Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course August 23

Pyro will face 11 other race horses win the $1-million Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course Saturday, August 23.

Raced at 1 1/4 miles, Saratoga’s Travers field of race horses with jockeys weight and morning line odds are as follows:

  1. Tale of Ekati ridden by jockey Edgar Prado carries 126 lbs. with morning line odds of 20-1
  2. Colonel John ridden by jockey Garrett Gomez, 126 lbs., 8-1
  3. Da’Tara ridden by jockey Alan Garcia, 126 lbs., 8-1
  4. Tizbig ridden by jockey Cornelio Velasquez, 126 lbs., 30-1
  5. Macho Again ridden by jockey Julien Leparoux, 126 lbs., 6-1
  6. Cool Coal Man ridden by jockey John Velazquez, 126 lbs., 15-1
  7. Amped ridden by jockey Jorge Chavez, 126 lbs., 30-1
  8. Harlem Rocker ridden by jockey Eibar Coa, 126 lbs., 4-1
  9. Mambo in Seattle ridden by jockey Robby Albarado, 126 lbs., 5-1
  10. Tres Borrachos ridden by jockey Tyler Baze, 126 lbs., 15-1
  11. Pyro ridden by jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, 126 lbs., 7-2
  12. Court Vision ridden by jockey Kent Desormeaux, 126 lbs., 12-1

Pyro drew the No. 11 post and was made the 7-2 morning-line favorite Wednesday, despite having finished second to Macho Again in the Jim Dandy Stakes on July 27. Pyro is trained by Steve Asmussen, who also trains 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year Curlin. Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan will be riding Pyro in Saturday’s Travers Stakes.

SBG Global Racebook

Pyro, a prominent figure last spring before faltering in the Blue Grass at Keeneland and the Kentucky Derby, rebounded with a mid-June win in the Northern Dancer Stakes at Churchill Downs and ran strongly in the Jim Dandy after having been compromised by a troubled start.

Macho Again, trained by Dallas Stewart, drew the No. 5 post and will be ridden by jockey Julien Leparoux in the Travers Stakes.

Macho Again, winner of the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs and longshot runner-up in the Preakness, returned to competition after a brief freshening with a career best effort in the Jim Dandy, a race that Stewart believes established the colt’s quality.

“He held off Pyro,” race horse trainer Dallas Stewart said, “and we know Pyro is a very good horse.”

Macho Again is the 5-1 third choice on the morning line behind both Pyro and 4-1 Harlem Rocker, winner of the Prince of Wales Stakes, second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, in his last start.

Eight of the 12 race horses entered Wednesday raced in at least one leg of the Triple Crown, a list that includes Belmont Stakes winner Da’Tara, one of three owned by Robert LaPenta and trained by Nick Zito. Jockey Alan Garcia will ride Da’Tara, whose opening odds were 8-1 after he drew the No. 3 post.

Race horse trainer Barclay Tagg, who will saddle Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes veteran Tale of Ekati, said he expects the 1 1/4-mile Travers to be won by one of the horses that competed in the spring classics. However, the late-emerging, regally bred Mambo in Seattle is attracting much attention.

Online Horse Betting

“There is life after the Triple Crown,” race horse trainer Neil Howard said. “He’s meant for this kind of thing.”

Mambo in Seattle has won three straight and Howard believes the late developing son of Kingmambo is ready to test deeper waters. “This is a very competitive race and it’s going to be a great Travers,” Howard said.

Neil Howard named jockey Robby Albarado to ride Mambo in Seattle, 6-1.

The Travers Stakes is the 11th race in Saratoga‘s August 23 horse racing program. Travers post time is 5:45 pm. Included in its undercard are: $250,000 NetJets King’s Bishop Stakes (gr. I) at 7 furlongs for 3-year-olds (10th race); $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap (gr. II) at 1 1/8 miles on turf for 3-year-olds and up (9th race); and the $100,000 Victory Ride Stakes (gr. III) at 6 furlongs for 3-year-old fillies (8th race).

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

"Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course August 23" was posted on 20 August 2008 11:05 PM under Horse Racing News, Horses, Race Tracks, Racing Picks & Betting Tips, Stakes Races

© 2012 Horses Wild: Free 2011 Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Racing Picks, Betting Tips, Post positions, Entries, Results & Payouts