Saratoga Travers Stakes

The Travers is a 1-1/4 mile race for three-year-olds run in Saratoga Springs, NY.

The Saratoga Travers Stakes is the oldest stakes run annually in the country. Since 1864 it has been held every year except 1898, 1899, 1900, 1911 and 1912.

The race is named for William R. Travers, the first president of Saratoga Race Course, and the owner of the first horse to win: Kentucky. The Travers is often called “the Midsummer Derby” and is the premier event for three-year-olds at the Saratoga meet every August.

In 1943, 1944 and 1945 the Travers was run at Belmont Park on Long Island due to war-time restrictions on travel.

Travers Winners

2010 Afleet Express
2009 Summer Bird
2008 Colonel John
2007 Street Sense
2006 Bernardini
2005 Flower Alley
2004 Birdstone (the inspiration for Storm Bird, 2005’s poster)
2003 Ten Most Wanted
2002 Medaglia d’Oro
2001 Point Given
2000 Unshaded
1999 Lemon Drop Kid
1998 Coronado’s Quest (the inspiration for By a Nose, 1999’s poster)
1997 Deputy Commander
1996 Will’s Way
1995 Thunder Gulch
1994 Holy Bull
1993 Sea Hero
1992 Thunder Rumble
1991 Corporate Report
1990 Rhythm
1989 Easy Goer
1988 Forty Niner (the inspiration for The Win, 1989’s poster)
1987 Java Gold
1986 Wise Times
1985 Chief’s Crown
1984 Carr de Naskra
1983 Play Fellow
1982 Runaway Groom
1981 Willow Hour
1980 Temperence Hill
1979 General Assembly
1978 Alydar
1977 Jatski
1976 Honest Pleasure
1975 Wajima
1974 Holding Pattern
1973 Annihilate ’e Em
1972 Key to the Mint
1971 Bold Reason
1970 Loud
1969 Arts And Letters
1968 Chompion
1967 Damascus (22-length victory was the largest margin ever)
1966 Buckpasser
1965 Hail To All
1964 Quadrangle
1963 Crewman
1962 Jaipur (sets new stakes record of 2:01 3/5)
1961 Beau Prince
1960 Tompion
1959 Sward Dancer
1958 Piano Jim
1957 Gallant Man
1956 Oh Johnny
1955 Thinking Cap
1954 Fisherman
1953 Native Dancer
1952 One Count
1951 Battlefield
1950 Lights Up
1949 Arise
1948 Ace Admiral
1947 Young Peter
1946 Natchez
1945 Adonis
1944 By Jimminy
1943 Eurasian
1942 Shut Out
1941 Whirlaway (the first and only Triple Crown victor to win the Travers)
1940 Fenelon
1939 Eight Thirty
1938 Thanksgiving
1937 Burning Star
1936 Granville
1935 Gold Foam
1934 Observant
1933 Inlander
1932 War Hero
1931 Twenty Grand
1930 Jim Dandy (beating Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox by eight lengths at odds of 100-1)
1929 Beacon Hill
1928 Petee-Wrack
1927 Brown Bud
1926 Mars
1925 Dangerous
1924 Sun Flag
1923 Wilderness
1922 Little Chief
1921 Sporting Blood
1920 Man o’ War (setting a record time of 2:01 4/5, a record that stood for 42 years)
1919 Hannibal
1918 Sun Briar
1917 Omar Khayyam
1916 Spur
1915 Lady Rotha
1914 Roamer
1913 Rock View
1911-12 (The Agnew-Hart anti-wagering bill forces New York tracks to close for two years)
1910 Dalmation
1909 Hilarious
1908 Dorante
1907 Frank Gill
1906 Gallavant
1905 Dandelion
1904 Broomstick
1903 Ada Nay
1902 Hermis
1901 Blues
1900 (the Travers was not run)
1899 (the Travers was not run)
1898 (the Travers was not run)
1897 Rensselaer
1896 (Saratoga Race Course is purchased by a syndicate headed by William Whitney; the Travers is not run for the first time in 33 years)
1895 Liza
1894 Henry of Navarre
1893 Stowaway
1892 Azra
1891 Vallera
1890 Sir John
1889 Long Dance
1888 Sir Dixon
1887 Carey
1886 Inspector B.
1885 Bersan
1884 Rataplan
1883 Barnes
1882 Carley B.
1881 Hindoo
1880 Grenada
1879 Faisetto
1878 Duke of Magenta
1877 Badem Baden
1876 Sultana
1875 D’Artagnan
1874 Attila
1873 Tom Bowling
1872 Joe Daniels
1871 Harry Bassett
1870 Kingfisher
1869 Glenelg
1868 The Banshee
1867 Ruthless
1866 Merrill
1865 Maiden
1864 Kentucky