The field is all set for Saturday’s DraftKings Travers Stakes, and it’s a good one. Eight horses have entered, with at least five of them able to make a strong case for being contenders to win.
Jim Dandy winner Fierceness has run the fastest race of any horse in the field, in his runaway victory in the Florida Derby. However, he’s been inconsistent and hasn’t yet strung together consecutive strong races in his career. Even if you’re not a believer in the ‘on and off’ pattern he’s shown so far, he’s been at his best when able to relax on the early lead. With several of his competitors here possessing plenty of early speed, he may find the pace too hot to get comfortable.
With a win in the Travers, Thorpedo Anna would be the unofficial leader for Horse of the Year. That’s not going to be an easy task, though. While she’s been brilliant against other fillies, she’s never faced a field of this caliber before. One potential complication is her inside post position. While it should allow her to save ground, it’s likely that Fierceness, Dornoch and potentially Unmatched Wisdom will vie for the early lead, possibly leaving Thorpedo Anna boxed in on the rail for much of the race.
Dornoch is the current leader of the three-year-old male division but hasn’t gotten a ton of respect from bettors in his previous races. Like Fierceness, he likes to compete for the early lead and could be hurt by a fast early pace. That said, he’s proven to be extremely difficult to pass, and has re-rallied after being passed in the Remsen, the Belmont and the Haskell.
Another source of potential early speed is unbeaten Unmatched Wisdom. He’s only raced three times, but his speed figures in his most recent race (the Curlin Stakes) were comparable to those achieved by the horses in this race other than Fierceness.
The last major win contender in the race is Sierra Leone. He’s appeared to be the best horse in many of his races (including the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes), but always seems to find trouble. That said, the potential for a fast early pace in the Travers could set things up for him to finally get the upper hand.
If you like Sierra Leone, but don’t like his odds (7-2 on the morning line), the other deep closer in the race is Honor Marie. If a speed duel develops, it could compromise the chances of most of the contenders, leaving an exacta box on these two as a plausible, high-payoff outcome.
Post Positions & Morning Line Odds
1 – Thorpedo Anna, 3-1
2 – Sierra Leone, 7-2
3 – Unmatched Wisdom, 8-1
4 – Corporate Power, 15-1
5 – Batten Down, 20-1
6 – Honor Marie, 20-1
7 – Dornoch, 5-2
8 – Fierceness, 3-1
- *Analysts’ views/strategies are their own and do not reflect the views of DraftKings. They may also deploy different plays/strategies than what they advise.
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Lines and odds subject to change.