The Travers – Grade I
1 1/4 Mile Dirt Stake Purse $1,250.000 Open 3 Year Olds.

1st Walk Em Down Mb Stables Davis D

Well, that’s it, I am officially now a Walk Em Down fan after doubting his ability to keep winning races as a closer, he made it big win number three with another big finish and a win in what was probably the best three-year-old race we are likely to see this year. I am still mystified as to what happened to him in the KYD, but that poor run is well behind him now and The Preakness winner looks to be the main hope of the three-year-olds in this year’s BC Classic. With four wins from eight, two grade ones and two grade twos, he has nothing left to prove and now it will be just a matter of waiting and hoping that he gets a kind draw in the BC.

2nd Master And Commander Fractious Geroux F

It wasn’t an overly fast pace, so it was great to see the closers getting their timing right, and this one ran into second in an effort we all knew he was capable of. His only win this year came way back in January but since then he has taken on the best and this is probably his best run yet, so as he continues to grow and mature, he could well turn into a force come November.

3rd Blazing Maxmillion Farm Dominguez Jo

This is the second time we have seen him over the ten furlongs and the second time we have seen him falter in the tenth of them so he may be telling his owner he is a BC dirt mile entry rather than a Classic horse. He went to the front at the mile but just couldn’t hold the closers and though ending up third was a big effort, it does make me wonder about going this trip and beyond. Having said that, this was the hottest three-year-old race so far this year and he was beaten less than a length so maybe as usual I have no idea what I am talking about!!

4th Axel Grinder Mb Stables Centeno D E

As soon as the purse goes to $1,000.000 and above the Mb horses seem to grow and extra leg and this one certainly did finishing fourth after stalking the lead. The fact that he had only been in one stakes race, and that was ungraded, and yet he beat the KYD winner says just how far he improved into this race to end up fourth. Like Blazing he may find the dirt mile is his sort of race, but he has a way to go to get the points needed to be involved in November.

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES