How to bet the Travers Day all-stakes Pick 4

If you enjoy playing multi-race wagers, you won’t want to miss out on the all-stakes Pick 4 on Saturday, August 22 at Saratoga.

The challenging sequence culminates with the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) and figures to produce a hefty payoff for bettors who can correctly decipher the winning combination.

Let’s dig in and put together a play on a ~$50 budget.

Race 8: Ballston Spa Stakes (G3)

Saratoga’s leading trainer Chad Brown conditions three of the nine fillies and mares entered in the Ballston Spa, a 1 1/16-mile grass race Brown has won on four occasions since 2012. The best of them might be the lightly racedm French-bred 4-year-old #9 Mascha, who showed promising form in her native country last year, most notably when she finished second behind Brown’s multiple graded stakes winner (and fellow import) Homerique in the Prix de Pysche (G3).

Mascha made her debut for Brown in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Saratoga on July 31, where she produced a powerful rally to overcome traffic in the homestretch and win by a comfortable length. She wasn’t even asked for her best at the finish, so I’ll single Mascha in the Pick 4 and hope she turns out to be Brown’s latest top-class import.

Race 9: Personal Ensign Stakes (G1)

#1 Midnight Bisou and #4 Elate have combined to win 15 graded stakes races (including six grade 1 events) during their decorated careers, and on paper they tower over their four rivals in the Personal Ensign. Splitting them is the hard part, and while I might give a narrow edge to Elate (her form is improving and she boasts a great record at Saratoga), I’ll use them both equally in the Pick 4.

Race 10: Sword Dancer Stakes (G1)

There are plenty of options to consider in this 1 1/2-mile turf test. The best horse might be the delicate #7 Annals of Time, who has run just three times since he prevailed in the 2016 Hollywood Derby (G1). His most recent effort was a powerful 4 1/2-length win in a 1 3/16-mile optional-claiming allowance at Saraotga last month, and it’s possible we haven’t seen the best this Brown-trained 6-year-old has to offer.

But this is a competitive race without much pace, which could compromise Annals of Time’s late-running style. #4 Channel Cat, the gate-to-wire winner of the Bowling Green Stakes (G2) at Saratoga, could be the main beneficiary. Brown’s longshot #1 Proven Reserves, who has shown speed on dirt, could also be forwardly placed in his turf debut under jockey Manny Franco, a skilled rider of frontrunners on grass.

Even if a slow pace unfolds, it would be unwise to overlook #9 Sadler’s Joy, who won the Sword Dancer in 2017. He didn’t get a clear run in the Bowling Green, but he rallied to finish just 1 1/4 lengths behind Channel Cat in his first start of the season.

I’ll emphasize Annals of Time, Channel Cat and Sadler’s Joy in the Pick 4, but I’ll also play Proven Reserves, #6 Ya Primo and #8 Channel Maker on a smaller ticket.

Race 11: Travers Stakes (G1)

As I noted in my preview of the Travers, #7 Mucho Gusto should work out an ideal trip in this seemingly paceless edition of the Travers, but I also respect the chances of #6 Tacitus, who endured troubled trips in his last three starts.

Those are the two colts I’ll emphasize in the Pick 4, but this Travers is so wide open, I’m tempted to hit the “ALL” button on one ticket, just in case something crazy happens.

$0.50 Pick 4: 9 with 1,4 with 1,4,6,7,8,9 with 6,7 ($12) $0.50 Pick 4: 9 with 1,4 with 4,7,9 with ALL ($36)

Good luck!