Saratoga Travers Week Scouting Report: August 21-25, 2024

‍Key Races

Wednesday | John’s Call (turf marathon)

Thursday | G2 Ballston Spa (f/m turf route)

Friday | G1 Personal Ensign (f/m dirt route); Smart and Fancy (f/m turf sprint)

Saturday | G1 Travers (3yo dirt route), G1 Forego (dirt sprint), G1 Sword Dancer (turf route), G1 Jerksens Memorial (3yo dirt sprint), G1 Ballerina (f/m dirt sprint)

Sunday | Funny Cide (NYB 2yos), Up the Ante (NYB 2yo f), Albany (NYB 3yos), Fleet Indian (NYB 3yo f), West Point (NYB turf route), Yaddo (NYB f/m turf route)

Horsepower

Wednesday | G2 Bourbon winner Andthewinneris, G3 Louisville winner Foreign Relations (R3 John’s Call Stakes).

Thursday | G1 First Lady winner Gina Romantica, G1 Jenny Wiley winner Beaute Cachee (R2 G2 Ballston Spa Stakes); G1 Frizette runner-up Central Avenue (R7 allowance); G1 Hopeful runner-up Gulfport, G3 Tom Fool winner Little Vic, (R8 allowance).

Friday | G3 Holy Bull winner Rocket Can (R4 allowance); G3 Giant’s Causeway winner Roses for Debra, G3 Caress winner Dontlookbackatall, G2 Intercontinental winner Future Is Now (R5 Smart and Fancy Stakes); G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff 1-2 finishers Idiomatic and Randomized, G2 Shuvee winner Raging Sea  (R10 G1 Personal Ensign).

Saturday | G1 Manhattan winner Measured Time, G2 Man o’ War winner Silver Knott (R9 G1 Sword Dancer); G1 Derby City Distaff winner Vahva, G1 Cotillion winner Society, G2 Fleur de Lis winner Scylla (R10 G1 Ballerina); G2 True North winner Baby Yoda, G2 Nerud winner Mullikin (R11 G1 Forego); G1 Woody Stephens winner Book’em Danno, G1 Del Mar Futurity winner Prince of Monaco, G1 Champagne winner Timberlake, G2 Amsterdam winner World Record (R12 G1 Jerkens Memorial); G1 Kentucky Oaks winner Thorpedo Anna, G1 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch, G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Fierceness, G1 Kentucky Derby runner-up Sierra Leone (R13 G1 Travers).

Sunday | entries taken Wednesday

Extra Incentives

Saturday | $10K-added Fun in the Sun Handicapping Tournament | last 5 races Saratoga, first 5 races Del Mar

Tracking the Trends

-- Favorites struggled mightily last week with an 11-for-53 record (winning only 21%). Chad Brown (0-8) and Christophe Clement (1-6) struggled with the public choices.

-- Trainers of note last week included Shug McGaughey (3-for-5, including a $28 winner) and Brad Cox (7: 2-3-1, slight profitable ROI).

-- After an 0-15 slump the week prior, trainer Linda Rice bounced back with 4 winners last week (17%), but showed a flat-bet losing ROI.

-- Jockey Dylan Davis had one of his best weeks of the season with 5 victories (tied for most among all riders). He posted a $2.33 ROI for every $1 bet with 18% winners.

-- Jockey Flavien Prat won 3 stakes last week (7: 3-1-1) and is far and away leading the meet with 11 stakes victories on the season. No other jockey has more than 5 (Tyler Gaffalione).

-- Average win odds at current meet by class: maidens (9-2), claiming (5-1), allowance (5-1), stakes (4-1).

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