Saturday’s DraftKings Travers Stakes at Saratoga drew a discipline of 10 achieved 3-year-olds led by Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve and Belmont Stakes Introduced by NYRA Bets winner Golden Tempo in a race that can have an effect on the divisional standings heading into the autumn season. The Travers shall be televised on FOX with a scheduled submit time of 6:35 p.m. ET.
Learn on for Travers Stakes trifecta betting methods from the crew at America’s Finest Racing, and use ABR’s helpful Playing Calculator introduced by NYRA Bets to construction your wagers.
#9 Golden Tempo (5-2) enters the Travers off back-to-back wins within the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, the latter at this monitor and distance. He’s improved his Beyer Velocity Determine in each race, ought to be effectively rested, and he’s sired by among the finest stamina influences on the planet in two-time Horse of the 12 months Curlin. Yeah, I’m shopping for. Likewise, #5 Renegade (3-1) has been an image of consistency this yr with three wins in 5 2026 begins with out working exterior the highest three. He enters the Travers off a win on this monitor within the Jim Dandy Stakes Introduced by Mohegan Solar. I’ll use them within the prime two spots and fill out the trifecta.
I’ll fill my trifecta with grinder #4 The Puma (8-1) in his second begin after a layoff, and unbeaten Indiana Derby winner #2 Main Change (12-1) within the third slot and I’ll play a small ticket with these two in second, flipping Golden Tempo and Renegade to the primary and third slots.
Mike Curry’s Travers Stakes trifecta ($32 funds):
$6 trifecta: 5,9 with 5,9 with 2,4 ($24)
$2 trifecta: 5,9 with 2,4 with 5,9 ($8)
Let’s not get too fancy on this yr’s Travers wagers as a result of the “Mid-Summer season Derby” appears to form up as a fairly easy showdown between this season’s prime 3-year-olds #5 Renegade (3-1), and #9 Golden Tempo (5-2). Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo makes his first post-Triple Crown begin since profitable the Belmont Stakes again on June 6. He received’t benefit from a prep race, which is a mark towards him, however he’s already 2-for-2 at this 1 ¼-mile distance together with a win at Saratoga within the Belmont Stakes, and he may wrap-up the 3-year-old championship with a Travers victory. Renegade is a horse that has had little bother this yr beating each different horse he’s confronted aside from Golden Tempo. Renegade completed inside a neck of Golden Tempo within the Kentucky Derby, however in contrast to that rival, he did get a prep race underneath his belt together with his win in Saratoga’s Jim Dandy Stakes, and that recency ought to be sufficient to maneuver the needle for him previous Golden Tempo on Travers Day.
Two different horses within the discipline would appear to have an outdoor likelihood within the Travers, no less than within the trifectas. Instances could possibly be made for both Preakness Stakes winner #3 Napoleon Solo (8-1) or #7 Sea Strike (5-1), the Chad Brown-trained standout winner of this month’s Curlin Stakes at Saratoga, to submit an upset. Napoleon Solo lastly faces Golden Tempo and Renegade after avoiding them up to now, and this shall be his massive likelihood to indicate if he’s on the identical stage as the opposite prime 3-year-olds. Sea Strike is a late-blooming up-and-comer that didn’t even start his profession till April, however he received the Curlin Stakes by 8 ¼ lengths in his first stretchout and Brown has had a bunch of latest successes transferring flippantly raced horses like this up into top-level stakes wins. Each horses determine to be a part of a two- or three-way hunt for the entrance, and whichever horse prevails because the tempo survivor may run on for second or third.
The trifecta wagering technique shall be to key Renegade and Golden Tempo, and use Napoleon Solo and Sea Strike within the second and third slots together with the highest picks.
Noel Michaels’ Travers Stakes trifecta ($40 funds):
$5 trifecta, 5,9 with 5,9 with 3,7 ($20)
$5 trifecta, 5,9 with 3,7, with 5,9 ($20)
This yr’s Travers, to me, doesn’t appear to be fertile floor for an upset. #9 Golden Tempo (5-2) has been immaculately managed by Cherie DeVaux this yr and ought to be locked and loaded to fireside off one other enormous efficiency on the Spa. I do know he doesn’t tower over his fellow 3-year-olds primarily based on velocity figures, however his Kentucky Derby and Belmont wins, particularly the latter, had been visually spectacular. #5 Renegade (3-1) is true there with Golden Tempo on the prime of this division and in addition seems able to roll with sufficient relaxation after his sharp win within the Jim Dandy Stakes final month on this monitor.
So, I’ll use the 2 morning-line favorites in two trifecta bins with #4 The Puma (8-1) and #10 Silent Tactic (10-1). These colts confirmed their class again within the spring and each are making their second begins off of layoffs within the Travers. I feel there’s sufficient velocity lined up to make sure a stable, albeit not blistering, tempo Saturday that can arrange this quartet for an thrilling stretch run that ought to have Golden Tempo and Renegade battling 1-2, 2-1 within the closing strides. As such, I’ll additionally guess a trifecta half wheel with that pair in first and second and The Puma and Silent Tactic in third.
Patrick Reed’s Travers Stakes trifecta ($40 funds):
$2 trifecta field: 4,5,9 ($12)
$2 trifecta field: 5,9,10 ($12)
$4 trifecta: 5,9 with 5,9 with 4,10 ($16)
The Travers is one other actually attention-grabbing puzzle to resolve and I’ll begin off the place I normally begin – with a fast evaluation of tempo. In contrast to the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, I’m undecided that among the closers on this race will profit from a quick early tempo. I feel horses like #9 Golden Tempo (5-2) and #5 Renegade (3-1) is perhaps at an obstacle. That stated, I feel they’re clearly the highest two horses on this class and can nonetheless be an element in the event that they run their finest races.
I didn’t love the race I noticed from #4 The Puma (8-1) within the Haskell Stakes. He was a lot additional again within the early phases of the race than normal, and it was his return race off a protracted break. That stated, I need to give him one other shot with jockey Javier Castellano getting again aboard, noting that Castellano was his rider for his win within the ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby and his runner-up end within the Curlin Florida Derby Introduced by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa.
The opposite contenders I see vying for the highest three spots are #3 Napoleon Solo (8-1) (who has the flexibility to get free on the entrance finish) and #7 Sea Strike (5-1) (who has unknown potential coming off a dominant win towards lesser competitors). So, right here’s how I’m enjoying it:
Dan Tordjman’s Travers Stakes trifecta ($54 funds):
$1 trifecta field: 3,4,5,7 ($24)
$1 trifecta: 4,5 with 3,4,5,7,9 with 3,4,5,7,9 ($24)
$1 trifecta: 9 with 3,5,7 with 3,5,7 ($6)
