Expert Pick of the Week: 2025 Travers Stakes

Aug 20, 2025

Sovereignty winning the Belmont (G1) at Saratoga (Photo by Coglianese Photos)

Four brave sophomores will take on dual classic winner Sovereignty in Saturday’s historic, $1.25 million Travers S. (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. The ‘Midsummer Derby’ will be contested at 1 1/4 miles on the main oval at The Spa and is led by the mighty Godolphin homebred, who is the clear one to beat for conditioner Bill Mott.

Sovereignty commenced his season with a visually impressive coup in the Fountain of Youth S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park, and following a strong runner-up result in the subsequent Florida Derby (G1), the son of Into Mischief powered home a clear winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 3. The colt bagged the Belmont S. (G1) in his next appearance with a sensational effort at the distance on this course, and he prepared for the Travers with a measured tally in the Peter Pan S. (G2) at Saratoga on July 26, as well.

The standout colt has posted a pair of positive morning moves on the Oklahoma training surface in advance of the Travers and gives me the impression of a three-year-old who is still improving. Sovereignty has improved his positional speed with his continued ascension, and his two-for-two mark at 1 1/4 miles makes him a formidable foe against this compact group. Regular pilot Junior Alvarado retains the mount.

The Steve Asmussen-trained Magnitude hinted at being a good prospect early in his career prior to exploding to a runaway score in the Risen Star S. (G2) at Fair Grounds in February. Following a layoff, the bay colt validated that triumph with a facile stroll in the Iowa Derby most recently. By Not This Time, the Winchell color bearer has never been better and has room to take another step forward in the feature while making his second run off the shelf. He possesses natural early speed and doesn’t appear to have distance limitations, so if the $450,000 yearling purchase takes another step in the right direction, then he could make the favorite work hard in the stretch with Ben Curtis staying in the silks.

Expert Pick

An exacta with #4 Sovereignty on top of #1 Magnitude in the 2025 Travers Stakes is the Best Bet of the Week.