Travers Triumph

Saratoga had one helluva card on tap this past Saturday for the 150th edition of the Travers. - It was chock full of graded races, and every time I looked it felt chalky. - The competition was top shelf, and I guess that's why the favorites stuck out like a sore thumb. - I had some good ideas, but after downloading my E-Z Win Forms I felt more confident in relying on my trusty handicapping helper. - Here's my day in a nutshell.

Race #5 - The G1 Forego - 7f

The top pick was #3 Mitole, and as I said before I kept feeling a chalky day. - I made a $100 win bet on this monster which was the top selection. - He won and paid $3.80 - A nice score of $190 which yielded a $90 profit - The day was off and running!

Race #6 - The G1 Ballerina - 7f

The top selection was #2 Come Dancing and looked every bit the winner. The E-Z Win Forms gave me a little start, and I came back with another $100 win wager on her. She paid $3.50 for a score of $175 and a profit of $75! - Not bad for back-to-back chalks.

Race #7 - The G1 H.A. Jerkins - 7f

This was a miss as I boxed the top three selections. - They finished first and third and time to move on to the next race.

Race #8 - The G2 Ballston Spa - 1 1/16 on the turf

I made a $50 to win and place a wager on the top selection #4 - Significant Form as the field looked like it could be anyone. - Shortly after the race, I had the best winner of the day as she paid $16.50 to win and $8.00 to place. - She cashed in for $612.50 and a profit of $512.50! - I started a $1 pick-three as the next race really looked like a two-horse race.

Race #9 - The G1 Personal Ensign - 1 1/8

The top selection was #4 - Elate and the third selection was #1 - Midnight Bisou. I was so split on what to do that I watched the race as I had both in my pick-three. - This may have been the most exciting race of the year as Midnight Bisou bested Elate in the final yards. - Incredible race and my gimmick was still alive and well.

Race #10 - The G1 Sword Dancer - 1 1/2 on the turf

I had the top three selections to close out my pick-three and decided to box them and hope to cash on both. - The top three were: Channel Maker, Sadler's Joy, and Annals Of Time. - As they turned for home the mad scramble ensued and Annals Of Time the third selection won and the 2nd selection of Sadler's Joy was a head behind in second. The $2 exacta paid $43.00 and the $1 pick-three came home $144.75. - Nice score indeed!

Race #11 - The 150th Running of the Travers - 1 1/4

I must admit I could have made a case for five runners and since my handicapping radar was foggy I decided to make a three-horse exacta box with the top three selections. - This race was a miss, but I wouldn't have had the winner with eight shots. - The race gave us plenty to look forward to seeing later in the year and the Travers Day was an overall success for this handicapper. - Sometimes we win, and others we lose, but this day was a Mid-Summer win. - No complaints here, and I hope you remembered to download your E-Z Win Forms. If you did, drop us a line and let us know how your day went! - Best of luck, and may your winners be many and your photos be few!