Expert Pick of the Week: 2021 Travers Stakes

Aug 26, 2021 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Champion Essential Quality leads a top field of seven three-year-olds postward in the $1.25 million Travers S. (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday. The ‘Midsummer Derby’ brought out some of the best in the sophomore division, and I am expecting a mild upset to occur in the signature race of the meeting.

The Steve Asmussen-trained Midnight Bourbon is winless in five races since taking the Lecomte S. (G3) at Fair Grounds to commence 2021, but the talented colt appears to be well positioned for a peak performance in the Travers. He is the Expert Pick of the Week.

Midnight Bourbon has been consistently very good this season while running against top competition on every occasion. Second in the Louisiana Derby (G2), the son of Tiznow also earned runner-up honors in the Preakness S. (G1), and the bay was poised to register a top-three finish in the Haskell S. (G1) at Monmouth Park prior to clipping heels in the stretch and dumping his pilot prior to the finish.

The Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred returned to the worktab in swift fashion following his mishap last time out, and he has posted four positive morning moves on the Oklahoma training surface in advance of Saturday.

In the Travers, the stout sophomore received a great draw on the rail and should control the race from the start as long as he breaks well from the gate under Ricardo Santana, Jr. He has the right one-paced running style to excel at the distance, and the way the track has played during the meeting, Midnight Bourbon will capitalize on a ground-saving voyage from the start.

Essential Quality is a length shy of being unbeaten in his career and showed an affinity for Saratoga in his superb triumph in the Jim Dandy S. (G2) last time out. The Godolphin homebred has done little wrong over the past two seasons for conditioner Brad Cox, and he appears to be rounding up to another big race following two strong morning moves on this main strip.

The son of Tapit has a versatile running style and I envision him to be tracking the pace from the catbird seat in third or fourth from the word go. The sublime sophomore will have regular pilot Luis Saez in the stirrups.

An exacta with Midnight Bourbon on top of Essential Quality is the Best Bet of the Week.