Travers Stakes Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2022 Travers Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2022 Travers Stakes is set for August 27 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Travers Stakes Preview
- Race: Travers Stakes
- Purse: $1.25 million
- Track: Saratoga Race Course
- Date: August 27
- Post Time: 5:44 PM (ET)
- Live: Travers Stakes Odds: Click Here
2022 Travers Stakes Handicapping
Often referred to as the “Mid-Summer Classic” the Travers Stakes is the oldest stakes race in the US and brings together the best three-year-old horses the country, including several that ran in the Kentucky Derby and the other Triple Crown races.
For 2022, the Travers includes the winners of both the Derby and the Preakness as well as the Derby second-and-third place finishers, and the Preakness runner-up, while five of the eight entries have graded-stakes wins this season.
They’ll be racing 1 1/4 miles on the Saratoga dirt.
Odds listed here are provided by the Woodbine track handicapper.
2022 Travers Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Epicenter Race Odds: 7-5
It was a frustrating spring for the connections of Epicenter as the narrowly beaten favourite in both the Derby and Preakness. But he got back in the winner’s circle last out in the (G2) Jim Dandy Stakes over the Saratoga dirt.
He won that by 1 1/2 lengths over Zandon, who he’ll meet again here, and more than three lengths over Early Voting who won the Preakness and is also entered here. Overall he has a record of five wins and three second-place finishes in nine lifetime starts.
Trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Joel Rosario both go for their first Travers win.
2022 Travers Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Cyberknife Race Odds: 7-2
After drawing a far outside post, Cyberknife made little impact in the Kentucky Derby and wound up well back at the finish. He’s since rebounded to win two straight including last out when he took the (G1) Haskell Stakes over a heavy favourite that had been undefeated to that point.
Prior to that he won the (G3) Matt Winn Stakes, and now sports a record of five wins and two runner-up placings in nine starts.
The 2021 race winner Brad Cox trains, Florent Geroux is tapped to ride.
2022 Travers Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Artorius Race Odds: 9-2
Sired by 2016 Travers winner Arrogate, Artorius is something of a new shooter on the scene of top three-year-olds, as he did not run in any of the Triple Crown races.
In fact he only has three races to his name, but has won two of those and was second in his career debut. Last out he won the 1 1/8 mile Curlin Stakes at Belmont Park, finishing almost five lengths ahead of Gilded Age, who he’ll face again on Saturday.
The trainer is Chad Brown. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. gets the call to ride.
2022 Travers Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Zandon Race Odds: 5-1
The hard-trying Zandon has never been out of the money in six career starts with two wins, two seconds and two thirds. He was third in the Derby behind Epicenter and second behind that one in the Jim Dandy.
Unlike the other top contenders here he has shown some ability in the past to win coming from way off the pace, and that might be of benefit in a field where most of the runners want to be forwardly placed early.
He’s the second of three in the race for trainer Chad Brown. Flavien Prat is the jock.
Here’s My 2022 Travers Stakes Free Pick.
Up until the last 100 feet of the Derby, Epicenter looked like a winner until he was surprised and passed by 80-1 long shot Rich Strike coming up the rail. In my books that was a total fluke and that seemed to be borne out by Rich Strike running as a non-factor sixth in the Belmont Stakes.
In the Preakness Epicenter was squeezed at the start and dead last early, but still managed to get up for second and was closing ground on Early Voting in the lane before running out of race track.
In other words, with a bit of racing luck he could have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown and may even have gone on to sweep the series in the Belmont, which he ultimately didn’t race. For my money he’s the best three-year-old in North America and I’ll pick him for the win here and use Zandon in the exacta.
Full Field: Travers Stakes Odds
By post position
- #1 – Cyberknife 7-2
- #2 – Rich Strike 10-1
- #3 – Ain’t Life Grand 20-1
- #4 – Gilded Age 30-1
- #5 – Artorius 9-2
- #6 – Epicenter 7-5
- #7 – Early Voting 8-1
- #8 – Zandon 5-1
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