A loaded field of 12 sophomore colts, including all three of this spring's Classic winners, was drawn Tuesday evening in Saratoga Springs for Saturday's 148th running of the GI Travers S., with
GI Belmont S. hero Tapwrit (Tapit) getting the slight morning line nod at 7-2 after drawing post four. GI Kentucky Derby victor Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) drew the seven-hole and was quoted at 6-1, while GI Preakness S. winner Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music), installed at 8-1, had the trickiest pill pull of the trio, drawing the rail post. The latter two runners will try to overcome uncharacteristically poor efforts in the GII Jim Dandy S., finishing third and fifth, respectively.
“We've done a better job with him coming into this race,” said trainer Todd Pletcher of Always Dreaming. “Honestly, I think we left him probably a little bit short for the Jim Dandy. I wasn't anticipating quite as demanding of a racetrack as it turned out to be at that time. So, I think that race hopefully brings him forward, plus [he's had] two good works since then.”
Regarding the decision to train Tapwrit up to the Travers after the Belmont, Pletcher said, “Everyone was in agreement that the Travers was the race for him. We felt like if we ran in either the Jim Dandy or the Haskell, we'd leave a little something on the table that we wanted to save for the Travers.”
“We drew inside in the Preakness and it worked out,” said trainer Chad Brown of Cloud Computing's post. “We're just looking to save some ground in this race. The track was very demanding [on Jim Dandy day]. This horse has never let us down in a workout or a race except that one day. [He was] very tired and just didn't come out of that race like we've normally seen. Since the race, I've thought about the Travers a little bit, he's come back and worked great twice going to the [main] track and it's tightened up nicely and he's ready to run his race.”
GII Los Alamitos Derby conqueror West Coast (Flatter) is the second choice on the morning line at 4-1 from the three-post, while Jim Dandy upsetter Good Samaritan (Harlan's Holiday) was pegged at 5-1 after drawing the five-hole.
“You got horses from everywhere, all the best,” said the latter's trainer, Bill Mott. “You got the Derby winner, the Preakness winner, the Belmont; you've got everybody. It shaped up to be a really good field. So now, we've got to go out there and run our race. No issues at all. All is good up to this point.”
GI betfair.com Haskell Invitational scorer Girvin (Tale of Ekati) was tabbed at 10-1 after drawing six. Ohio Derby and GIII Indiana Derby winner Irap (Tiznow) was made an 8-1 chance from post 10, and 'TDN Rising Star' and MGSW McCraken (Ghostzapper) drew post nine as a 12-1 shot. Giuseppe the Great (Lookin At Lucky, post two, 20-1), Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky, post eight, 30-1), Gunnevera (Dialed In, post 11, 20-1) and Fayeq (Malibu Moon, post 12, 30-1) round out the field.
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