2025 Travers Stakes weather forecast, outlook, update: Best horses to target for Saratoga Race Course

Weather played a role in the 2025 Triple Crown races, but it doesn't appear that will be the case at the 2025 Travers Stakes at Saratoga Racecourse on Saturday, with the 2025 Travers Stakes forecast calling for partly cloudy skies. Rainy weather didn't slow down Sovereignty at Saratoga in June, and he enters the 2025 Travers Stakes field with two Triple Crown race victories on his resume. Sovereignty is the 2-5 favorite in the 2025 Travers Stakes odds, but he isn't guaranteed to win the 1 1/4-mile run on Saturday. Before locking in your 2025 Travers Stakes picks, you should see what SportsLine's Eric Cohen has to say.

2025 Travers Stakes weather forecast

Cohen is a SportsLine expert and the current host of the Tuesday night Early Wedge Best Bets Show. While he is primarily an NFL, college football, and golf expert for the site, he's an avid horse player and most recently hit the trifecta at the 2025 Kentucky Derby.    

You can use his advice to make picks on Travers Stakes betting sites like 1/ST Bet and get the latest TwinSpires offer code. 

"Though only four horses are lined up to challenge Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty, Saratoga is known as the 'Graveyard of Champions' where overwhelming favorites are known to be upset by less-heralded challengers," Cohen said. "Which horses are most likely to give the most dominant 3-year-old of 2025 some trouble? Here's a ranking of each horse based on the race being run on a clean track."  

Magnitude (2-1)

"I'm calling for the upset here. Trained by the sport's all-time winningest trainer, Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ben Curtis, Magnitude stunned the sport with a 108 wire-to-wire Beyer Speed Figure in a 43-1 upset of the Grade II Risen Star Stakes on a fast track at Fair Grounds in February. A bone chip in his ankle forced him off the Kentucky Derby trail but his return in the Iowa Derby last month produced a second consecutive nine length victory and speed figure of 100+ (105). If Magnitude can get a comfortable lead up top as I expect, it might be too much for Sovereignty to overcome in the stretch. The 'Graveyard of Champions' moniker will strike again at Saratoga." You can bet on Magnitude now at 1/ST Bet: 

Sovereignty (2-5)

"The Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes champion is looking to give trainer Bill Mott his first Travers Stakes victory and is the overwhelming favorite to do so. Sovereignty has three wins and two 2nd place finishes in six starts on a fast track, with the only blemish being a fourth place finish in his first race last August. But a five horse race works against jockey Junior Alvarado's strategy of coming from far back, and unless a horse like Bracket Buster or Strategic Focus can challenge Magnitude up front, the race shape does not favor this champion." You can bet Sovereignty now at TwinSpires:

McAfee (20-1)

"Trainer Rick Dutrow is only 1-for-30 at Saratoga heading into Travers week but has 11 combined 2nd and 3rd place finishes. His horse, ridden by Hall of Famer John Velasquez, is 5-for-7 on a fast track, with one win, three runner-up finishes, and one third place result. While he doesn't have quite the closing kick of Sovereignty, McAfee should be able to pass the likes of Strategic Focus and Bracket Buster in the lane to make the trifecta payout that much more juicy."  You can bet McAfee at 1/ST Bet now:

Strategic Focus (6-1)

"The Chad Brown-trainee is the most inexperienced horse in the race with all three races having come on a fast track. He has hit the lifetime trifecta (one 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finish) but this is a major step up in competition against a couple of monster three-year-olds. I expect him to sit off Magnitude and tire in the lane while being passed by Sovereignty and McAfee." You can bet Strategic Focus now at TwinSpires:

Bracket Buster (20-1)

"I think the only impact that trainer Victoria Oliver's horse could have is to ruin Magnitude's chances. Bracket Buster's speed figures are noticeably below his competition and while the horse wants the lead, I'm projecting that Magnitude beats him to it. With a record of 6-1-1-1 on a fast track, I believe this horse's ceiling is 4th in a five horse field. He's a fade candidate unless the weather somehow turns nasty unexpectedly."  You can bet on Bracket Buster now at 1/ST Bet:

How to make 2025 Travers Stakes picks, bets

SportsLine's Michelle Yu has been on fire with her picks in 2025, including hitting the exacta in the Kentucky Derby. She will be at the Travers Stakes 2025 and has a horse-by-horse analysis of the 2025 Travers Stakes field. Yu is sharing her analysis and 2025 Travers Stakes picks over at SportsLine.