SOVEREIGNTY - Winner Travers Stakes 2025
On Saturday at Saratoga, the 157th edition of the Grade 1 Travers Stakes will once again be a highlight of the summer season of racing. The storied 1 1/4-mile race was first run way back in 1864, and it remains one of the most prestigious races in America. In 2025, Sovereignty became the latest champion to win the Travers. He was a runaway winner on his way to the Horse of the Year title.
This year’s edition brings together a field of ten and includes the winners of all three legs of the Triple Crown. Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes with a strong late kick, while Napoleon Solo pressed the pace early before proving best in the Preakness Stakes. With seven other stakes winners in the field, however, this is anything but a two-horse race. A recent winner of the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, Renegade is a strong second-choice behind Golden Tempo on the morning line.
Golden Tempo looks to wrap up a championship
The Cherie DeVaux-trained son of Curlin should be considered the horse to beat in the prestigious Travers Stakes. If the 5-2 morning line favorite can add a win in the important Mid-Summer Derby to his late-running victories in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, he will effectively end the race for the champion 3-year-old male award. Golden Tempo can also boost his candidacy for Horse of the Year by beating this deep field on Saturday. A winner of 4-of-6 overall under top rider Jose Ortiz, he is already a three-time stakes winner this season. There can be little doubt that he has been the best of this crop at the classic 1 1/4-mile distance to this point.
Third time a charm for Renegade?
Fresh off an exciting victory in the local Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), Renegade will take a third shot at beating the division leader Golden Tempo. Narrowly defeated in the Kentucky Derby, the son of Into Mischief also finished third as the betting favorite in the Belmont Stakes. Like his top rival, he does his best running late. His come from behind style has carried him to three stakes victories in 2026, including the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park. His combination of owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher completed the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes double two years ago with the champion Fierceness. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will pick up the riding assignment here, replacing the injured Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Preakness hero will look to go gate to wire
A confirmed speed horse, the assignment will be clear for the Preakness winner. He will look to go right to the lead early and control the pace in hopes of having something left for the stretch run. Napoleon Solo is the only 3-year-old male thus far to win a Grade 1 race in both his juvenile and his sophomore seasons. Trained by Chad Summers, the gray son of Liam’s Map comes into Saturday’s test off a game second-place finish behind Baby Vino last time out in the Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park. He will welcome aboard the Hall of Fame jockey and master of early pace, John Velazquez, to the mix in the Travers.
Chad Brown will saddle two in the Travers
For all of his accomplishments at Saratoga, Chad Brown has never found the winner’s circle in the Travers Stakes. The five-time Eclipse Award winner will have two chances to win it for the first time in this year’s running. Sea Strike has only started three times so far in his racing career, but made quite an impression at Saratoga with an electrifying win in the Curlin Stakes four weeks ago. The son of Midshipman will step up in class and distance on Saturday, but his stylish win over the track merits consideration here. The lightly raced colt has enough early speed to be in contention right from the start but will need to prove himself at the distance.
Emerging Market is the other runner from the Brown barn in the Travers and will need to show improvement to make serious noise on Saturday. The chestnut son of Candy Ride got up to win the Louisiana Derby (G2) in only his second career start, and was well supported by bettors in the Kentucky Derby. Unfortunately, he failed to stick with the top ones down the stretch in both the Run for the Roses and the Belmont Stakes. Most recently, he finished second to older allowance horses at Saratoga. The regular rider for both, Flavien Prat will be on Sea Strike in the Travers.
Could missing the Kentucky Derby turn out to be a blessing?
The Puma and Silent Tactic were forced to miss the Kentucky Derby due to physical setbacks. Both graded stakes winners are now healthy and ready to take their shot against the best. The Puma returned to the races for the first time in four months in the Haskell Stakes last month, where he did not run poorly but lacked the closing punch to make serious noise on the sloppy track. A nice winner of the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) in March, he has shown talent right from the start of his career and has always faced good horses in his five career starts. Improvement can be expected in his second start of the layoff for trainer Gustavo Delgado.
Silent Tactic, meanwhile, finished a game third in the Jim Dandy in his return to the races after more than three months away. Trained by Mark Casse, the son of Tacitus is bred for the distance and should move forward with a prep race over the Saratoga track. The impressive winner of the Southwest Stakes (G3) in February has come up short in each of his last two efforts, each time being outrun late by Renegade. With double digit odds expected on Saturday, the consistent colt could be a smart play to use underneath in the exotics.
Haskell winner looks for another upset
Trained by Lindsay Schultz, Baby Vino pulled off an upset over the wet track in the Haskell last time, getting the best of Napoleon Solo down the stretch at odds of 28-1. Facing a deeper and even more talented field here, he will once again have attractive odds on Saturday. While Haskell winners do not have a good history in the Travers, this son of Vino Rosso has been improving with each start since breaking his maiden three starts back. Veteran rider Paco Lopez will get back aboard Baby Vino in the Travers after choosing to ride Napoleon Solo in the Haskell.
Light on experience, big on talent
A well-bred son of Gun Runner and a half-brother to Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil, Leading Change comes into the Mid-Summer Derby perfect in two starts. After a very impressive career debut victory at Churchill Downs in June, the Brad Cox-trainee moved right up to graded stakes company to earn a game score in last month’s Indiana Derby (G3). With good early speed, he will look to be close to the early pace on Saturday with streaking jockey Manny Franco aboard. Both Franco and Cox have a previous victory in the Travers.
Maiden takes on major challenge once again
The richest maiden in history, Ocelli surprised many when he rallied to take the lead in the stretch of the Kentucky Derby at odds of 70-1, before being passed late by Golden Tempo and Renegade. Also second in the Ohio Derby and third in the Wood Memorial, his string of solid results in big races was broken last time when he finished last in the Haskell last out, but likely did not care for the sloppy track. The son of Connect will once again have big odds on Saturday, but is good at picking up a check and can be considered a possibility to fill out the trifecta or superfecta in the Travers.
Author Brian Zipse for Agentes 305
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