- Travers Stakes
Horseraces infobox
class = Grade 1
horse race = Travers Stakes
caption = Travers Stakes logo
location =Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Springs, N.Y., USA
inaugurated = 1864
race type = Thoroughbred
website = [http://www.nyra.com/index_saratoga.html Saratoga Race Course]
distance = 1¼ miles
track = Dirt, Left-handed
qualification = 3-year-old American-bred
weight = Colt/Gelding : 126 lb (57.2 kg)Filly : 121 lb (54.9 kg)
purse = US$1 million
bonuses = The Travers Stakes is an American Grade IThoroughbred horse race held atSaratoga Race Course inSaratoga Springs, New York . First held in 1864, it was named forWilliam R. Travers , the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers. The race was not run in 1896, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1911, and 1912.The field for the Travers is limited to three-year-olds, Colts and
gelding s carrying 126 pounds (57 kg) and fillies carrying 123 pounds (56 kg) and since 1999 the purse has been $1,000,000. The race is the highlight of the summer race meeting at Saratoga, just as theBelmont Stakes is the highlight of the spring meeting atBelmont Park .The Travers has been run at four different distances:
*1 3/4 miles (2.81 km): 1864 to 1889
*1 1/2 miles (2.41 km): 1890 to 1892
*1 1/4 miles (2.01 km): 1893, 1894, 1897 and 1904 to present
*1 1/8 miles (1.81 km): 1895 and 1901 to 1903Notable moments
In 1962, arguably the greatest Travers in history took place. Jaipur won by a nose-bob in track record time over the arguably more talented Ridan after a long, head-to-head battle over the entire mile and a quarter. Still written and talked about today, the race is listed in the 2006 book Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments written by the staff of
Blood-Horse Publications . The race result determined which colt would be named the 1962 U.S. Champion 3-Year-Old Horse.In 1982,
Runaway Groom , the Champion Canadian Three year old, trained byJohn DiMario , arrived at the Saratoga backstretch after a grueling season competing in the Canadian Triple Crown, winning thePrince of Wales Stakes , theBreeders' Stakes , and finishing second in theQueen's Plate . At the Travers that year, Runaway Groom became the only horse in racing history to beat theKentucky Derby winnerGato Del Sol , thePreakness Stakes winnerAloma's Ruler , and theBelmont Stakes winnerConquistador Cielo in the same race.The 1997 Travers was another of the memorable races in its history, as it saw U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockeys
Jerry Bailey andChris McCarron (aboard Behrens and Deputy Commander respectively) in a home-stretch duel wherein Deputy Commander prevailed. Adding to the drama was a thunderstorm which produced hail 24 hours before the race, and the uncertainty around whether or not McCarron would be present after the recent death of his mother. [cite book |title=Saratoga Tales |last=Heller |first=Bill |year=2004 |publisher=Whitston |location=Albany, N.Y. |isbn=0-87875-551-9 |pages=4-5 ]On the day that
Point Given won the Travers (August 25 ,2001 ), it was a record Travers Stakes day attendance of 60,486. The race, dubbed the "Midsummer Derby," achieved a total betting handle of $34,529,273. This was also a Saratoga record.1921 Travers Stakes
The 1921
Travers Stakes is known, unfortunately, for abetting scandal. In those days,bookmaking rather thanparimutuel wagering was the primary method of taking bets on horse races.The original field was fairly light with the favorite, the filly
Prudery , owned byHarry Payne Whitney , facing no serious competition. ThenArnold Rothstein entered his colt,Sporting Blood , ostensibly to pick up second place. A few days before the race, however, Rothstein had learned thatPrudery was off her feed. He knew he might have a real chance to win.Initially, the odds on the filly were 1-4 while Rothstein's colt was at 5-2. On the day of the race, however, a leading three-year old,
Grey Lag , was entered by trainerSam Hildreth . Grey Lag immediately becomes the favorite, withPrudery the second choice, driving the odds onSporting Blood up to 3-1. Rothstein bet $150,000 on his horse.Just before
post time ,Grey Lag was scratched with no explanation. During the race,Sporting Blood overtook the ailingPrudery gaining his owner nearly a half million dollars, including wagers and thepurse .Although many smelled foul play, it was never proven that Hildreth received any payoff or that there was a conspiracy between him and Rothstein.
Travers Trophy
The trophy, known as the Man o' War Cup, was designed by
Tiffany and Co. Its namesake, the greatMan o' War , won this race in 1920. The wife of ownerSamuel Riddle donated the trophy as the permanent award for winning the race. A gold-plated replica is presented to the winner each year by a member of the Riddle family.cite web|url=http://www.nyra.com/saratoga/travers2005/trophy.asp |title=The Travers Trophy |accessdate=2006-08-07 |format=HTML |publisher=New York Racing Association]Travers Canoe
Since 1961, the colors of the Travers winner have been painted onto a canoe which sits on a pond in the infield. The canoe itself has been a fixture at the track since 1926.cite web|url=http://www.nyra.com/saratoga/travers2005/canoe.asp |title=The Travers Canoe |accessdate=2006-08-07 |format=HTML |publisher=New York Racing Association]
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