Online Horse Racing: 2011 Travers Stakes and Pacific Classic Odds
Friday, August 26, 2011
by Bodog Racebook
Sunday, the scene will shift 3,000 miles west to Del Mar near San Diego, California for the Pacific Classic.
Both races will be run at the classic 1-1/14 mile distance, a shorter distance than the typical European classic of 1-1/2 miles. But that is deceptive from a stamina point of view.
Almost all top level Euro races are run on turf courses that are easier to negotiate than 1-1/4 miles on dirt or even synthetic.
The Travers of course, will be run on good ole American dirt, while the Pacific Classic will be contested for the fifth straight year on a synthetic Polytrack.
In the first synthetic Pacific Classic circa, 2007, the winner was the synthetic track specialist STUDENT COUNCIL, who shipped in to Del Mar from the midwest where he had run well on similar artificial tracks. But to show you how aberrant that year’s Polytrack was at Del Mar, Student Council was clocked in a snail like 2:07 and change more than seven seconds slower than a typical Grade-1 race at that distance. More than that, 2:07 is slower than $5,000 claiming horses have run the distance at Thistledown more than once in the past decade.
Last year and the year before, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert had stretch running RICHARDS KID in sharp tune to win this race twice in succession.
This year, Baffert has the morning line favorite GAME ON DUDE ready to give him a good shot at three in a row, something no other trainer has ever done, although the late and great Bobby Frankel managed to win four of these, with two horses, SKIMMING and TINNERS WAY, who like Baffert’s Richard Kid won twice in succession.
Among his most logical threats is the fast and consistent TWIRLING CANDY, whose one major demerit is that he has lost twice this year at 1-1/4 miles to Baffert trained horses—Game on Dude in the important Santa Anita Handicap last March and to Game on Dude’s retired stablemate FIRST DUDE (with Game on Dude second) in the equally important Hollywood Gold Cup.
SETSUKO, who finished ahead of Twirling Candy in the Santa Anita Handicap in March, only finished a nose behind Game on Dude in that race and obviously is capable of remembering how good he can be when in the mood. But the competition in this race goes even deeper than that.
Among the most intriguing upset threats is ACCLAMATION, winner of three straight on turf, including the Grade-1, Charles Whittingham, one of the best 10 furlong turf races on the west coast.
Acclamation has brilliant speed for such a long distance runner and of equal import, he has trained forwardly for this switch to the Poly. Should he like the experience, he could be very hard to handle.
Back at Saratoga on Saturday—which figures to be dry and fast, a day before Hurricane Irene sweeps up the Atlantic coast and affects every area from New Jersey to New England and the inland areas that include Albany, New York and Saratoga Springs, we will be treated to a very competitive 10 horse field in the Travers, a race that could help decide the 3 year old championship.
Kentucky Derby winner ANIMAL KINGDOM might still hold a narrow lead for his work earlier in the season, but he is injured and out for the year. This void leaves Preakness winner SHACKLEFORD, as well as the late developing Haskell Stakes winner COIL and the 1-2 finishers in the Belmont Stakes—RULER ON ICE and STAY THIRSTY—in position to take the late summer lead with a Travers win.
Shackleford, slightly suspect at 10 furlongs, was narrowly beaten by the Baffert trained Coil in the Haskell. , But Shackleford is such a game horse and he does have the controlling speed for this race. Will that be enough?
Ruler On Ice, third in the Haskell, after winning the 1-1/2 mile Belmont on a rain soaked track, might have benefitted greatly from the track conditions in New York, but he has run other good races and should not be underestimated. The same, perhaps more so should be said on behalf of Stay Thirsty, who has come to life since his stablemate UNCLE MO was put into a rehab program when diagnosed with intestinal and liver issues.
To prove that Stay Thisty’s Belmont in the mud was no fluke, all he did was win the 1-1/8 mile, Jim Dandy stakes by four lengths July 30 on a dry Saratoga racing strip. In addition, Stay Thirsty earned one of the best Beyer Speed Figures by any 3 year old in a race longer than one mile, this year.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, whose Uncle Mo is back in action on the Travers Day card—in the Grade-1, $250,000 King’s Bishop at 7 furlongs— Stay Thirsty is one of four horses in the Travers who would move sharply forward in the drive for a seasonal championship if he can win this race.
Yet, even if Stay Thirsty or any of the other high profile horses win the Travers, they may all be playing second fiddle to Uncle Mo should he come out of his recovery period with a big victory in the King’s Bishop.
Uncle Mo was that kind of horse as a 2 year old, but so far this year he has failed to live up to his reputation, never mind the hype that surrounded him after he won his fourth straight in the Breeders Cup Juvenile last fall, as if he was a mature major league talent playing with Little Leaguers.
It may be rare when a #1 million race that is 142 years old is overshadowed by a 7 fur sprint, but that is the case here. Should the old Uncle Mo shows up. In the King’s Bishop he instantly will be cast as an equal Eclipse Award contender with the Travers winner.
Stay tuned. And I mean that literally. Both the Travers and the King’s Bishop will be televised nationally by NBC on Saturday, while the Pacific Classic will be shown on TVG, Sunday.
And one added note: Where that popular commercial advises millions every day to “Stay Thirsty, my friends,” let me say stay that if Stay Thirsty—the racehorse—wins or loses on Saturday, let me caution horseplayers in the Northeast—to stay dry my friends.
Hurricane Irene is not going to impact the 2011 Travers Stakes but she definitely is coming this way. Get all your Travers Stakes odds in the Bodog Racebook now.
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2011 travers stakes - acclamation - animal kingdom - bob baffert - bobby frankel - first dude - game on dude - kentucky derby - richards kid - ruler on ice
