2007 Barstool Travers’ Preview
I’m not sure you could ask for anything more on a Saturday afternoon if you’re an area degenerate living in Boston. We’ve got a little bit of new school and a little bit of old on tap as Suffolk Downs and Barstool Sports present the first ever “Day at the Races” party featuring the El Presidente Wiffleball Challenge, as well as the 138th running of The Travers featuring Street Sense live from Saratoga. Like I said, truly an historic day in the world of degeneracy as The Stool and Suffolk join forces once again.
As far as the Wiffleball Challenge, I can’t really handicap that – all I know is if El Presidente is as good as he is at Bubble Hockey, it could be a long day for the Stoolies. As everybody knows by now an I-Phone is on line. If you can’t swing a bat or simply don’t care, you have a long, long day of gambling in store, culminating of course with the final race of the day – the $1 million Travers live from Saratoga.
Now after The Belmont, this race was shaping up to be one of the most anticipated in recent memory with Street Sense, Curlin and Rags to Riches all slated to run. Then Pletcher pulled Rags to Riches and Asmussen followed suit with Curlin, leaving Street Sense as the only Triple Crown winner in the field.
As a side rant here, I don’t blame Pletcher for moving the filly, but I can’t understand Asmussen. Despite his 3rd place finish in The Haskell, Curlin had more than a legitimate shot to win this race. In fact, not that it means anything, but he would’ve been my pick. I mean it’s not like he’s running in any other race this weekend or the next, Curlin’s next start is not supposed to be until the Jockey Club Gold on September 30th. Plus, by all accounts he’s healthy. I just don’t like this move by Asmussen and it’s disappointing to see such a talented horse like Curlin skip The Travers in favor of sitting around all day in a barn.
And as far as Haskell winner Any Given Saturday, see Curlin.
Regardless, as of Barstool press time we still have a half-way decent 7 horse field for this year’s Mid-Summer Derby and it’s time to pick a winner. Remember we have an impressive 1 race win streak on the line as I hit The Belmont cold back in June.
Onto the field… (post-positions not yet drawn.)
For You Reppo – Trainer: H. Pitts. Jockey: G. Gomez. Probable odds: 50-1. A huge longshot here with For You Reppo. I don’t know who Reppo is and quite frankly I don’t even know who this horse is. They listed him as “probable” to even run on Saturday so who knows. The only arguments you can make with him are A. Gomez, and B. he ran 4th in the Lanes End back in March and closed well his last start over the turf at Arlington. In short, you have a better chance with a cover model behind the bleachers on Saturday than For You Reppo has of winning The Travers. “So you’re saying there’s a chance...?” No.
Grasshopper – Trn: N. Howard. Jky: Unknown. Probable odds: 50-1. See: For You Reppo. Basically Grasshopper’s the token “he ran well at Toga horse” who the connections are rolling the dice with in The Travers. Coming out of a $70k allowance race where he steamrolled the field back on July 30th is certainly impressive but The Travers? Seriously?
Helsinki – Trn: N. Zito. Jky: J. Leparoux. Probable odds: 35-1. I think Nick Zito (who’s also sending CP West) is really stretching here with Helsinki, named either A., after the Finnish capital or B., a stripper Zito lost a bet to. This is just a strange entry, it almost smells too fishy – last in The Dwyer, 4th in The Lemon Drop Kid, I don’t know what’s going on with Helsinki. Granted he’s out of the same sire as 2005 Travers’ winner Flower Alley (Distorted Humor) but other than that, there’s nothing really to hang your hat on. Also blinkers are coming off if you’re into that sort of thing...
Loose Leaf – Trn: K. Mc Peek. Jky: K. Desormeaux. Probable odds: 25-1. Okay, a little better here with Loose Leaf. A little. Loose Leaf, like Grasshopper, has the one win over the Toga track except his was against better competition in The Lemon Drop Kid on August 5. He also has The Spa’s #2 rider this summer in Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux. The most experienced horse in the field as far as number of lifetime starts (13) and like we said he has the 1 win over the Toga track. Maybe a chance for Show, maybe.
Sightseeing – Trn: C. McGaughey. Jky: E. Prado. Probable odds: 10-1. Here’s the old “Wiseguy horse”. I have a feeling all the so-called experts and quasi-Mafia types are going to be all over Sightseeing on Saturday thinking he’s got a chance after his 3rd place finish in The Jim Dandy. But just look at his past performances – a bunch of 2nds and 3rds; his only win was against a weak Peter Pan field at Belmont back in May where he beat a horse called Prom Shoes by a nose. Would it surprise me to see him finish in the money? No. But I don’t think Sightseeing is quite good enough to win The Travers.
CP West – Trn: N. Zito. Jky: C.H. Velasquez. Probable odds: 9-2. This horse will probably be the 2nd choice to Street Sense on Saturday and for good reason. He’s got the #1 jockey at Saratoga this summer in Cornelio Velasquez and ran only 1 1/2 lengths behind Street Sense in The Jim Dandy over the same track on July 29. The problem is – how do you pick this horse over Street Sense? Street Sense has finished ahead of CP West in every race they’ve ever met: the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, The Preakness and The Jim Dandy. Zito has a solid horse here in CP West but I don’t think he can last the mile and a quarter.
Street Sense – Trn: C. Nafzger. Jky: C. Borel. Probable odds: 3-5. Now obviously there’s a lot to like about this year’s Kentucky Derby and Jim Dandy winner. He’s finished in the money in every career start (10-10), he’s had the same rider throughout (Borel), and barring either a miracle or a fix, he’s going to win The Travers. Listen I hate betting the favorite as much as anyone. I would’ve picked Any Given Saturday if he was running or Curlin if he was running. 3-5 is just not exciting enough for a degenerate like me but sometimes we have to take what the defense gives you. Plus we’ll have the El Presidente Wiffleball Challenge and the entire card at both Suffolk and Saratoga to find ourselves some longshots to win money on.
Official Travers’ picks: Win – Street Sense. Place – Sightseeing. Show – CP West.
Good luck and hopefully we’ll see you at Suffolk Downs on Saturday for Barstool’s “Day at the Races.”
Also, check out www.barstoolsports.com on Friday afternoon where I’ll be picking the entire card for Saturday at Suffolk.