Travers Stakes Picks, Betting, Contenders and Results

On Saturday, August 28, 2021, Essential Quality wore down Midnight Bourbon to take home the 152nd running of the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. The Travers is a traditional centerpiece of the historic Saratoga summer meet. Also known as the “Mid-Summer Derby,” the Travers is one of the oldest 3-year-old stakes races in the United States.

Whether you’re looking for 2021 Travers contenders, odds, entries, past contenders, Travers Day races, news, 2021 Travers results and payouts, past winners, picks and tips, or handicapping advice, this will be your source for information.

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2021 TRAVERS RESULTS AND PAYOUTS

Race Recap/Replay

Godolphin homebred Essential Quality once again put his mental and physical prowess on display, racing as game as a horse can be to outduel the stubborn Midnight Bourbon and take home Saturday’s $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by meet-leading rider Luis Saez, Essential Quality hit the wire first by a neck, completing the 1 1/4-mile fast dirt route in 2:01.96 and becoming the second horse in history to win the Belmont Stakes (G1), the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), and the Travers (Arts and Letters did it in 1969).

Essential Quality’s win increased his lifetime earnings to $4,215,144 after winning his eighth race in 9 career starts, with his lone defeat coming as a close fourth in the Kentucky Derby (G1). The Tapit colt made Cox just the third trainer ever (and first in 79 years) to win the Whitney Stakes (G1) and the Travers in the same year with different horses; Cox saddled Knicks Go to win the Whitney here on August 7.

See the finishing order, results, and payouts below. Also, be sure to download our 2021 Inside Track to the Travers Stakes wagering guide by clicking the banner below. These wagering guides are included at least once a month as part of our premium picks packages.

	HORSE	TRAINER	JOCKEY	WIN	PLACE	SHOW
2	Essential Quality	Brad Cox	Luis Saez	2.90	2.30	2.10
1	Midnight Bourbon	Steve Asmussen	Ricardo Santana, Jr.		4.00	3.30
5	Miles D	Chad Brown	Flavien Prat			4.90

WAGER TYPE	NUMBERS	PAYOFF	POOL
$1.00 Pick 3	6-2-2 (3 Correct)	$14.90	$304,203
$2.00 Pick 4	(TRAVERS 2 DAY P4) 2/3-4-6-2 (4 correct)	$156.50	$169,386
$0.50 Pick 5	7-2-6-2-2 (5 correct)	$73.62	$2,295,859
$1.00 Pick 6	1-7-2-6-2-2 (6 correct)	$113.00	$1,420,834
$1.00 Pick 6	1-7-2-6-2-2 (5 correct)	$4.05	$0
$1.00 Daily Double	2-2	$6.10	$376,537
$1.00 Exacta	2-1	$5.90	$2,259,530
$0.10 Superfecta	2-1-5-3	$13.22	$701,119
$0.50 Trifecta	2-1-5	$24.37	$1,384,376
$1.00 Grand Slam	2/4/6-3/5/6-2/6/7-2 (4 correct)	$3.90	$94,873

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