Travers Stakes Picks 2024 | Early Contenders

Aaron previews the early contenders for the 2024 Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course & discusses who he thinks has the best chance to win.

Will the “Mid-Summer Derby” become a showdown between the top 3-year-old male Dornoch & his female counterpart Thorpedo Anna? How do Fierceness & Sierra Leone factor into the mix?

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The press release:

Repole Stable’s Kentucky homebred Fierceness returned to the winner’s circle in style Saturday when annexing the nine-furlong Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun at Saratoga Race Course.

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Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Colt stalked and pounced to the lead at the top of the stretch under Hall of Famer John Velazquez and dug in gamely in the lane as Sierra Leone charged up the inside from last early.

Fierceness drifted out to the center of the course as the Grade 1-winning Sierra Leone made a final rush, but the Champion would not be denied and crossed the wire one length ahead in a final time of 1:49.15. The effort was awarded a 103 Beyer Speed Figure, the third triple-digit number of his career.

Pletcher said he was pleased to see the colt bounce back well in his first start since finishing off-the-board as the favorite in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 4.

“I think he’s been a little harshly criticized at times when not running his very best, but I think if you look at some of the excuses he’s had, they’re legitimate,” said Pletcher. “Yesterday, he showed he can run with the best of them and has the fight in him. I was happy to see it.”

While the Jim Dandy serves at the local major prep for the 10-furlong Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on August 24, Pletcher did not immediately commit his colt to the “Mid-Summer Derby.”

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables campaign the Pletcher-trained Grade 1 Haskell and Belmont Stakes runner-up Mindframe – who may also point for the Travers – but a pragmatic Pletcher said it is not realistic to expect to always keep two of the division’s top dirt routers separate.

“Right now, we just want to give it a few days and see how he comes out of it,” Pletcher said of Fierceness’ Travers status. “So far, he looks good this morning, so we’ll play it by ear. As much as we want to always keep them separate, if it comes up where we feel it’s the right thing for each horse, then we’ll let them sort it out on the track.”

Fierceness adds to a strong resume that includes the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Santa Anita Park and a 13 1/2-length trouncing of the Grade 1 Florida Derby in March at Gulfstream Park. He now boasts a lifetime record of 7-4-0-1 with $1,978,850.

Pletcher also celebrated a win yesterday at the Spa with Siena Farm and WinStar Farm’s Speak Easy, who remained perfect through two starts when capturing Race 4, a six-furlong allowance for 3-year-olds and up.

The talented son of Constitution had not been seen since the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in March at Gulfstream where he got loose before the race and was scratched. He made his much anticipated return Saturday to make his first start since a January 27 graduation in a key race that included subsequent Grade 3-winner and Jim Dandy third Batten Down and stakes-winner Corporate Power.

Speak Easy pounced from 5 1/2 lengths off the pace under Irad Ortiz, Jr. Saturday, showing a strong turn of foot in the final eighth to sweep past his rivals and post the 2 1/4-length victory. He was awarded a 97 Beyer for the effort.

“I thought that was a very good comeback,” said Pletcher. “Six [furlongs] might be a little short for him, but he seemed to handle it very well – put himself in a good spot and finished up nicely.”

Speak Easy is out of the dual graded stakes-placed Harlan’s Holiday mare Fun, a half-sister to stakes-winner Home Run Maker.