The Travers

 The best horse race in America this year (IMHO anyway) will be run on Saturday at Saratoga.  Almost all of the top three-year-olds will be in this race, nine of the twelve, graded stakes winners.  The race is nicknamed the "Mid-Summer Derby" and you may remember American Pharoah's stunning defeat in this race in 2015. Last year, the real Arrogate showed up and stole the show toppling the track record by a few seconds and winning by 15+ lengths.  The Travers is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds according to international classifications, only behind the Derby and the Belmont.  The 148th running of the race is Saturday.  This year's race is 1 1/4 miles.

Some of the greatest horses in American racing history have won the Travers, including Easy Goer, Point Given, Holy Bull, Alydar, Buckpasser, Native Dancer, Whirlaway, Arrogate and Man o' War. 

In 1941, Whirlaway became the only horse ever to win the both the Triple Crown and the Travers Stakes, sometimes referred to as a "superfecta".

I don't know who is going to win this race on Saturday but I'd put these three: Girvin, Tapwrit and Good Samaritan as my top picks.  I will throw in West Coast Flatter as the upset horse - Bob Baffert trained, Mike Smith in the irons, shipping in from California - they must have faith in this horse.  This will be one good horse race for sure. Tune in!

2017 Travers Stakes Draw

TRAVERS S. PRESENTED BY NYRA BETS (G1)
Saratoga, Saturday, August 26
10f (dirt), $1,250,000, 3yo, 5:44 PM (local)
P # PP Horse Sire Age/Sex Jockey Weight M/L Owner
1 Cloud Computing Maclean's Music 3/c Javier Castellano 126 8/1 Klaravich Stables, Inc. and Lawrence, William H.
2 Giuseppe the Great Lookin At Lucky 3/c Tyler Gaffalione 126 20/1 Mossarosa
3 West Coast Flatter 3/c Mike E. Smith 126 4/1 Gary and Mary West
4 Tapwrit Tapit 3/c Jose L. Ortiz 126 7/2 Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, LaPenta, Bridlewood
Farm et al.
5 Good Samaritan Harlan's Holiday 3/c Joel Rosario 126 5/1 WinStar Farm LLC, Head of Plains Partners LLC,
China Horse Club, SF Racing Group
6 Girvin Tale of Ekati 3/c Robby Albarado 126 10/1 Grady, Brad
7 Always Dreaming Bodemeister 3/c John R. Velazquez 126 6/1 MeB Racing, Brooklyn Boyz, Teresa Viola, St Elias,
Siena Farm and West Point
8 Lookin At Lee Lookin At Lucky 3/c Ricardo Santana, Jr. 126 30/1 L and N Racing LLC
9 McCraken Ghostzapper 3/c Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 126 12/1 Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC
10 Irap Tiznow 3/c Mario Gutierrez 126 8/1 Reddam Racing LLC
11 Gunnevera Dialed In 3/c Edgard J. Zayas 126 20/1 Margoth
12 Fayeq Malibu Moon 3/c Luis Saez 126 30/1 Shadwell Stable