambo in Seattle - Robby Albarado - 5-1
10 Tres Borrachos - Tyler Baze - 15-1
11 Pyro - Shaun Bridgmohan - 7-2
12 Court Vision - Kent Desormeaux - 12-1 |
