Travers Day Recap

One can argue all day about the quality of this years 3 year old crop running in the Travers. But each year after I walk out of the Track on Travers Day towards Siro's to drink and discuss the days events I look for two things-will I have memories of the day and did I have fun. The 2008 Travers was an affirmative Yes on both accounts for me.

----The crowd was 40,723. I thought the crowd was a pretty good # and my pre meet guess of 42,500 on The Equispace blog Toga contest was the closest allowing me to finally break my maiden in the contest.

----The weather was even better than I expected. Some of the morning forecasts predicted a little bit of humidity but there was none to be had. In fact the weather was incredible, a far difference from the oppressive humidity of Travers '07

----A roar went up in my section of the grandstand when Slambino in the 7th race came across the wire at 88-1. One of my gang had him in a show bet prompting the immediate "why didn't you bet him to win" post race wise guy comments. A even greater roar went up when the pay amounts went up on the board showing a $105,914 trifecta and $1,523,188 superfecta. No one actually hit the $2 superfecta but there were 2 bettors who had the 10 cents superfecta that paid $76,159.40.

----I often find that horseplayers disagree on who is a good jockey and who is not. I am no expert but this Alan Garcia kid looks to me to be a good jockey. He won 5 races yesterday and seems really good on the turf. He is now the leading winning jockey in the meet.

----Visionaire won the Kings Bishop, coming out of the clouds with Alan Garcia on board. I had J be K like many others. Of course when the race was over the horse looks like a no brainer to pick especially at those odds, paying $15.60 to win.

----The Travers Stakes itself was one thrilling race. The crowd gave it's usual pre race roar as race caller Tom Durkin announced that "They're in the Gate" Then the horses got off clean and the crowd roared louder. As the horses turned and came down the final stretch Mambo in Seattle made a move on the outside of Da'Tara and caught up to Colonel John and they both barreled toward the finish side by side. We all leaned forward as it was obvious they would stay this way to the finish and we would need to look closely at the finish. I thought Mambo in Seattle had him at the wire and many in the crowd thought so too. We waited and waited and then Colonel John's # was posted first with Mambo in Seattle and then Pyro third. Even when they showed the replay a couple of times it was so hard to tell who won they were so close. Give me a race like that and who cares if Big Brown is not there.

----With 12 packed races and many long shots hitting in the undercard, it was a fun day. It was then off to Broadway and Caroline Street for the usual post race revelry. As one person I bumped into later said so simply: " I love this town"