Tiz the Law is no lock to win the Travers Stakes at Saratoga
Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law, first on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 272 qualifying points, is an even-money favorite. The three-time Grade 1-winning son of Constitution won his debut at Saratoga last August and is 4 for 5 since, his latest a convincing win in the first leg of the revised Triple Crown. Jockey Manny Franco, who has been aboard for all five rides since the maiden win, will guide Tiz the Law from Post No. 6 on Saturday.
“I would prefer he be on the outside because you have less chances of getting in trouble,” trainer Barclay Tagg said. “Not that you can’t, but you have less chance. Post six is fine.”
Travers Stakes (Grade I)
11th race at Saratoga, 1 ¼ miles on dirt
Pick: No. 4 Max Player, 6-1 on the morning line
Tiz the Law is going to garner a lot of attention in this race for obvious reasons but there is value elsewhere, particularly in a horse he beat in the Belmont Stakes.
Max Player, a son of Honor Code from the A.P. Indy sire line, won the Grade 3 Withers Stakes in February at Aqueduct and still turned in a triple-digit Brisnet speed figure in the Belmont (100), making him the only horse in the field besides Tiz the Law that has earned that high of a speed figure as a 3-year-old.
Here are win selections for the other graded stakes race Saturday at Saratoga.
Ballerina Handicap (Grade I)
7th race at Saratoga, seven furlongs on dirt
Pick: No. 1 Serengeti Empress, 5-2 on the morning line
The reigning Kentucky Oaks winner will return to a sprint for the first time since August at Saratoga in an effort to return to dominance. Serengeti Empress has won all four of her graded stakes races with wire-to-wire performances and a lack of early speed in this race should make it her fifth.
The Troy (Grade III)
8th race at Saratoga, 5 ½ furlongs on dirt
Pick: No. 2 American Sailor, 12-1 on the morning line
American Sailor returns to graded stake company for the second time in his career and for the first time since a 10th place finish in the Grade 3 Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs in 2016. However, this gelded son of City Zip had a decent showing at Monmouth in July during the Wolf Hill Stakes (second place) and could be the lone front runner with speed in this field, giving him a huge advantage from the start.
The Waya (Grade III)
9th race at Saratoga, 1 ½ miles on turf
Pick: No. 7 Fools Gold, 5-1 on the morning line
Sometimes you don’t have to overthink it. Fools Gold won the Waya last year and is the only horse in the field with a win at this marathon distance. Plus, the 5-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, who was aboard three of the last four Waya winners, including Fools Gold in 2019.
Test Stakes (Grade I)
10th race at Saratoga, seven furlongs on dirt
Pick: No. 6 Venetian Harbor, 8-5 on the morning line
Two of the top 3-year-old fillies, Gamine and Venetian Harbor, will meet for the first time on Saturday.
Gamine dominated the Grade 1 Acorn by 18 lengths at Belmont in June but it’s possible she might not have as much to give this time around. That opens the door for Venetian Harbor, who was bumped at the start of the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes in July before finishing second by three lengths. Venetian Harbor also has four races at or near par for the Test (including a 9 ¼-length victory in the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes) compared to just two for Gamine.
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