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What: Travers Stakes
When: Saturday, August 23, 2025
Where: Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
2025 TRAVERS PREVIEW & TRENDS
On Saturday, August 23, Saratoga will host the Travers Stakes (G1) AKA The Midsummer Derby. The list of starters is a veritable who’s who of the three-year-old crop. To get you ready for the action on NYRA Bets we went back to 2000 to look for winning trends among previous winners and how they might apply to this year’s field.
Previous Form
- Since 2000, 68% of Travers winners won their previous race.
- Over the last 25 years, the Jim Dandy Stakes has been the overwhelming key race for Travers winners with 11 winners coming out of that prep race to win the Midsummer Derby.
Saratoga Success
- Previous Saratoga success has proven to be helpful for those running in the Travers. Since 2000, 52% of Travers winners had previously won at The Spa.
Pedigree
- Being sired by a previous Travers winner has been a winning formula over the last 23 years as 2004 Travers winner Birdstone sired 2009 winner Summerbird in addition to 2006 winner Bernardini having sired the 2011 winner Stay Thirsty and the 2012 winner Alpha.
- Both Unbridled and A.P. Indy have had a significant impact on the Travers from a pedigree standpoint as they are both the sire or second sire to three winners since 2000.
- Unbridled: Unshaded (2000), Will Take Charge (2013), and Arrogate (2016)
- A.P. Indy: Bernardini (2006), Stay Thirsty (2011), and Alpha (2012)
Trainers
- Trainers Todd Pletcher and Shug McGaughey have both trained previous Travers winners with Pletcher winning three times (2005, 2011, 2024) and McGaughey winning it four times (1989, 1990, 1998, 2019).
- The last few years have seen trainers win the Travers for the first time (Jena Antonucci, Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox, Barclay Tagg).
Race Dynamics
- Since 2000, only three horses (Bernardini, Arrogate, and West Coast) have won the Travers in gate-to-wire fashion.
- On the flip side, only one horse (V.E. Day) has won the Travers while sitting more than 5 ½ lengths back at the half mile mark.
- The average winning trip since 2000 has been to sit roughly 2 ½ lengths off the lead at the half mile mark before making your run turning for home.
Expert Picks
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BETTING THE TRAVERS STAKES 101
How do I bet the Travers Stakes?
You can bet the Travers Stakes on NYRA Bets! Look for Saratoga Race Course in Today's Racing menu on race day, Saturday, August 23.
How do I watch the Travers Stakes?
Watch all the action from Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, August 23 with FOX, FS1 & FS2!
Check your local listings for full showtimes and local details. As always, you can stream the races live and watch replays on NYRA Bets.
History of the Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is the oldest sporting event in the US, first being run in 1864 (race was not run in 1896, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1911 and 1912), and is named for William R. Travers, the first president of Saratoga. Also known as the Midsummer Derby, the race is the highlight of the Saratoga Race meet, bringing together the best three-year-olds in the country to settle the score from the spring's Triple Crown races.
Notable winners of the Travers Stakes include Hall of Fame inductees Man o' War, Native Dancer, Arts and Letters, Point Given, and Arrogate. Multiple Kentucky Derby winners have won the Travers Stakes, but only one Triple Crown winner - Whirlaway. See a full list of winners.
Your Ticket to the Travers Stakes
Fans can watch and bet on the Travers Stakes with the official app of Saratoga Race Course, NYRA Bets. As the official betting app of the New York Racing Association, NYRA Bets provides a safe and convenient way to wager on the race from anywhere in the country.
Whether you're a seasoned horse racing fan or a newcomer to the sport, the Travers Stakes is a must-see event. From the pageantry of the post parade to the thrill of the final stretch run, it's a race like no other. Don't miss your chance to bet on the Travers Stakes and witness history in the making, sign up for a NYRA Bets account today!
