Dick Powell’s Top Picks for the 2019 Travers Stakes at Saratoga

The $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) will be run for the 150th time on Saturday at historic Saratoga Race Course. Amazingly, it will be run going 1 1/4 miles on the main track under sunny skies since the volatile weather that has been pelting the area will be gone in time for the highlight of the Saratoga meet. OWENDALE (#1) (6-1) is a one-dimensional closer who won the Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland then came back with a good third in the Preakness Stakes (G1). His connections decided to skip some of the top races for three-year-olds so he showed up last out in the Ohio Derby (G3) which he won going away. He is going to have to improve some to run with the big boys but I like how trainer Brad Cox has spaced his races. CODE OF HONOR (#2) (4-1) looked like he was going to be a turf horse since he is sired by a full-brother to Frankel but did enough to stay on the dirt against top company. He was third in the Florida Derby (G1) behind a runaway winner then came back and ran great in the Kentucky Derby (G1) over a sea of slop when he weakened in the final furlong after looming boldly at the top of the stretch. Shug McGaughey brought him back in the Dwyer Stakes (G1) going a one-turn mile at Belmont Park which he won easily and has trained extremely well up here for this. HIGHEST HONORS (#3) (10-1) has done little wrong in three career starts and went from a maiden win to a win here in the Curlin Stakes over a muddy track. Locally-raised trainer Chad Brown has been yearning for a win in this race and considering he is winning every other stakes race up here, why not? Son of Tapit is a half-brother to two other stakes winners and he should get a midpack trip with Luis Saez. LAUGHING FOX (#4) (30-1) won an ungraded stakes race at Oaklawn Park then made up some ground from post 11 in the Preakness Stakes (G1). Last out here, he was an even fourth in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) to prep for this and he is certainly bred for the distance being sired by Union Rags. EVERFAST (#5) (30-1) is always suspicious in these big races since his owner likes to enter no matter the competition. He did upset a lot of tickets when he ran second in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at long odds but he did little in the his next two starts. He will drop far back and try to pass tired horses and will need a pace meltdown to get a piece. TACITUS (#6) (5-2) has been the hard-luck horse of this crop but he seems to create his own problems. He overcame a brutal trip to win the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct but was too far back in the Kentucky Derby (G1) to be any real threat. In the Belmont Stakes (G1), he was far back early and closed relentlessly but could not overcome the ground loss. Last out in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), he broke poorly and rallied hard to get second. Bill Mott adds blinkers for the first time and he gets leading rider Jose Ortiz back aboard. MUCHO GUSTO (#7) (6-1) was a last-minute addition to the field when Bob Baffert put him on a plane on Tuesday. He used to be pretty headstrong but has learned his lessons well and relaxes early now. He could not run down Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Maximum Security in the Haskell Invitational (G1) last out and has trained well since then at Del Mar. The gate speed is always there if Joe Talamo wants to use it. CHESS CHIEF (#8) (30-1) is still eligible for first-level allowance foes. He merits some attention due to Dallas Stewart’s record in big races with longshots but I can’t see this one under any circumstances. LOOKING AT BIKINIS (#9) (10-1) won his first two career starts as the odds-on favorite for Chad Brown then held on for third in the Curlin Stakes over a tiring, muddy track. He gets Javier Castellano back aboard and could pull off the upset as the “other Chad.” SCARS ARE COOL (#10) (30-1) broke his maiden here in his third career start going nine furlongs in decent time. His mid-pack running style is not going to be helped by post 10 and if he drops back, he will be farther back than he has ever been. ENDORSED (#11) (15-1) broke his maiden here last year going six furlongs in his career debut in faster time than Code of Honor broke his maiden in his career debut two starts later. He ran poorly in the Champagne Stakes (G1) next out and was off until June when he returned with a win going six furlongs against allowance foes. Last out, he was a good second in the Curlin Stakes here going two turns for the first time and the son of Medaglia d’Oro has a lot of things to like except for the wide draw. TAX (#12) (6-1) had a much better chance of taking these down the road until Baffert decided to add Mucho Gusto at the last minute. Still, he has a good run to the first turn and even from post 12, he should be first or second in the run down the backstretch. Danny Gargan worked him a best-of-64 half-mile breeze eight days ago and shows up here fast and dangerous. TOP PICKS Code of Honor (#2) Mucho Gusto (#7) Highest Honors (#3) Owendale (#1) Tax (#12) $40 Win #2 $10 Exacta Key Box #2 with #1, #3, #7 PHOTO: Code of Honor winning the Fountain of Youth (c) Adam Coglianese Photography