Travers Stakes Picks — Betting Preview and Predictions (Aug 23)

The standout race on the summer schedule at Saratoga is set for Saturday, August 23, 2025, as horses aged three will compete over 1 ¼ miles in the G1 Travers Stakes. The betting will be headlined by Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes champion Sovereignty, but can he dominate the field? Find the picks here.

Odds

Travers Stakes Recent Winners

Travers Stakes: Event Information

Race Preview

The standout race on the summer schedule in the U.S. is set for this Saturday at Saratoga, as the high-quality G1 Travers Stakes will be staged. The roll of honor signals the prestige of the race, and it typically offers clues for the Breeders’ Cup Classic later in the season.

Unsurprisingly, Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes hero Sovereignty will be a red-hot favorite for the William Mott team. The three-year-old has been the standout three-year-old in the U.S. this season, and continued his dominance on track with a recent win in the G2 Jim Dandy. Has winning experience over course and distance, and will likely need to underperform to give the field any chance.

However, Saratoga is known as the Graveyard of Champions, with the great American Pharaoh beaten in the Travers in 2015. Therefore, it would be unwise to overlook the other four runners.

Magnitude looks like the most interesting runner for the Steven Asmussen stable. The son of Not This Time has won on each of his last two starts, and couldn’t have been more impressive when beating Itsmybirthday by nine lengths in the Iowa Derby. Still, this requires a significant improvement.

Bracket Buster is the second-best horse in this field based on official ratings. The Victoria Oliver-trained runner was well-beaten on his latest start, finishing eight lengths behind Journalism in the G1 Haskell. Could have limitations at the highest level.

Travers Stakes Picks

This looks like a one-horse race, and it is incredibly challenging to overlook the Derby and Belmont Stakes winner. Sovereignty has been the standout three-year-old in the U.S. this season, and he looks like a very solid chance to enhance his Classic credentials at Saratoga.