Summer officially starts in June, but for horseplayers it’snot really summer until opening day at Saratoga. This year that comes on Thursday, July 11 and here at Xpressbet and 1/ST BET we cannot wait. Get out those calendars and block off the days we absolutely do not want tomiss over the next couple of months.  

1 - August 24: Travers Day is without question the best day on the Saratoga calendar. The card headlined by the biggest non-Triple Crown 3YO race in North America is choked full of huge races, including a quintet of Grade 1 events. There     will be star power on hand throughout the day and a plethora of great wagering opportunities from start-to-finish. This is the card of the summer and one to be sure to circle well in advance.  

2 - August 3: Travers Day may reign supreme in upstate New York but Saturday August 3^rd is far from chopped liver. With four graded stakes races scheduled and a million-dollar feature with recent winners like Knicks Go, Life Is Good, and White Abarrio it is easy to understand why Whitney Day is another must watch and wager event. In addition to a chance to see some of the best older horses in training, the card also features one of my personal favorite races to handicap in the Test (G1) and the Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1) over the grass. I cannot wait for the first massive Saturday stakes card at the Spa this summer.  

3 - July 11: The first card of the summer in Saratoga Springs is not loaded with graded stakes races but it always feels so great to get back to action at one of North America’s most treasured venues. The Schuylerville (G2) for 2YO fillies is the traditional feature and gives us an early glimpse at some of the most talented young ladies in the country. I know I will have my XpressBet account loaded up and ready to go for Thursday. I bet you will as well.  

4 - August 10: Fourstardave Day is named for the son of Compliance who won at least one race at Saratoga each year from 1987 to 1994. He is honored on this mid-August Saturday and deservingly so. A fan favorite, the Leo O’Brien trainee won 21 of 99 overall and the $500,000 two-turn turf race named for him headlines a card that also includes the Saratoga Special (G2). Locals will be out in droves to show their support for one of the best New York breds of all time. I will be ready to fire from home.  

5 - July 13: I’ve been fortunate enough to spend lots of time at Saratoga over the years and some of my most memorable moments are during the first Saturday of the summer. Few things are more exciting than knowing that this is just the beginning. The Diana (G1) is the traditional feature with the Kelso (G3) and Sanford (G3) also on tap. Hopefully we have already built a bankroll on Thursday and Friday.    

When you are an everyday horseplayer like myself, you are excited for every card at Saratoga, but there is no doubt the five biggest days get the blood flowing that much more. Let’s have a big summer at the Spa!

Betmix and 1/ST BET offer a myriad of tools to handicap any race in North America. By employing the Betmix Angler, you can test various angles and factors. Let’s look at the best two-factor combos by race type for Saratoga over the last 3 years. When a horse is ranked first in a race in both of these categories, horseplayers should give them deeper consideration. There will not necessarily be a qualifying horse in any given race. These horses can be found using the factor combinations given in Angler and similar factor mixes can be performed within the 1/ST BET app.

Saratoga’s signature race, the Travers Stakes, long has been billed as the “Midsummer Derby.” Set for August 24, the Travers annually matches horses familiar through the Triple Crown series and those late-bloomers rocketing toward stardom. The 2023 event saw the winners of the Kentucky Derby (Mage), Preakness (National Treasure) and Belmont (Arcangelo) match up in a unique showdown won by Aracangelo.
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The road to the 155th edition of the Travers winds up in Saratoga, but also includes national stops along the way.
Here are the key races to follow:
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July 6 | $200,000 Dwyer at Aqueduct
July 6 | $300,000 Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis
July 6 | $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows
July 19 | $135,000 Curlin at Saratoga
July 20 | $1,000,000 Haskell at Monmouth
July 27 | $500,000 Jim Dandy at Saratoga
August 4 | $500,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer
August 11 | $275,000 Ellis Park Derby
August 24 | $1,250,000 Travers at Saratoga
Historical note: The last 5 Travers winners exited the Belmont Stakes, Jim Dandy, Jim Dandy, Dwyer and Belmont Stakes (not including 2020 when Travers scheduled before Triple Crown).
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Among the key players to watch for the 2024 Travers include both well-known and up-and-coming names:
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Mystik Dan (Kenny McPeek) | Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness runner-up
Seize the Grey (D. Wayne Lukas) | Preakness winner
Dornoch (Danny Gargan) | Belmont Stakes winner
Sierra Leone (Chad Brown) | Kentucky Derby runner-up, Belmont third-place finisher
Mindframe (Todd Pletcher) | Belmont Stakes runner-up
Fierceness (Todd Pletcher) | Florida Derby winner and ’23 Champion 2YO
Parenting (Bob Baffert) | Affirmed Stakes winner
Honor Marie (Whit Beckman) | Belmont Stakes fourth-place finisher
Batten Down (Bill Mott) | Ohio Derby winner
Muth (Bob Baffert) | Arkansas Derby winner
Stronghold (Phil D’Amato) | Santa Anita Derby winner
Domestic Product (Chad Brown) | Tampa Bay Derby winner
Tuscan Sky (Todd Pletcher) | Pegasus Stakes winner
Antiquarian (Todd Pletcher) | Peter Pan Stakes winner
Historical note: The last Kentucky Derby winner to add the Travers was Street Sense (‘07); Preakness winner to add Travers was Bernardini (‘06); Belmont winner to add Travers was Arcangelo (’23).
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Travers Day at Saratoga includes 4 additional Grade 1 stakes on its undercard:
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$500,000 Ballerina | F&M sprinters
$500,000 Forego | sprinters
$500,000 Jerkens | 3YO sprinters
$750,000 Sword Dancer | turf routers