NEWS
Rising stars headline Travers Stakes
Posted: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 3:54 PM
TRAPPE SHOT
Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
by Jeff Lowe
Triple Crown veterans Super Saver, Ice Box, First Dude, and Fly Down all will reassemble on Saturday, but they will have plenty of competition for the spotlight with A Little Warm and Trappe Shot leading the charge of rising stars in the $1-million Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
The field of 11 lacks the divisional leader, Lookin At Lucky, but still offers a career-shaping opportunity for the Triple Crown set, all trying to bounce back from disappointing performances, and for the up-and-comers facing an elite test for the first time.
Oddsmaker Eric Donovan installed Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) winner A Little Warm (video) as the 7-to-2 favorite on his morning line for the 1 ¼-mile Travers, which will go as race 12 at approximately 5:46 p.m. EDT on the centerpiece card of the Saratoga meeting.
A Little Warm drew post five, directly to the outside of speedy First Dude, who adds blinkers. Miner’s Reserve has the rail after setting the pace and finishing second to A Little Warm in the Jim Dandy and in a fast Delaware Park allowance race.
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Super Saver, seeking a rebound from off-the-board finishes in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1), will break from the outside post under rail-loving jockey Calvin Borel.
“The interesting thing to me is, it looks like most of the speed has drawn inside,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It looks like your main speed is 1-2-3-4-5 and the other horses who have drawn the outside can kind of fall in there somewhere.
“Sometimes, the No. 11 might be a little further out than you’d ideally like, but I think at 1 ¼ miles it’s okay. You get a decent run to the first turn, so Calvin should have the option to kind of survey everything inside him.”
Derby runner-up Ice Box, Preakness runner-up First Dude, and Belmont runner-up Fly Down join Super Saver as the only horses in the field with previous experience beyond nine furlongs.
Admiral Alex, one of three colts in the field by 2005 champion three-year-old male Afleet Alex, will make only his second career start. He debuted with a maiden special weight victory at 1 1/8 miles on July 31.
A Little Warm, by Stormin Fever, will carry 11 more pounds in the Travers than he did when he notched his first graded stakes victory in the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy. All starters are assigned 126 pounds for the Travers.
“Whenever they haven’t done something, you can only speculate on how they will do it, and that’s all that I would be doing—speculating on how he will do at a mile-and-a-quarter and with 126 pounds,” trainer Tony Dutrow said. “We’re in uncharted waters there, but our choice is to take this step with him, and we’re so looking forward to the Travers with him.”
The connections of Trappe Shot, who finished second by four lengths to Lookin At Lucky in the Haskell (video), opted for the Travers instead of the seven-furlong King’s Bishop Stakes (G1) earlier on Saturday’s card.
Trappe Shot won the 1 1/16-mile Long Branch Stakes on July 10 at Monmouth in his only other stakes appearance. He is the 4-to-1 second choice for the Haskell. Super Saver and Afleet Express both follow at 6-to-1.
“We feel like he can get the mile and a quarter, and not too often will you be second choice in the Travers,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “We’re in the two hole, so we’ll save ground.”
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
August 28, $1,000,000, 3yo, 1 1/4M, Saratoga Race Course, 5:46 PM ET
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Miner's Reserve 3, c. |
Mineshaft |
126 |
David Cohen |
Nicholas Zito |
| 2 |
Trappe Shot 3, c. |
Tapit |
126 |
Alan Garcia |
Kiaran McLaughlin |
| 3 |
Admiral Alex 3, c. |
Afleet Alex |
126 |
Kent Desormeaux |
Leon Blusiewicz |
| 4 |
First Dude 3, c. |
Stephen Got Even |
126 |
Ramon Dominguez |
Dale Romans |
| 5 |
A Little Warm 3, c. |
Stormin Fever |
126 |
John Velazquez |
Anthony Dutrow |
| 6 |
Ice Box 3, c. |
Pulpit |
126 |
Julien Leparoux |
Nicholas Zito |
| 7 |
Afleet Express 3, c. |
Afleet Alex |
126 |
Javier Castellano |
James Jerkens |
| 8 |
Fly Down 3, c. |
Mineshaft |
126 |
Jose Lezcano |
Nicholas Zito |
| 9 |
Friend Or Foe 3, c. |
Friends Lake |
126 |
Rajiv Maragh |
John Kimmel |
| 10 |
Afleet Again 3, c. |
Afleet Alex |
126 |
Cornelio Velasquez |
Robert Reid, Jr. |
| 11 |
Super Saver 3, c. |
Maria's Mon |
126 |
Calvin Borel |
Todd Pletcher |
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Mimi, San Antonio, TX on August 27, 2010 at 04:50 PM
I hope Ice Box will show in the Travers too. I agree he was very close to beating Super Saver in the Derby. And Trappe Shot definitely is great looking. Let's see if he can go 10 furlongs. I also hope First Dude would win, but he's probably going to use his energy leading like usual. I don't think Ice Box had his right mind to him in the Belmont. If he did I think he might of beat Drosselmeyer. Although any one of these colts could win; it's hard to predict. Let's hope the Travers field stays uninjured. Good luck entrants. :)
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Posted by: lordderby, san antonio, TX on August 27, 2010 at 01:23 PM
Icebox will show in the travers
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Posted by: Rusty, Sarasota, FL on August 26, 2010 at 10:35 AM
AND...Pedigree finishes the field. Afleet Alex gives us Afleet Express and Afleet Again....what a race, all tied to 2 stallions
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Posted by: Rusty, Sarasota , DE on August 26, 2010 at 10:25 AM
Pedigree seems to always rise to the top. Nine entries are descendants of Seattle Slew in this race. By post position: 1. Miner's Reserve, 2. Trappe Shot, 3. Admiral Alex, 4. First Dude, 5. A Little Warm, 6. Ice Box, 8. Fly Down, 9. Friend or Foe, 11. Super Saver.
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Posted by: Frank, New Orleans, LA on August 26, 2010 at 12:36 AM
Saratoga is a fast track. But very tightly turned. Not wide, sweeping turns like Belmont Park or Churchill Downs. For most of these colts. The Travers will only be their second or third at most, attempt at 10 furlongs. Conditioning is going to play a big part in the outcome of this race. Super Saver, IMO, didn't seem to be in anywhere near the same condition that he was in for the Kentucky Derby. Ice Box, however, has seemed fit, and made strong run's in some of his races. In the Florida Derby. He ran down a very good colt in Rule. Timed to perfection. In the Kentucky Derby. He was a stride away from nailing Super Saver in the slop at the wire. The 1-1/2 of the Belmont was apparently more than he's capable of. But I think the 1-1/4 of the Travers at Saratoga will suite Ice Box and his late run well. Much the same way it just served Blame's late run very well in the Whitney Handicap against Quality Road. I also agree that Trappe Shot could be a horse to look out for as well in the Travers. But Trappe Shot has yet to go beyond 9 furlongs. Where Ice Box has been 1-1/4 once, and 1-1/2 once. I think the Travers belongs to Ice Box, and his late closing efforts. As long as they're timed correctly. JMO.
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