Alright, the $1.25 million Travers Stakes on August 29 is shaping up to be absolutely wild, especially for Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes champ Golden Tempo. This horse just made Triple Crown history for himself and trainer Cherie DeVaux, becoming only the thirteenth horse to win both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, which he did on June 6 at Saratoga Race Course. But get this: he’s been slapped with a surprisingly narrow 5-2 morning line favorite, even after all that!
What’s Up With Golden Tempo’s Odds?
Seriously, what are these Saratoga oddsmakers thinking? Golden Tempo, with Jose Ortiz in the irons, just etched his name into the history books, yet he’s only a half-point better than the second favorite. Drawing the outside post position No. 9, Golden Tempo has an implied probability of just 28.57% to win the Travers. You read that right. The horse that dominated two legs of the Triple Crown is barely favored over the field. It feels like they’re practically begging us to bet against him, doesn’t it?
It gets even crazier when you look at his main competition. Renegade, trained by Todd Pletcher, is sitting at 3-1 odds, an implied probability of 25%. Renegade didn’t win a Triple Crown leg, but he snagged a decisive, ultra-late close victory in the Jim Dandy. The oddsmakers are essentially telling us that Renegade, who didn’t even sniff a Triple Crown win, has nearly the same chance to take home the Travers as Golden Tempo. Wild.
Renegade Is Breathing Down His Neck, And The Field Is Deep
While Golden Tempo is trying to shake off these “favorite” odds that feel more like a disrespect, Renegade, with Tyler Gaffalione replacing Irad Ortiz Jr., is definitely a monster closer and will be a huge threat. He showed us what he can do in the Jim Dandy. With ten horses in this field, it’s a relatively big lineup for the Travers, and that could really mix things up.
The setup of this 157th Travers field might even prevent those classic stretch duels we all love. But don’t count out the jockeys. Jose Ortiz on Golden Tempo and Tyler Gaffalione on Renegade are gonna find, or make, their own space to bring the run. The question is whether they do it simultaneously and set up that epic showdown between the two favorites. We’re gonna have to believe it as race week continues!
August 29 is gonna be intense. Will Golden Tempo silence the doubters and prove those 5-2 odds are way too generous? Or will Renegade’s late close steal the show, or will one of the other eight horses shock everyone? Get ready, because the Saratoga Race Course is about to deliver.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply