Tales of Travers Past

[Wandering Eyes]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–The GI Travers S. is one of the most prestigious races on the calendar. The kind of race that makes a stallion and, often times, a champion. Three of the last six colts to win the Eclipse Award as the year’s top 3-year-old male–Will Take Charge (2013), Arrogate (2016) and West Coast (2017)—first threw their hats into the ring as championship contenders with a win in the Midsummer Derby. In honor of this year’s 150th running of the Travers, we look back on some of the most memorable past renewals of the Saratoga 3-year-old feature.

 

EASY GOER – 1989

It’s been 30 years, but no racing can forget the great Easy Goer. While his most memorable win may be his throwdown with Sunday Silence in the 1989 GI Belmont S., he is also on the list of legends to capture the Travers (video) with a win in the GI Whitney S. in between. Sunday Silence got the best of the chestnut in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, cinching up a tight race for champion 3-year-old honors, but Easy Goer earned his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.

“At that time, I had never won the Travers,” said Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, who will saddle of Code of Honor in this year’s Travers. “I had come close a couple of times. He had just won the Belmont and the Whitney. He was in the midst of a big year. We were excited about running him and were very happy with the results. It would be very special to do it again. We are very excited and looking forward to [Saturday].”

 

HOLY BULL – 1994

Twenty-five years ago Hall of Famer Holy Bull won the Travers en route to two Eclipse Awards for champion 3-year-old colt and Horse of the Year. The sensational gray colt had won the 1994 GI Florida Derby and GII Blue Grass S., but failed as the favorite in the GI Kentuckty Derby, finishing 12th. Rebounding with a trio of wins in the GI Metropolitan H., GII Dwyer S. and GI Haskell Invitational S., he bested Concern by a neck in a thrilling renewal of the Midsummer Derby (video).

“If you are not blessed enough to win the Kentucky Derby, especially if going in you were the favorite like he was, the only thing that could make it okay would be to win the Travers,” said Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith, who pilots longshot Chess Chief (Into Mischief) in this year’s Travers. “That is like the summer Kentucky Derby. So, to go and pull that off for Mr. Croll in his life was just amazing. What an amazing afternoon that was. The way he ran was incredible. When Concern came up, the race call was one of the greatest race calls with ‘There is cause for Concern!’ He got heads up with me and might have even passed me for a little bit, but old Holy Bull dug in and just pulled back away. It was an amazing afternoon.”

 

THUNDER GULCH – 1995

In the middle of D. Wayne Lukas’s hayday in 1995, Thunder Gulch won the GI Florida Derby and GI Kentucky Derby. He lost the GI Preakness S. to his stablemate Timber Country, but rebounded with a two-length decision in the GI Belmont S. before shipping out to Hollywood Park to win the GII Swaps S. Returned to the East Coast for the Midsummer Derby, the chestnut was heavily favored and ran to his odds with a decisive score after a bit of a hairy start (video).

“At the start of the race, the assistant starter was very nervous,” Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens said. “Thunder Gulch was a very good gate horse and the guy got really tight in the gate and he forgot to let go of me at the start. Thunder Gulch reared up and I believe it was Barbara Livingston who won an Eclipse Award for this picture of him coming out of the gate and he is on his hind legs. The starter had just let go of him and I had this look on my face of terror. He got right back into the race and I was in a perfect position in lane four, stalking the pace. I pushed the button at the head of the stretch and it was all over with in a hurry. That was probably the biggest race he had run outside of or equal to the Kentucky Derby. He came back in the Jockey Club Gold Cup against Cigar [two starts later] and we raced in tandem and that wound up being his last race. He got injured and that was it, so the Travers was very memorable for me. It was my first Travers [win].”

 

POINT GIVEN – 2001

Six years after Thunder Gulch’s victory in the Midsummer Derby, one of his sons would follow in his hoofprints with an impressive performance. Point Given had been making waves in California, winning the GI Hollywood Futurity in 2000 and the GII San Felipe S. and GI Santa Anita Derby in 2001. Favored in the GI Kentucky Derby, the hulking chestnut finished fifth after a bad break and wide trip, but came back to win both the GI Preakness S. and GI Belmont S., taking the latter by 12 1/4 lengths. Point Given captured the GI Haskell Invitational S. in his next start and capped off his stellar career with a Travers score (video), earning him Eclipse Awards for top sophomore male and Horse of the Year. Nine years later, he also added the Hall of Fame to his resume.

“It is a tough feat [to win both the Haskell and Travers],” said Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who sends out Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) in this year’s Travers. “It takes a special horse to do it and Point Given was. It is only about three weeks [between those races]. I remember with Point Given, I wasn’t going to run him in the Haskell and then we got word that the Prince wanted to run in the Haskell, so I got him ready in two weeks. So, he won the Haskell just on pure class and guts. It wasn’t one of his ‘A’ races, but he got lucky. I think it was kind of a prep for him. It set him up perfectly for the Travers.”

 

BERNARDINI – 2006

Bernardini kicked off what would be a championship 3-year-old season with a win in the GIII Wither S. He went on to capture the GI Preakness S. after a bit of a troubled trip and simply devastated the 2006 Travers field with a 7 1/2-length romp (video). The bay went on to defeat his elders in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. and finish second in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“It was probably one of the most exciting moments in my career, watching that horse come down the stretch the way he did that day, especially after what he went through in the Preakness,” said trainer Tom Albertrani. “To be able to enjoy that moment, watching him run such a spectacular race that day, was just very, very exciting. Off his Jim Dandy, naturally you are always a bit nervous going into the big races, hoping they can just keep running the same sort of race. I think I was pretty confident going in the race. If I am not mistaken, Tom Durkin’s call was really remarkable when he said it is 90 degrees out and he hasn’t broken a sweat when he was coming down the lane. It was pretty exciting just being a part of the Travers.”

 

KEEN ICE – 2015

Keen Ice finished third behind American Pharoah as he soared into the history books with a victory in the 2015 GI Belmont S., becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. The hulking bay finished in his sensational rival’s shadow yet again when second in the Haskell. However, when they met next time at the Spa, the Graveyard of Champions, Keen Ice came charging down the stretch, sweeping by American Pharoah late to win the Travers by 3/4 of a length at 16-1 (video). He was the only horse to defeat the Triple Crown winner during his sophomore season.

“I have won a lot of big races and I think that is the one I have always been going for,” said conditioner Dale Romans, who will be represented by Everfast (Take Charge Indy) in this year’s Midsummer Derby. “It was just a special day all the way around. Allen Jerkens was such a good friend of mine and he is such a good person. Just to think, he beat Secretariat and I went on to beat American Pharoah. That was a big thing for me. My best moment of the whole thing was when I walked back to the barn with the horse and Leroy Jolley was waiting there to hug me. He was one of my childhood heroes and we became good friends late in his life. For him to stand around there and wait for me just to hug me afterwards was about as good as it can get.”

 

ARROGATE – 2016

Arrogate had three wins heading into the Travers, but they were in a maiden special weight and a pair of allowances. So, despite that record and his Hall of Fame trainer Baffert, the bettors let the ‘TDN Rising Star’ go off at 13-1. That would be the last time the gray went off at such generous odds as he led the field from gate to wire, dominating by 13 1/2 lengths in a sizzling new track record of 1:59.36 (video). That was just the beginning. Arrogate defeated Horse of the Year California Chrome next out in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, cinching up the champion 3-year-old male title. The following season, the Juddmonte colorbearer posted impressive victories in both the GI Pegasus World Cup and G1 Dubai World Cup.

“The Arrogate Travers was probably the most magical one,” Baffert said. “We knew he was a really good horse, but we just didn’t know how good because we never really let him run in the afternoons. That day, I was even in awe of him of myself. I didn’t know he could do that. Especially after going through what happened with American Pharoah the year before, I am still mad at myself for that. I should have done a better job with American Pharoah. I will always blame myself for that one.”

“He was just a beast,” Smith said. “That was the first time I had ever been on him period, but I knew he was really talented. Once I got him out of the gate good and got him to the first turn in good order, man, he was in a rhythm and a stride. I could tell when I looked back at the competition that they were having trouble keeping up with it. I just knew he was going to run huge. Even coming down the backside, I said, ‘Wow, this race is over.’ I looked back at the tote board at the time and then I heard the announcer say, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, that is a new track record.'”

 

WEST COAST – 2017

Unlike Arrogate, West Coast came to the Spa fresh off a pair of stakes wins in the East Goer S. at Belmont and the GIII Los Alamitos Derby. Let go at 6-1, the bay led the way from the get-go and never looked back for a 3 1/4-length score (video). He captured the GI Pennsylvania Derby next out and finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, to become Baffert’s third straight Eclipse Award winner in the sophomore male category.

“This year it is a different story,” said Baffert. “West Coast, when he won, we decided to put him on the lead. He was a high cruising kind of horse too. He was doing well, but we weren’t really sure how he fit. That is kind of what the Travers is all about, seeing if your horse is going to fit at a mile and a quarter against what is left of the 3-year-old crop. The vibe is unbelievable for the Travers. It is a great vibe up there for the Travers, so it is exciting if you can win it. It is such a huge race to win. You’ve got the Kentucky Derby and that is the Summer Derby. I have been very fortunate to win those.”

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