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Travers Stakes 2024 predictions, odds, horses, time, post positions, entries: Expert picks from racing insider
By CBS Sports Staff,
17 hours ago
USATSI
Belmont and Haskell Stakes winner Dornoch can clinch Champion Three-Year-Old Male honors when he faces seven others in the 2024 Travers Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in Upstate New York. A full brother to last year's Kentucky Derby winner, Mage, Dornoch has three wins in five starts this year. He is the only 3-year-old male with two Grade 1 victories this year (Belmont and Haskell Stakes). On Saturday, he is the 5-2 favorite in the 2024 Travers Stakes odds. Kentucky Oaks heroine Thorpedo Anna and Florida Derby winner Fierceness are the co-second choices in the 2024 Travers Stakes field at 3-1.
Few people in racing are as well-connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders' Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.
Yu also has tremendous handicapping chops. In a wide-open Kentucky Derby in 2021, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager two years ago, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won the Derby.
She enters the Travers Stakes on a roll. She correctly called National Treasure to win the Pegasus World Cup, predicted Stronghold's upset win in the Santa Anita Derby, en route to a $219.50 payday, and smashed the exacta in the Apple Blossom Handicap as part of a $410 score. On the Belmont Stakes undercard, she nailed National Treasure's win in the Met Mile ($235) and had both the winner and exacta in the Woody Stephens Stakes. Anyone who has followed her is way up.
One surprise: Yu is completely fading Fierceness, even though he's one of the favorites at 3-1. Fierceness hasn't run much since finishing 15th at the Kentucky Derby. Fierceness was the Kentucky Derby favorite before his disappointing result and the horse didn't run in either of the next two Triple Crown races. He was a healthy scratch from the Haskell Stakes on July 20 before finally running and winning the Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga on July 27. After going nearly three months between the Kentucky Derby and Jim Dandy, this will be a much quicker turnaround and training period for Fierceness.
That Kentucky Derby image of Fierceness finishing at the back of the pack is hard to erase. Even though it was only one race, it was the best field Fierceness had ever run against. He's also never won back-to-back races, an alarming trend coming off a victory, and distance hasn't been his friend. The 2024 Travers Stakes will be just the second time he's raced 1 1/4 miles with the other time coming, yes, at the Kentucky Derby. At 3-1 odds, Yu is staying away from Fierceness in 2024 Kentucky Derby bets. You can see all of Yu's 2024 Travers Stakes bets here .
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