Trainer Max Hirsch was a titan in the sport of horse racing. He won the 1934 Travers Stakes with OBSERVANT. He trained 1936 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner BOLD VENTURE. He was well on his way to a Hall of Fame career. In 1934 he had recently become the trainer for the King Ranch, which would soon be one of the most successful stables in America. That year Hirsch’s … Continue reading It Was A Happy & Fast Thanksgiving
The leading candidate for Horse of the Year- SOVEREIGNTY will not run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Del Mar. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said on Wednesday morning that the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner will be scratched from Saturday’s contest due to a fever. “He was good 24 hours ago. … But then by yesterday afternoon, by seven o’clock … Continue reading Sovereignty Ruled Out Of The Classic
The 2025 Saratoga racing season crossed the wire on Monday. Total attendance was slightly up, but the overall wagering handle slightly was down from 2024. In total, the 40-day meet still drew more than 1 million in paid attendance and saw just under $800 million wagered. Here are some of the pertinent numbers for the regular summer meet of 2025: ATTENDANCE: The New York Racing … Continue reading Saratoga 2025 By The Numbers
Saturday is the 156th edition of the Travers Stakes– the marquee race of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course. The 1 ¼-mile Travers is the most important race in the 3-year-old male division aside from the Triple Crown series in the spring and summer. The Mid-Summer Derby often proves a crucial test for determining the 3-year-old Champion at year’s end. Here is a brief look … Continue reading Who Wins The Travers Stakes?
On Saturday Saratoga Race Course will present the 156th edition of the Travers Stakes. The $1.25 million-dollar Mid-Summer Derby is contested at 1 1/4 miles on the main track. Is SOVEREIGNTY poised for victory, or is an upset is in the offing? Here are five furlongs of historic trends that may help you discern the most likely winner of the Grade 1 Travers: 1. Deep Closers … Continue reading Travers Trends & Tendencies
Saturday is the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Also known as the Mid-Summer Derby it is by far the most popular day of the entire meet. Travers Day features five Grade 1, Stakes races, totaling over 5 million dollars in purses. For the uninitiated here is a brief Travers Stakes historic primer. THE NAME: The Saratoga Racing Association named the Travers Stakes for William R. Travers (one of the founders of America’s oldest … Continue reading Travers Stakes Basics
The 2025 Travers Stakes at Saratoga is Saturday, August 23rd. The Grade 1 race for three-year-olds is the highlight of the Saratoga summer meet and has aptly been dubbed the Mid-Summer Derby. Travers Day is a marathon of Grade 1 Stakes races (5) with purses totaling over 20 million dollars. The first race of the day is scheduled for 11:40 with the Travers set to … Continue reading Travers, Grade 1 Coffee
The Belmont Stakes takes place on Saturday, June 7th. As a matter of course the race is usually the final leg of racing’s Triple Crown, usually that is, unless a global pandemic upsets the order of things. The race typically is held at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY but that circuit is currently undergoing a massive renovation. That construction necessitated the shifting of its signature race to … Continue reading Belmont Stakes Basics
The Road to the Kentucky Derby is getting shorter, so the qualifying races are hitting fast and furious for the next few weeks, beginning on Saturday with two 100 point contests. The Winners of these races are pretty much assured a spot in the gate, should their connections decide to run. THE ARKANSAS DERBY The third and final leg of Oaklawn Park’s 3-year-old Kentucky Derby … Continue reading Two Big Races On Saturday
Saturday is the $415,000, Grade 2, Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Some of the top 3-year-olds in the country will do battle in this 1 1/16-mile contest. The Fountain of Youth is named after the mythical spring that attracted explorers to Florida in the 16th Century. The race was first held in 1945, and has been run every year since 1953. In 1973, it … Continue reading Youth Is Served
