Saratoga Race Course already holds a special place in the heart of trainer Danny Gargan, who won the 2024 Belmont Stakes with Dornoch at the iconic track in Upstate New York. After collecting another win at the Haskell, Gargan will run Dornoch again at Saratoga when the 2024 Travers Stakes is held on Saturday. This year's "Midsummer Derby" will feature a loaded eight-horse 2024 Travers Stakes field, with Dornoch the 5-2 favorite in the 2024 Travers Stakes odds. However, Thorpedo Anna (3-1), Fierceness (3-1), Sierra Leone (7-2) are also Grade 1 winners and Unmated Wisdom (8-1), Corporate Power (15-1), Honor Marie (20-1) and Batten Down (20-1) are among the 2024 Travers Stakes horses with a chance too. With so much to consider while making your 2024 Travers Stakes picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
This will be the 155th Travers Stakes and Thorpedo Anna will have a chance to become just the fourth filly in history to win the race. Lady Rotha was the last to do it in 1915 and only four fillies have even competed in the 109 years since. The first Travers Stakes was held in 1864, during the height of the Civil War, and was won by Kentucky. The race was originally run at 1 3/4 miles but has been 10 furlongs continually since 1904. Arrogate set the race record by doing the 1 1/4 mile in 1:59.36 on his way to winning horse of the year honors.
Given all the history, there's a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Travers Stakes like this, and SportsLine expert Gene Menez knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2024 Travers Stakes picks possible.
A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win. He also hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet.
In a span of seven races last year for SportsLine, he cashed the winner of the Lecomte Stakes, the exacta in the Southwest Stakes, the winner of the Holy Bull Stakes, the winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes, and the trifecta in the Jenny Wiley Stakes. He also nailed National Treasure's win in the Preakness. In May, he gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. In June, he nailed Trikari to win the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes.
For Saturday, Menez has handicapped the 2024 Travers Stakes field, made his picks and constructed his best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2024 Travers Stakes expert picks
Here's a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine's Gene Menez:
Travers Stakes Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $72.50 at the 2023 Travers Stakes with Arcangelo and Disarm.
Travers Stakes Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $281.50 at the 2023 Travers Stakes with Arcangelo, Disarm and Tapit Trice.
Travers Stakes Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned $788 at the 2023 Travers Stakes with Arcangelo, Disarm, Tapit Trice and Forte.
For the 2024 Travers Stakes, Menez is fading former Kentucky Derby favorite Fierceness. Instead, he is building his tickets around Sierra Leone and a double-digit longshot who is "interesting at a big price." You can see all of Menez's 2024 Travers Stakes bets here.
How to make 2024 Travers Stakes picks
Moreover, Menez's top pick is a horse who will "come roaring down the lane late." He also is high on a double-digit longshot who is "interesting at a big price." He is including these horses in his wagers, and so should you. He's sharing what horses to back at SportsLine.
So what horse wins Travers Stakes 2024 and how should you construct your win, place, show and exotic wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Menez's picks for the Travers Stakes, all from the expert who gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby, and find out.
2024 Travers Stakes odds, contenders, post positions
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
| 1 | Thorpedo Anna | 3-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | Sierra Leone | 7-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Unmatched Wisdom | 8-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Corporate Power | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Batten Down | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Honor Marie | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Dornoch | 5-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Fierceness | 3-1 | SEE PICKS |
