Loaded field for H. Allen Jerkens could steal the show on Travers Day

While the Sovereignty and the short field for the Travers drew all the attention, the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens drew a stack field that may not only be the race of the day but the race of the meet. The field of eight 3-year-olds set to go seven furlongs have combined for 10 stakes wins, five of them graded. 

Patch Adams drew the rail following his last-out victory in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens and is the slight 3-1 morning-line favorite. That win came over Madaket Road, who finished second, and Chancer McPatrick, who finished eighth and came back to the Curlin Stakes going 1 1/8 miles. Those two are back in Saturday’s field. Patch Adams picked up his first graded stakes win in the Woody Stephens and proved sprinting is his game. Luis Saez retains the mount for trainer Brad Cox. Since the Woody Stephens, Cox has won just seven times from 41 at the meet.

Cox also entered up-and-coming Verifire, who won the Maxfield at Churchill Downs last out, proving he can run without Lasix, an anti-bleeding medication. Verifire and Patch Adams have early speed but can also stalk. Flavien Prat has the mount on Verifire, 4-1 on the morning line from post 5.

Trainer Bob Baffert entered a trio of horses and two are likely to take most of the attention. Midland Money earned a flashy speed figure for his comeback victory at Saratoga earlier this month. That came against allowance foes and was his first start since June of 2024. The front-runner has loads of speed and will break from post 2 under Joel Rosario.

Directly outside of him is Barnes, who’s been stealing headlines since his $3.2 million purchase as a 2-year-old in August of 2023. Barnes won sprinting on debut and in the Grade 2 San Vicente going seven furlongs. Going 1 1/16 miles in the San Felipe, Barnes ran second as the favorite to Journalism, who’s returned as second-best 3-year-old in the country. Barnes then ran fifth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby and hasn’t raced since. Baffert’s statistics aren’t great going from routes to sprint. Barnes will get Jose Ortiz aboard at 9-2 on the morning line. 

Madaket Road was second in the Woody Stephens and could get overlooked Saturday. That was his first race cutting back since his first two starts. He chased the early speed and faded in the stretch, though he may not have loved the muddy track. Drawn in post 8 with John Velazquez aboard, Madaket Road should get a good stalking trip. With only a maiden win on his record, Madaket Road has run second in three graded stakes.

A pair of recent last-out stakes winners at Saratoga are also in Saturday’s field. Smoken Wicked finally put it all together at the end of July to win the Grade 2 Amsterdam. Smoken Wicked won a pair of Louisiana-bred stakes for trainer Dallas Stewart in December and then ran last in the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn going long. Back to shorter distances, Smoken Wicked progressed and eventually ran second behind Verifire in the Maxfield. His Amsterdam was solid but he’ll face some tougher fo es here. Regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. will be aboard from post 6.

Trainer Chad Brown will cutback Chancer McPatrick once again. The two-time Grade 1 winner has been a bit of an enigma, winning the Hopeful and Champagne as a juvenile, then running poorly in Kentucky Derby preps. Brown then cutback his 3-year-old in the Woody Stephens where he ran seventh. In the restricted Curlin Stakes going 1 1/8 miles last out, Chancer McPatrick showed his typical good closing kick to prevail by a head. His stablemate Strategic Focus runs in the Travers. Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard in the Curlin, retains the mount.

Captain Cook, who won the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct in February, has switched from trainer Rick Dutrow to Todd Pletcher, who removes blinkers Saturday. Ricardo Santana Jr . will be aboard Captain Cook, who was third last out in the Maxfield.

The Jerkens, race 10, is the second leg of a five-race stretch that includes all Grade 1 races. The Travers closes the sequence as race 13 and features Derby and Belmont winner Sovereignty. 

More Horse Racing News

Travers Stakes: Few expected to take on Derby and Belmont winner Sovereignty

How to wager and find value in the Travers

Book'em Danno and Mullikin renew rivalry in Forego