Experience Matters When it Comes to Travers

The trend of young 3-year-olds coming up to the spring classic races with as few as three starts is likely here to stay. However, as the season progresses through summer, it helps to have plenty of laps around the track if a horse is to find its way to the winner's circle at Saratoga Race Course for the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1).

As '60s rock icon Jimi Hendrix asked: "Are You Experienced?"

When Juddmonte Farms' Arrogate  turned the racing world on its ear by breaking the track record and winning the 2016 Travers by 13 1/2 lengths in his fifth career start, that was an anomaly. Most winners have been long on experience and have tested the waters in either the Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1), or Belmont Stakes (G1).

Last year's Travers hero, Catholic Boy, won the Midsummer Derby in his ninth start, with seven of his previous races coming in graded stakes. The 2017 victor, West Coast , won in his seventh outing, with two stakes scores to his credit—the Los Alamitos Derby (G3) and Easy Goer Stakes.

Keen Ice  was making his 11th start when he upended American Pharoah 's party in 2015, and V. E. Day  won the 2104 renewal in his sixth start, including a win in Saratoga's Curlin Stakes. 

This year, Juddmonte Farm's homebred Tacitus, the 5-2 morning-line choice for Saturday's 1 1/4-mile summer soiree, will be making his eighth start, including a pair of efforts in the classics.

"Experience helps in these longer races," said Dale Romans, the trainer of Keen Ice and 2019 Travers hopeful Everfast (30-1). "There is a lot of pressure, and these horses have been there. Hopefully that will give us an edge over the less-experienced ones.

"The race looks like it has a lot of speed, and if (trainer) Danny (Gargan, of Tax; eight starts), does what he says he's going to about going to the lead from the outside, it should set up good for us. We're going to make one run, and it will depend on what's going on in front of us. We're going to get him a good, galloping position, get in rhythm, and pick 'em up."

Calumet Farm's Everfast has made 13 starts at seven tracks. The son of Take Charge Indy, while winless in eight starts this year, was a surprising second to War of Will in the Preakness and fourth last time out to Maximum Security in the TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1). This year the Haskell was run a week earlier than usual, giving the horse an additional seven days between starts.

Rupp Racing's Owendale (6-1) was third in the Preakness and added an Ohio Derby (G3) score. The Travers will be the 11th start for the son of Into Mischief .

Owendale threw in a clunker back in February at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, was given time off, and emerged a winner of the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) in mid-April at  Keeneland.

"I feel he's coming to the Travers like he was coming into the Preakness," trainer Brad Cox said. "The Ohio Derby was good, but I don't think it was his best race, and I mean by the way he was coming into it. He's in a good spot right now. He's on top of it and he looks great.

"Since the Ohio Derby, we thought we were going to give him a freshening, like we did after the Risen Star (G2) to the Lexington, when he showed us he was a really good 3-year-old. He appreciated that time from February to April, and he's had the same sort of break from the (June 22) Ohio Derby to this," Cox said.

As for the experience factor, Cox said: "I think it comes down to who will get the best trip. It's a very competitive group, and there aren't any standouts. That's why there are 12 horses and not eight. But it's a great race, it's awesome to be a part of the race, and I think we have a big shot."

The Bob Baffert-trained Mucho Gusto (6-1) has plenty of experience with eight starts. A winner of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) in February, he skipped the Triple Crown series, winning a pair of grade 3 stakes at Santa Anita in late spring. He was second to Maximum Security in the Haskell last out.

"He seems to be a good shipper; seems to be on the improve," said assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes. "He had to step it up last time to compete with Maximum Security, and it looked like you had a reason to jump up and root for him when they turned for home. He's a fighter. He's doing well enough to make this trip again. Just look at his PPs. … His races have gotten better.

"He's not a real big horse, but he carries his weight well. He handles every situation well, so that's not a concern for us. He'll be running in a larger field this time. Twelve horses—you have to get the trip. We have enough experience."

And that experience should come in handy against a few who don't. From the rail out, Highest Honors (post 3); Looking At Bikinis (post 9); and Scars Are Cool (post 10) have three starts to their credit; Endorsed (post 11) has four.