Travers Stakes Preview - Quality Road Looks to Show Who’s Boss

After the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, have been run, horse racing fans wait for two marquee three-year old races before the Breeders’ Cup in the fall.

The first, the Haskell Invitational, was run last month with Rachel Alexandra, this year’s winner of the Preakness Stakes, romping to a victory. The second, the Travers Stakes, also referred to as the mid-summer Derby, will be run this Saturday.

Although a fantastic field has been entered for this Saturday’s Travers Stakes, all eyes will be on one horse betting, Quality Road.

The winner of the Grade I Florida Derby in early March went to the sidelines before ever getting a chance to show his stuff in the 2009 Triple Crown races. If had been in the gate on the first Saturday in May, perhaps the name Mine That Bird would never had made the history books. If he had run in the Preakness Stakes, perhaps Rachel Alexandra would never have taken on the boys, and if he had contested the Test of Champions, the 1 ½ mile Belmont Stakes, perhaps Summer Bird would have gone back to Arkansas after the Derby instead of going to New York.

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Of course, Quality Road didn’t do any of those things. That’s why perhaps the best three-year old on the planet, male or female, will have to show his stuff this Saturday in the Travers. If his prep for the Travers is any indication, Quality Road will be difficult to beat.

Coming off of a four month layoff, and running at a distance that most would agree is not his best, 6 ½ furlongs, Quality Road dispatched of his rivals by 2 ½ lengths after stumbling at the break. As any horseplayer will tell you, stumbling at the break almost always leads to defeat. When a horse stumbles in a short race, defeat is usually even more imminent, but Quality Road righted himself and proved how classy and amazingly gifted of an athlete he is.

Quality Road is going to be tough this Saturday, but there are some notable contenders ready to take him on. Our Edge, trained by Nick Zito, has won three in a row. Summer Bird, who finished 2nd to Rachel Alexandra, is back, and Charitable Man, who won the Peter Pan Stakes in May, has a right to bounce back off a less than stellar performance in the Jim Dandy.

Then there’s Kensei. The Steve Asmussen trained son of Mr. Greeley has really come into his own this summer with victories in the Dwyer and the Jim Dandy. He could prove to be Quality Road’s biggest challenge yet.

Log onto the BetUS Racebook, make your bets, grab a cold one, and watch the Travers Stakes on Saturday!