Tipsheet: 2024 Travers Stakes

A standout field of eight three-year-olds will travel 1 1/4 miles on the Saratoga dirt in the storied $1.25 million Travers S. (G1) on Saturday. 

Travers Stakes Picks

• #2 Sierra Leone
• #4 Corporate Power
• #1 Thorpedo Anna
• #6 Honor Marie

Travers Stakes Wagers

• $40 win #2 Sierra Leone
• $2 trifecta 2 with 1,4,6 with all

Travers Stakes Contenders

#1 THORPEDO ANNA (3-1) — This sensational filly from the Ken McPeek shed row has rolled home to a trio of Grade 1 wins in succession and will tussle with the boys for the initial time. This Fast Anna sophomore has run a pair of fantastic races on the surface in advance of this endeavor and rates an obvious chance under regular pilot Brian Hernandez Jr. 

#2 SIERRA LEONE (7-2) — The Grade 1 star has hit the board in the Belmont S. (G1) and Jim Dandy S. (G2) in his last pair of races and gets a top billing in the deep field. The Chad Brown pupil is consistently very good and owns the best turn of foot in the field. The Gun Runner colt will have Flavien Prat in the controls. 

#3 UNMATCHED WISDOM (8-1) — The lightly raced Curlin S. winner has produced a trio of nice showings in succession to begin his career and is not without a chance. Also from the Brown shed row, the dark bay son of Cairo Prince possesses excellent early speed and will get a true class test Saturday with Irad Ortiz Jr. inheriting the mount. 

#4 CORPORATE POWER (15-1) — This talented Curlin colt was a stubborn runner-up in the Curlin S. in his latest venture and looks to be the type who will thrive at this distance for Shug McGaughey. The Courtlandt Farms color-bearer will need a lifetime best to upset this field, but I like his chances to make the frame at the very least with Javier Castellano in the irons. 

#5 BATTEN DOWN (20-1) — The Juddmonte homebred is an ascending type who was last seen running well when third in the recent Jim Dandy S. (G2). This Bill Mott trainee was a runaway winner in his lone prior try at 1 1/4 miles, and he should be forwardly placed from the onset with Junior Alvarado in the stirrups. 

#6 HONOR MARIE (20-1) — The Grade 2 star comes off a fourth-place result in the Belmont S. (G1) in his most recent showing, and if the addition of blinkers aids the Honor Code colt, then he will be a factor inside the final furlong Saturday. The Kentucky-bred has been training at this venue since the middle of July, and I’m expecting a big performance from the colt beneath Tyler Gaffalione. 

#7 DORNOCH (5-2) — The current leader of the division has come home first in the Belmont (G1) and Haskell (G1) in his last pair of tries and is the deserving morning-line choice in the field. The Danny Gargan pupil does his best work when he’s among the leaders early on, and I envision him forcing the tempo while in the clear throughout under Luis Saez. 

#8 FIERCENESS (3-1) — This champion son of City of Light moved his mark to 2-for-2 locally when annexing the Jim Dandy (G2) last time out for conditioner Todd Pletcher. The Repole homebred is somewhat polarizing because he’s as brilliant as he is inconsistent, but there is no doubting his prowess when he runs his top race. John Velazquez will be in the silks and sending the multiple Grade 1 victor from the opening bell.