2024 Travers Day undercard spot plays

Before the graded stakes action dominates the latter half of Saturday's Travers Day program at Saratoga, there will be the usual mix of maidens and high-class allowances to occupy bettors' attention. Here are several horses I'll be keeping an eye on.

Race 2: Allowance, 11:53 a.m. ET

#4 Spirit Prince (9-2) was so well thought of by trainer Christophe Clement last season that, after finishing a close second to eventual multiple stakes winner Noted on debut at Saratoga, he kept running the son of Cairo Prince in stakes until he belatedly broke his maiden fifth time out in the Central Park S. at Aqueduct in late November. Along the way, he picked up black-type placings in races like the Pilgrim (G2) and With Anticipation (G3).

Spirit Prince was likely in need of his return from a lengthy spell on June 7 at Saratoga, and he turned in another competitive effort last time when upped in distance to 1 3/8 miles in the Kent S. at Delaware Park. 

Although he is starting to give vibes of a win-shy horse, with three seconds and three thirds in seven starts, he's back at a more manageable 1 1/16 miles this time, and this field is seemingly not as tough as what he's been facing since the start of his career.

Race 4: Allowance, 1 p.m. ET

#2 Arro Smash (9-2) performed too bad to be true in his first start of the meet on July 20, when he threw in the towel around the far turn and was beaten more than 22 lengths. A winner over this track and distance last year, he's capable of far better for trainer Phil Bauer, who through Thursday was winning at a 45% clip this meet.

Arro Smash has turned in two solid works since his latest, including a bullet five furlongs on Aug. 8. A more representative effort puts him in the mix.

Race 7: Maiden, 2:37 p.m. ET

#10 Sovereignty (8-1) is the third full sibling (and first colt) resulting from the mating of multiple leading sire Into Mischief and the mare Crowned, a daughter of Bernardini and the Spinster (G1)-winning Mushka.

While sister Misintention proved of no account when placing a mere three times in eight tries, the oldest of the siblings, the filly Jane Grey, was a winner out of the gate over this track in September 2020. Although she hit the sidelines for a long time afterward and ultimately failed to win again, her precocity gives hope Sovereignty might be able to follow suit for the potent connections of Godolphin, trainer Bill Mott, and jockey Junior Alvarado.