2026 Travers Stakes Contenders & Odds
Edited NYRA Press Release | OTB Writer
Updated:
February 26, 2026
157th Travers Stakes Scheduled For August 29
The 157th running of the $1,250,000 Travers Stakes will be held on Saturday, August 29 at Saratoga Race Course and can be wagered on and watched here at OffTrackBetting.com - US legal online OTB.
The Travers Stakes, also known as the Midsummer Derby, is one of the most historic races in the country and has been an annual feature at Saratoga for nearly as long as the track has been running.
2026 Travers Stakes Entries & Odds
| Entry | Horse | ML Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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** Odds to be posted after draw ** |
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U.S. Legal Online Wagering
Tarvers Pre-Draw News
2026 Travers Stakes Race Info
Purse: $1,250,000
Grade: 1
Distance: 1 1/4 Miles
Age: 3
2025 Travers Stakes Winner: Sovereignty
Track and Stakes Record: Arrogate (2016) 1:59.36
About the Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is the oldest major stakes race in the U.S. having first been conducted in 1864.
The Travers was named for William R. Travers, president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. The initial running of the race was won by his horse Kentucky. From 1864 to 1889, the race was run at 1 3/4 miles, and the current distance was adopted for the 1904 running.
In 1941 Triple Crown champion Whirlaway became the first and only horse to win the Travers after sweeping the Triple Crown. In the 1982 Travers, Canadian champion Runaway Groom became the first horse to defeat the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont winners in a single race. No other horse has accomplished this feat since. In 2012 Alpha and Golden Ticket won the race the first and only Travers dead heat.
Other top horses to win the Travers include Bernardini, Medaglia d'Oro, Holy Bull, Easy Goer, Forty Niner, Alydar, Arts and Letters, Damascus, Sword Dancer, Native Dancer and Man o' War.
The Travers is amongst the most prestigious races for sophomores, and predates all three Triple Crown races. Inaugurated in 1864, the historic 10-furlong event is the Spa's marquee race and honors Saratoga's first president William Travers, who won the first running with the A.J. Minor-trained Kentucky.
Since then, the Travers has been captured by a total of 25 Hall of Fame thoroughbreds including Kentucky, Ruthless [1867], Harry Bassett [1871], Tom Bowling [1873], Duke of Magenta [1878], Hindoo [1881], Henry of Navarre [1894], Broomstick [1904], Roamer [1914], Man o' War [1920], Twenty Grand [1931], Granville [1936], Eight Thirty [1939], Whirlaway [1941], Native Dancer [1953], Gallant Man [1957], Sword Dancer [1959], Buckpasser [1966], Damascus [1967], Arts and Letters [1969], Alydar [1978], Easy Goer [1989], Holy Bull [1994], Point Given [2001], and 2024 inductee Arrogate [2016].
