Travers Stakes features elite three-year-old field at Saratoga

The 2026 Travers Stakes, a $1.25 million Grade 1 race at Saratoga Race Course, features a highly competitive field of top three-year-old thoroughbreds. The race includes several major winners, such as Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo, who enters as the morning-line favorite.

Other key contenders include Renegade, the Jim Dandy winner and second choice on the morning line, and Sea Strike, a rising prospect trained by Chad Brown. The field also features Preakness winner Napoleon Solo and Haskell winner Baby Vino.

In notable jockey changes, trainer Todd Pletcher has tapped veteran Tyler Gaffalione to ride Renegade, replacing Irad Ortiz, Jr., who is sidelined with a foot injury. The race serves as a critical stepping stone for horses aiming for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.