A Filly Chases History in the Travers Stakes

The Mid-Summmer Derby at Saratoga Springs is where dreams go to die. Will the Travers Stakes once again serve as the graveyard of champions, or propel a filly past the competition and into the history books? The sport of horse racing has set the stage for the top competition of 2024.

Thorpedo Anna is the most dominant three-year-old filly since Rachel Alexandra. She’s won all four of her starts in 2024 by a combined 18 3/4 lengths, including a runaway win in the Kentucky Oaks. Ahead of the race at Churchill Downs, Kenny McPeek proclaimed this filly is better than Swiss Skydiver, who beat the boys in the 2020 Preakness Stakes.

The frontrunner has done everything asked of her, except take down the colts. Well, there’s one other important thing: she’s never run the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles. McPeek believes she can go the distance in Saturday’s Travers Stakes.

“I do not think the distance will be a problem for her whatsoever,” McPeek tells Bloodhorse. “She’s a strong galloper. She covers a lot of ground in those gallops. She can stretch out.”

Despite winning consecutive races on the course at Saratoga, history is not on Thorpedo Anna’s side. The last filly to win the Travers Stakes was Lady Rotha in 1915. Thorpedo Anna is just the fifth filly to run in the race since.

Thorpedo Anna will break from the rail at post position one as the second choice behind Dornoch, who’s out to prove he’s the best in his class off of consecutive wins in the Haskell and the Belmont, which was ran on the same course as tomorrow’s race. Kentucky Derby morning line favorite Fierceness is also 3-1 off of a win in the Jim Dandy, the primary prep for the Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

Post time is at approximately 6:10 pm EST. Coverage of the $1.25 million Travers Stakes runs from 3-6:30 pm EST on Fox.

Odds, Post Positions, Pick for the Travers Stakes

1. Thorpedo Anna, 3-1, Kenny McPeek, Brian Hernandez Jr.

2. Sierra Leone, 7-2, Chad Brown, Flavien Prat

3. Unmatched Wisdom, 8-1, Chad Brown, Irad Ortiz Jr.

4. Corporate Power, 15-1, Shug McGaughey, Javier Castellano

5. Batten Down, 20-1, Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado

6. Honor Marie, 20-1, White Beckman, Tyler Gafflione

7. Dornoch, 5-2, Danny Gargan, Luis Saez

8. Fierceness, 3-1, Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez

Fierceness is good every other race. He ran well last time out, so he’s due to bounce with a wide draw. Sierra Leone is a fun horse to watch close form the back, but needs a perfect trip and can never get them. Still, you can’t throw it out if you’re better exotics because he always hits the board. Unmatched Wisdom is an intriguing play at a price. Undefeated on the NYRA circuit, the move up in competition might be asking too much, but certainly worth considering.

As much as I’d love for Thorpedo Anna to make history, I’ve doubted Dornoch for too long. Racing just off the pace, it never looks like they have to ask for much as he glides by the competition. Tomorrow the distance will be too much for the filly as Dornoch proves he’s the best in his class at the Travers Stakes.