Travers Stakes 2024 News (8-17-24)

By Jarrod Horak

The Grade 1 Travers Stakes field will be drawn on Sunday, August 18, and the race will be run at a mile and a quarter at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, August 24.

Travers Hopefuls (as of 8-18-24): 8 horse field likely

Travers Hopefuls Running Styles

Early-pressing: Batten Down, Dornoch, Fierceness, Thorpedo Anna, Unmatched Wisdom

Stalk: Corporate Power

Close: Honor Marie, Sierra Leone

Latest Travers Workouts

Batten Down (3rd Jim Dandy) – 5f in 1:01.85 (4/15) on Aug. 17. Final 3f in 36.27 in company with Charles Town Classic entrant Bendoog.  

Corporate Power (2nd Curlin Stakes) – Shug McGaughey has really turning the screws and has been working him hard since the Curlin. He breezed 3f on Aug. 8 and 4f on Aug. 11, and drilled a 4f bullet in 47.44 (1/45) on Aug. 16. 

Dornoch (1st Belmont & Haskell) – Breezed 4f in 47.65 (14/161) on Aug. 17 (in company with stakes winner Ringy Dingy). Point Given in 2001 was the last horse to pull off the Haskell-Travers double and is the only horse to win the Belmont, Haskell, and Travers. 

Fierceness (1st Jim Dandy) – Breezed 4f in 48.22 (32/161) on Aug. 17. Out 5f in 1:00.73 and 6f in 1:14.13. In company with G1 winner Bright Future.  

Honor Marie (4th Belmont Stakes) – 4f in 50.50 (54/70) on Aug. 17 under Tyler Gaffalione. Wore blinkers in this team workout with allowance winner Stowaway and will wear blinkers for the first time in a race in the Travers.  

Sierra Leone (2nd Jim Dandy) – Had his big Travers workout on Aug. 11 (triple gallop out). Maintenance 4f move in 49.20 (13/70) on Aug. 17. Final 1/4 in 23.31, and another triple gallop out (5f in 1:01.86, 6f in 1:14.64, and 7f in 1:27.96). 

Thorpedo Anna: She is 4-for-4 this year (G2 Fantasy, G1 Ky Oaks, G1 Acorn, G1 CCAO). She breezed 5f in 59.81 (2/26) on Aug. 17 (final 1/4 in 24.40, out 6f in 1:13.81). She always works fast for Ken McPeek. 

Unmatched Wisdom (1st Curlin Stakes) – 5f in 1:00.41 (3/6) on Aug. 16.