Inside the 2025 Travers Day: Dark Horses and Hidden Gems Poised to Shock Saratoga Race Course!

Travers Day at Saratoga Race Course isn’t just another summer outing—it’s the pinnacle, the moment when the best-of-the-best horses strut their stuff, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. With my $200 riding on five graded stakes races, this isn’t just a casual wager—it’s a calculated plunge into a sea of speed, strategy, and just a little bit of Saratoga magic. Ever wonder if backing a champ like Thorpedo Anna or taking a flyer on the underdog might be your ticket to glory? Or how the unbeatable Sovereignty might just rewrite the rules in a place known as the “Graveyard of Champions”? Strap in, because from seasoned fillies to three-year-old phenoms, I’m breaking down my top picks for an electric Saturday at The Spa you won’t want to miss. Ready to dive into the heart-pounding chaos of America’s racing jewel?

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Travers Day at the Saratoga Race Course is the highlight of the summer, and I’m backing it with $200 in wagers across five graded stakes races. From Thorpedo Anna in the Personal Ensign to Book’em Danno in the Forego and the sport’s best three-year-old in the Travers, here’s a full breakdown of my best bets Saturday at The Spa.

Seven horses on a mile-and-one-eighth-long dirt track for four-year-old fillies and mares and upward with a $500,000 purse. 

#7 Thorpedo Anna (6-5). God willing, she closes at 6-5. Thorpedo Anna was an all-time three-year-old filly last year and has won three of her four starts in 2025. She ran against the boys in the 2024 Travers, finishing second by a head, while running her fastest career speed. Thorpedo Anna is a perfect 5-0 at this distance, with two wins at Saratoga, and is by far the fastest horse in this field. 

I’m putting #2 Dazzling Move (12-1) underneath Thorpedo Anna in my Exacta. She has improved in her four-year-old season since she started running for trainer Safie Joseph. Dazzling Move has three straight second-place finishes at this distance, two of them in Saratoga, and won the Grade 3 Royal Delta at the start of her four-year-old season. 

Eight horses on a seven-furlong dirt track for three-year-olds with a $500,000 purse. 

The fact that Bob Baffert sent #2 Midland Money (8-1) from California to run in an Allowance race at Saratoga earlier this month, with the plan of running him in the Allen Jerkens, shows how much confidence the Hall of Fame trainer has in this horse. 

Midland Money has won both of his career races, and his last was the third-fastest for anyone in this field. I’m betting that this horse’s connections know what they are doing, and he is ready for this Grade 1 race. 

#4 Chancer McPatrick (5-1) had a disappointing start to his three-year-old campaign, but Brown replaced jockey Flavien Prat with Irad Ortiz in McPatrick’s last race, which he won, in ‘Toga. Irad has won the best jockey at the Saratoga meet several times, and McPatrick ran his fastest time with Ortiz last month. Lastly, he is the only “closer” in what should be a fast Allen Jerkens. 

#8 Madaket Road (6-1) has hit the Trifecta in six of his seven career races. Even his fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby had an 86 Beyer speed figure, which isn’t too bad. 

Regardless, this is the second-longest odds we’ve gotten for Madaket Road, behind his $11.10 price in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens in Saratoga in June. He finished second behind the morning-line favorite, #1 Patch Adams (3-1). 

Seven horses on a seven-furlong dirt track for three-year-old fillies and mares and upward with a $500,000 purse. 

Talk about “horse for the course”. #2 Brightwork (15-1) is undefeated in her three races at ‘Toga, all Graded stakes races. Plus, I’m “buying low” on Brightwork because this is the second-longest odds of her career. However, she was a two-year-old champion filly, so the talent is there. Maybe Brightwork gets back in the winner’s circle at a place she loves. 

#3 Majestic Oops (15-1) is coming into her own in her five-year-old season, and we are getting her at a great price. She has three wins and three seconds in eight races this year and has run faster in five consecutive outings. Yes, the competition has been weak; a second at the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth, Majestic Oops’ last time out was her first race against graded company. But, jockey Kendrick Carmouche is having his best season at Saratoga this summer, and this is a beatable field. 

Ten horses on a 1.25-mile dirt track for four-year-olds and upward with a $500,000 purse. 

I faded #4 Book’em Danno (8-5) in the Alfred Vanderbilt in Saratoga last month, and he made me pay for it, beating the Grade 2 competition by 2.5 lengths. I know I’m paying a price because of his course history: 3-0-1 in four races at ‘Toga. But, it’s worth it because Book’em Danno is the best horse in this division and has “tactical speed,” so he can win if this race is fast or slow. 

Five horses on a seven-furlong dirt track for three-year-olds and upward with a $1.25 million purse. 

This is Sovereignty‘s (2-5) world, and the other four horses are just living in it. The Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner is the best three-year-old in the sport, and no one else on the radar is running in the Travers. Unfortunately, due to his price and the amount of money I’m betting on the races prior, I’m only using Sovereignty in my Late Pick 5 and an Exacta with #3 Strategic Focus (6-1). 

With Jose Alvarado up and Saratoga’s best trainer annually, Chad Brown, Strategic Focus has the best jockey-trainer combo in the field. They call Saratoga the “Graveyard of Champions” because of all the favorites that have lost here, including Secretariat. I love Sovereignty and all, but he’s no Secretariat, hence, I’m betting a cold and boxed Exacta on these two horses. 

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Follow me on X (or Twitter, whatever) @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants. Track my Saratoga Race Course picks during the 2025 summer meet here.