Travers Stakes 2024: Kentucky Oaks winner Thorpedo Anna can shine again
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The oldest three-year-old stakes race in the country, and the most prestigious three-year-old dirt race outside the Triple Crown, happens Saturday, August 24 at Saratoga Race Course: the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes! The 1 ¼-mile dirt race will be a test of class and stamina, and the winner will be in the driver’s seat at the division approaches races like the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
The 2024 edition of the Travers drew a field of eight led by the breakout star of the three-year-old class: Belmont Stakes and Haskell Stakes (G1) winner Dornoch. He faces his toughest test yet against foes including champion Fierceness, the consistent Sierra Leone, and superstar filly Thorpedo Anna.
Will one of these proven stars win in Saratoga, or will a horse looking for their spot at the top of the division be able to wrest it? Keep reading to find out, as well as see the best places to bet the Travers Stakes online!
Betting the 2024 Travers Stakes Online
Even before you start to handicap the Travers, make sure to find out the best places to bet the Travers Stakes online. After all, not only is betting online the most convenient way to play, but choosing the right betting site can help you build your bankroll by hundreds or even thousands of dollars!
Our trusted online racebook reviews are here to help. There are many options out there, but they help you make a profitable decision quickly and easily. Every site we recommend has the basics: a smooth user interface, trusted payouts, and market-leading odds.
Each site also has racebook bonus offers like sign-up bonuses, deposit bonuses, and even rebates that pay you for every bet you make! Different sites have bonus terms that favor different kinds of bettors, so taking a few minutes to find the one best for the way you like to play is the best way to help these incentives supercharge your bankroll!
The Best Online Racebooks
These are the best places for you to create an account and bet on the 2024 Travers Stakes:
Travers Stakes Handicapping
With your betting account all set up, it’s time to handicap the 2024 Travers Stakes!
Travers Stakes 2024 Field
This is the official field for the 2024 Travers Stakes including draw numbers, trainers, and jockeys:
- Thorpedo Anna (Kenny McPeek/Brian Hernandez, Jr.) - 3/1
- Sierra Leone (Chad Brown/Flavien Prat) - 7/2
- Unmatched Wisdom (Chad Brown/Irad Ortiz, Jr.) - 8/1
- Corporate Power (Shug McGaughey/Javier Castellano) - 15/1
- Batten Down (Bill Mott/Junior Alvarado) - 20/1
- Honor Marie (Whit Beckman/Tyler Gaffalione) - 20/1
- Dornoch (Danny Gargan/Luis Saez) - 5/2
- Fierceness (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez) - 3/1
Note that the morning-line odds can be a good guide to how betting is expected to go, but the price is no guarantee of what you will make if you play at the track or an OTB. Instead, prices will change all the way until post time since on-track betting is based only on actual money bet..
Your better bet is to play the Travers Stakes at your chosen online racebook. That way, you can build bonuses, and online racebooks even offer fixed-odds-wagering on major races like the Travers. Thus, you can lock in the best price just by placing a bet!
Travers Stakes Win Candidates
Trainer Kenny McPeek knows when to run a filly against the boys, as he showed during Swiss Skydiver’s 2020 campaign. He may well have an even better filly in Thorpedo Anna. She does tend to be forward, but can win a race from a length or two off the pace as well. She can run a brilliant effort even if things aren’t perfect, as she showed last out when she had a rough start but won for fun. That allays concerns about the rail draw, and makes her a serious threat.
Dornoch proved in the Haskell that the Belmont was no fluke - he’s just a good horse who has found his best game. He has already shown he can do the dirty work up front and have enough left in the tank to win not only the battle but the war down the lane. A near-outside post should give him a nice outside stalking trip, and he shapes as a factor from start to finish.
Travers Stakes Exotics Horses
With a lively pace virtually certain, it’s an attractive race for using a good longshot closer in the exotics. Enter Honor Marie. He was a buzz horse coming into the Kentucky, but should be a longer price after being off the board in both the first and third legs of the Triple Crown. However, he had some trouble both of those times. A cleaner start, a switch to high-percentage rider Tyler Gaffalione, and blinkers to keep him just a little closer can all move him forward at long odds.
Sierra Leone is also the kind of horse who…what you see is what you get. He’s a closer, he always makes a run, he often ends up being his own worst enemy in the lane, and he always finishes somewhere in the picture. The price won’t be enough to bet that he makes it all the way to the win spot, especially since he has some growing up to do. But, he is a dependable choice for exotics.
2024 Travers Stakes Free Picks
You know the horses, and you have your betting account at the ready. There’s just one thing to do, and it’s the most fun part of all: bet the race!
These are the expert best bets for Saturday’s 2024 Travers Stakes:
- $20 to win - #1 Thorpedo Anna
- $1 exacta key - #1 Thorpedo Anna with #6 Honor Marie, #7 Dornoch
- $0.50 trifecta key - #1 Thorpedo Anna with #2 Sierra Leone, #6 Honor Marie, #7 Dornoch
Travers Stakes Post Time
Post time for the 2024 Travers Stakes is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 24 at Saratoga Race Course. The race is the 13th of 14 on Saratoga’s flagship card, featuring five Grade 1 events!
