The Travers Stakes Tickets

The Travers Stakes
Horse race has a very long history in the US. A famous one is the Travers Stakes. The race is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.

The first race of this kind was held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers.

The race has so many attractive prizes and since 1999 the first prize has been raised to $1,000,000. Every year many armature and professionals take place in the race from many states.This is the highlight of the summer in Mississippi.

Over a hundred year the attraction and popularity of this race has steadily move up. The field for the Travers is limited to three-year-olds, Colts and geldings carrying 126 pounds (57 kg) and fillies carrying 123 pounds (56 kg).

Although it is an annual event, however, the race was not run in 1896, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1911, and 1912 due to one or the other reasons.

There are four different distances for the horse race:1 3/4 miles (2.81 km): 1864 to 1889 1 1/2 miles (2.41 km): 1890 to 1892 1 1/4 miles (2.01 km): 1893, 1894, 1897 and 1904 to present 1 1/8 miles (1.81 km): 1895 and 1901 to 1903

Man o' War Cup is the trophy of the horse race which was designed by Tiffany and Co. in 1920. It was named after Man o' War overpowered Sir Barton in a match race in Canada.

The spouse of the owner Samuel Riddle donated the cup as the everlasting award for the winner of the Travers race. A member of the Riddle family presents a gold-plated replica to the winner each year. So this race and Riddle family has a lasting relation since that day.

The 1921 Travers Stakes is known, regrettably, for a betting scandal. In those days, bookmaking rather than pari-mutuel wagering was the primary method of taking bets on horse races.

In the beginning, the odds on the filly were 1-4 even as Rothstein's colt was at 5-2. On the day of the race, however, trainer Sam Hildreth entered a leading three-year old, Grey Lag. Grey Lag immediately becomes the favorite, with Prudery the second choice, driving the odds on Sporting Blood up to 3-1.

Rothstein bet $150,000 on his horse. Just before post time, Grey Lag was injured with no explanation. During the race, Sporting Blood overtook the ailing Prudery gaining his owner nearly a half million dollars, including wagers and the purse.

Although many smelled foul play, it was never proven that Hildreth received any payoff or that there was a conspiracy between him and Rothstein.

The original field was fairly light with the favorite, the filly Prudery, owned by Harry Payne Whitney, facing no serious competition.

Then Arnold Rothstein entered his colt, Sporting Blood, ostensibly to pick up second place. A few days before the race, however, Rothstein had learned that Prudery was off her feed. He knew he might have a real chance to win.

1962 has a special significance in the history of the Travers horse race. In that year jaipur won by a nose- bob in track record time over the arguably more talented Ridan after a long, head-to-head battle over the entire mile and a quarter.

The race is being discussed today with great whip up support and spirit. The race was listed in 2006 book Horse Racing's Top 100 moments written by the staff of Blood-Horse Publications. The race result determined which colt would be named the 1962 U.S. Champion 3-Year-Old Horse.

A John DiMario trained horse racer Runaway Groom, the Champion Canadian 3 years old, came to the Saratoga backstretch after performing outstandingly in the Canadian Triple Crown. He has won the Prince of Wales Stakes, the Breeders' Stakes, and finishing second in the Queen's Plate.

So that year was very special to Runaway Groom as he became the only horse in the racing history to beat the Kentucky Derby winner Gato Del Sol, the Preakness Stakes winner Aloma's Ruler, and the Belmont Stakes winner Conquistador Cielo in the same race.

After years of silence or usual races in the Travers, 1997 was another of the unforgettable races in the history, as it saw Hall of Fame jockeys Jerry Bailey and Chris McCarron (aboard Behrens and Deputy Commander respectively) in a home stretch duel wherein the former horse prevailed.

Thunderstorm was the drama, which was hail 24 hours before the race and uncertainty around whether or not McCarron would be present after the recent death of his mother.

The horse race has a record attendance on 25th August 2001 when Point Given won the Travers. The total spectators were 60,468. The race, dubbed the Midsummer Derby, achieved a total betting handle of $34,529,273.

This was also a Saratoga record. In 2005 the race was won by Flower Alley while the 2006 was lucky for the Bernardini. In the next year Street Sense out class all other competitors. 139th was held on 23rd August which was won by Colonal John.