A first Travers Stakes win for both trainer and jockey is a certainty ahead of the 2022 edition of the Grade 1 from Saratoga as no one involved in the race has tasted victory here before.
Epicenter heads the betting with Joel Rosario sitting on board Steven Asmussen’s entry, who is looking for redemption having finished second in both the Preakness Stakes and Kentucky Derby after a triumph in the Louisiana Derby back in March.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: August 25th, 8:00 P.M. (BST)
He got back to winning ways in the Jim Dandy Stakes – his first appearance at Saratoga – and is currently 2.25 with William Hill.
The surprise winner of the Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike, will be hoping for lightning to strike twice and seal another win over Epicenter. At 15.00, Sonny Leon is not expected to guide him to victory this time, especially after a disappointing finish of sixth out of eight in June’s Belmont Stakes.
Anticipated to provide more of a challenge in this contest for 3-year-olds on the dirt is Zandon for Chad C. Brown, the 4.50 second favourite.
Finishing 1 ½ lengths behind Epicenter in the Jim Dandy, Zandon only has one victory to his name from five outings, but that was the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, and he has never finished worse than third. Flavien Prat will be on board for the fourth time.
At 5.50, Cyberknife is the next best chance according to William Hill. In fantastic form, recently winning the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, there is a lot to like about Brad H. Cox’s colt, who has five wins from eight runs.
However, he has only ever run once over the 1 mile 2 furlongs that awaits him on Saturday, which did not go well; finishing eighteenth from twenty runners in the Kentucky Derby. Regular jockey Florent Geroux will want to avoid a repeat performance.
Chad C. Brown’s second entry – 8.00 shot Artorius – has only ever entered one race before, a one-miler at Belmont Park in June, which he won, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. Brown also has Preakness winner Early Voting (9.00) to complete the Triple Crown winners line-up. Like others in this contest, he failed to back that success up as his entries finished fourth and last in the Jim Dandy.
The seven horse field is made up by two outsiders, Ain’t Life Grand and Gilded Edge, at 34.00 and 41.00 respectively.
