2025 Travers Stakes GI

Purse $1,250,000. One And One Fourth Miles. For Three Year Olds

2025 Travers Day PPs

To read previous editions of The Haiku Handicapper, click here.

#1 – Magnitude
Massive potential
Finally put to the test
We’ll learn a lot here

#2 – Bracket Buster
Sooner or later
All mid-majors get sent home
By a higher seed

#3 – Strategic Focus
The most important
Piece of equipment in field
Could be his blinkers

#4 – Sovereignty
Graveyard’s had its chance
He’s dodged it for two big wins
Folks are ducking him

#5 – McAfee
Enough to get by
At Thistle and Mountaineer
Won’t get by at Spa

Prediction
Don’t overthink it
Sovereignty’s the best horse
One, three fill the tri

Paulick Report – Comebacking Speed Boat Beach Headlines Nine-Strong Pat O’Brien

Horse Race Insider – John Pricci – LAST WEEK, MARK CASSE GOT HIS FIRST ALABAMA, WILL BILL MOTT BREAK HIS TRAVERS MAIDEN?

TDN – Tim Wilkin – Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: McPeek Expecting Big Performance From Thorpedo Anna in Personal Ensign

Paulick Report – Ben Kudla – Equibase Analysis: Sovereignty Poised To Dominate Midsummer Derby

Thoroughbred Racing Commentary – Steve Dennis – ‘Read ’em and weep for all mortal locks whose mortality was exposed’ – it’s Sovereignty vs destiny in the Travers

Phil has a question:

Where is the prop bet on which of the 7 furlong races will be run the fastest on Saturday at Saratoga.

Where is the prop bet on which of the 7 furlong races will be run the fastest on Saturday at Saratoga and Del Mar.

Radar Love

Bloodhorse – Bob Ehalt – Cox Duo Tops Field of 8 in Competitive Jerkens Field

Phil has a question:

How do you garner excitement for a race like the Jerkens when 2 or 3 of the entrants will most likely be Stakes Scratches.

Where is the prop bet on who will be the Stakes Scratches.

Bloodhorse – Bob Ehalt – Mott Seeks First Travers Win with Sovereignty

TDN – Tim Wilkin – Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Sovereignty Will Face Just Four in Travers

Paulick Report – Chris Abdo – Sovereignty ‘Horse To Beat’ In Short Field For Travers

The Saratogian – Chris Fitz Gerald – Where the Travers got its name

Boom Boom Out Go The Lights

TDN – MGISW Journalism Works At Del Mar, Next Race TBD

One of Phil’s favourite name horses: Dorth Vader, the  John Ropes Florida homebred already has her ticket to the Breeders Cup punched, but is not ducking the competition as she’ll face Thorpedo Anna on Saturday August 23, 2025 in the GI Personal Ensign Stakes going 1 1/8 miles on the Saratoga dirt for Fillies and Mares 4 Year Olds And Up with a Purse of  $500,000 .

Dorth Vader is by Girvin (Tale of Ekati) out of the Yonaguska mare Hardcore Candy who was campaigned in Alberta by Darrell Landry and then Amber Buniak and Ryan McLean. Hardcore Candy won 8 races from 40 starts with 8 seconds and 4 thirds, earning $101,308. She was Stakes placed in the Freedom of the City Stakes (Black Type) at Northlands Park.

Hardcore Candy Progeny

The story of how Dorth Vader’s name came to be remains a light-hearted point of contention for the couple.

Ropes explains that Harden had been asking him to name a horse for her for years, but he didn’t want to name a horse “Dorothy.” He and his farm manager decided to shorten it to “Dorth,” and since Harden is a Star Wars fan, the name Dorth Vader was born.

Harden vividly remembers the day Ropes told her about the name.

“He came home and said, ‘I named a horse for you,’” she recalled. “I was thinking, maybe ‘Dashing Dorothy,’ or ‘Daring Dorothy.’ Nope. Dorth Vader. My mouth dropped, and I’m like, ‘You think I’m an intergalactic villain?’

“He found it so funny.

Paulick Report – Chelsea Hackbarth – Named For An ‘Intergalactic Villain’? Homebred Embodied The Faith Of ‘Dorth‘ At Saratoga

The Imperial March

Dorth Vader is out of the winning Yonaguska mare Hardcore Candy, who Ropes purchased under the name Rose Grove Farm for $23,000 at the 2014 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. Fall Mixed Sale.

Paulick Report – Joe Nevills – Dorth Vader Forces Herself Into Breeders’ Cup Conversation With Mud-Caked Ogden Phipps Win

Phil M. Stockmen