Three Live Longshots for Saturday’s Travers Stakes Card at Saratoga

Gambling
Travers Stakes, Saratoga Race Course, Breeders' Cup Classic, horse racing, America's Best Racing, ABR
A fan at Saratoga Race Course cheers home a runner earlier this summer. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Saturday is DraftKings Travers Stakes day at Saratoga Race Course, and the 14-race smorgasbord provides plenty of attractive wagering opportunities. In addition to six graded stakes, eight other races on the program largely have full fields, which means lots of room for a price that could make your day.

We’re here with three possible candidates, all at 6-1 or higher on the morning line. There’s quite a bit to dissect, so let’s dive in …

weekend Television schedule

Friday, Aug. 28: 1-6:30 p.m. on FS2; post time varies on FanDuel TV

Saturday, Aug. 29: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. on FS2; 1:30-3 p.m. on FS1; 4-6 p.m. on NBCSN; 5-7 p.m. on FOX; post time varies on FanDuel TV

Sunday, Aug. 30: 1-6 p.m. on FS1; 6-6:30 p.m. on FS2; post time varies on FanDuel TV

Race 4, Allowance-Optional Claiming Race, 1 1/16 miles, turf, 12:56 p.m. ET

#1 Noble Dynasty (8-1 morning-line odds): Simply put, I think #5 King’s Remark is a very vulnerable favorite in this first-level allowance-optional claimer. He’s found trouble in all three of his prior outings, and while none of those efforts could be considered poor, they also don’t tower over those of his competition here. Furthermore, trainer Miguel Clement also saddles #8 Alto Blues, which raises some questions.

Noble Dynasty, meanwhile, exits a race against older foes going 1 1/2 miles. He comes back to the distance he wants and he gets a drop in class, being able to run against his fellow 3-year-olds (many of whom are far less experienced than the older company he kept in July).

There are some question marks here. While Noble Dynasty has run in several stakes races, he hasn’t won in nearly a year. He also may be a bit pace-dependent, which isn’t ideal. However, there does seem to be some early speed signed on to his outside. That means he could be moving the right way when the real running starts, and at his expected price, I’m happy to take a swing.

Race 6, Maiden Special Weight Race, 6 furlongs, dirt, 2:09 p.m. ET

#6 Saytara (10-1 ML): This is a 2-year-old maiden race, and lots of eyes will be on #3 Foxiest, a daughter of Gun Runner produced by the brilliant sprinter Covfefe. Having said that, I’m usually against heavily bet daughters of champion racemares. Perhaps they’ll be OK, but when they take lots of money despite not having proven anything on the track yet, I think that’s a mistake. Yes, she could win, but she’s no cinch.

In this case, I much prefer another regally bred runner that’s five times the price on the morning line. Saytara debuts for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who has enlisted longtime first-call rider John Velazquez. She’s by Constitution, and this Shadwell homebred has a graded stakes-winning dam, plus stakes-placed second and third dams.

Her workouts look sharp and consistent, and from the standpoint of handicapping first-time starters, there’s quite a bit I like. This is far from an easy spot for her to debut in, but I think she has potential, and if this price holds up, it hits me as a significant overlay.

Race 13, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers Stakes, 1 ¼ miles, dirt, 6:35 p.m. ET

The Puma, Travers Stakes, Saratoga Race Course, Breeders' Cup Classic, horse racing, America's Best Racing, ABR
Tampa Bay Derby winner The Puma (Eclipse Sportswire)

#4 The Puma (8-1 ML): Finally, we’ll focus on the main event. This year’s “Mid-Summer Derby” is headlined by #9 Golden Tempo and #5 Renegade, but I think there’s one more in with a pretty big shot.

The Puma was an early favorite in Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve wagering before being scratched from that race due to a minor injury. He returned in the Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes, and while he didn’t run all that well that day, there are multiple reasons to throw that race out. It was in the slop, it was his first try in nearly four months, and he was up against it after a slow start.

The Puma’s running style (less “explosive closer,” more “grinder”) means that he won’t be as far back early on as some of the other major contenders, and that he doesn’t necessarily need a particular race shape to run well. He’s bred to love this 1 ¼-mile distance and, given the star-studded field, I think we’ll get close to that 8-1 price come post time.

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