The biggest horse race of this weekend is the 2026 Travers Stakes, which is held at Saratoga Race Course in New York State. The race is full of high quality horses, including Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner, Golden Tempo, who comes into the Travers off a layoff after skipping the Jim Dandy prep in August due to a minor illness. This years race has a $1.25 million purse.
Golden Tempo is the favorite at odds of 5-2, while Jim Dandy winner Renegade is the other main contender in the 10 horse field, with odds of 3-1.
In this article I will provide the morning line odds for the 10 horses in the field and also provide my top picks for the race. At the bottom of the page I will provide a simple 3 step guide that you can follow to place a bet on the Travers Stakes this year if you live in the USA.
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2026 Travers Stakes Odds
Here are the morning line odds (and post positions) for this years Travers Stakes race. These odds are not fixed and will change throughout race day depending on which horses are bet on at the racetrack.
- Emerging Market 15-1
- Leading Change 12-1
- Napoleon Solo 8-1
- The Puma 8-1
- Renegade 3-1
- Ocelli 20-1
- Sea Strike 5-1
- Baby Vino 10-1
- Golden Tempo 5-2
- Silent Tactic 10-1
Golden Tempo is the 5-2 favorite after a huge season that has already seen him win both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. He hasn’t raced since that Belmont win in June and skipped his traditional Jim Dandy prep with a minor illness, so the only real question is whether the layoff catches up with him in a deep field.
Renegade (3-1) is the other main contender in the field. He has finished right behind Golden Tempo in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont, and he owns the recency edge here after rallying from well back to win the Jim Dandy Stakes on August 1. This is a rematch he has been pointing toward all summer.
This years Travers airs live on FOX as part of the network’s Saratoga coverage on Saturday afternoon.
My Pick
This is a much deeper Travers than last years running, but I still lean toward the best horse in the race. Golden Tempo has already beaten most of these rivals twice, and his Belmont Stakes win came over this exact Saratoga course and distance, which is a big edge at the mile and a quarter. The layoff is the one worry, and that is exactly why Renegade is dangerous — he has the recency, he has the class, and he has run within a length of Golden Tempo on the sports biggest stages. If you want value to beat the favorite, Renegade is the play. But on proven form at the distance, I’ll side with the Derby and Belmont winner.
Play: Golden Tempo 5-2
Here’s the replay from the Belmont Stakes, where Golden Tempo ran down Commandment over this same Saratoga course and distance to complete a Kentucky Derby and Belmont double.
How To Bet On The Travers Stakes in America
Follow these three simple steps to get your bets placed on the Travers Stakes race this Saturday.
#1. Open a Bovada.lv Account
Bovada is our top rated betting site for American residents. They have a very user friendly racebook that is easy to understand and they offer all of the top racetracks from across the USA. Bovada is completely focused on the American market, which allows them to concentrate on providing the best betting product available for Americans.
After clicking on the link above select ‘Join’ and complete the form to open your account.
#2. Deposit
Bovada accepts Visa, MasterCard and bitcoin deposits. All of the deposits are fast so you are able to get your bets placed right away.
Bovada.lv is offering new players at 50% matching bonus up to $250 on your first deposit.
#3. Bet On The Travers Stakes
You’re now ready to bet on the race.
On the Bovada website select ‘Horses’ from the top menu bar to go to the racebook. Once there select ‘All Tracks’ and ‘Saratoga’.
Scroll to race #13 on August 29th for the Travers Stakes (post time of 6:35pm ET) to see the Travers Stakes field and their current odds. Then go ahead and place your bets.
Check out our horse race betting info page for all the details about the various wagers you can make.
I think that’s it. Are you ready to bet? Click here to visit Bovada.lv.
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