The Whitney - Travers Stakes Double

 

The Whitney – Travers Stakes Double

Joseph Di Rienzi

The two most prestigious races during the traditional summer meeting at Saratoga Racetrack are the Whitney Stakes and the Travers Stakes. The latter is restricted to three-year-olds while the former in part of its history was open to ages three and older. Both are steeped in thoroughbred racing lore with a roster of victors that include such legends as Man o’War, Whirlaway, Tom Fool, Kelso, Buckpasser, Damascus, Dr. Fager and Personal Ensign. However, there have been only four horses who have completed the Whitney – Travers double in the same year. (This accomplishment is not presently possible, in that the Whitney Stakes is currently only open to horses four years and older.)  

Why a trainer would run a sophomore against older horses in August can be explicated as follows: The Whitney at 9 furlongs, run at the time two weeks prior to the 10 furlong Travers at the same racetrack would serve as an ideal prep for what has been called “The Mid-Summer Derby.” When the Whitney was run as a handicap (until 2019), three-year-olds would get significant weight allowances against their older foes. (In Europe, this advantage enables young horses to have success in major races even in July.)  And lastly, the four who, indeed completed this double, where just that superior to their older competition.

This essay will look at the four thoroughbreds alluded to above who were able to accomplish this rare double.

Key to the Mint winning the 1972 Travers Stakes
(AP wire photo)

Rokeby Stables Key to the Mint, a foal of 1969, was born to be a champion, being a son of Graustark from the Princequillo mare Key Bridge. This made him a half-brother to the stable’s venerable and durable champion grass horse, Fort Marcy. Much more precocious than his older sibling, and successful on dirt, the stately long-legged bay colt had a productive two-year-old year. However, he clearly was in the umbra of champion Riva Ridge. As Key to the Mint turned three in 1972, he had a setback in Florida that interrupted his Kentucky Derby prep schedule. He did return in time to win the Derby Trial at 1 mile convincingly, but trainer Elliot Burch deemed the colt not seasoned enough for the demanding 1¼ miles of the Derby.

In the Preakness Stakes, Key to the Mint finished ahead of Kentucky Derby winner Riva Ridge but found longshot Bee Bee Bee and No Le Hace both too good over the sloppy Pimlico Racetrack oval. The Belmont Stakes was a tour de force for Riva Ridge as he won by 7 lengths. Key to the Mint had challenged at one point but faded to finish fourth beaten over 12 lengths.

After the Belmont, the bay son of Graustark came into his own. The Whitney was not the first time Key to the Mint competed against his elders. In the 9½ furlong Brooklyn Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack, Key to the Mint, toting a feathery 112 lb., affirmed the quality of the sophomore division, leading all the way and winning by 2 lengths over four-year-old Autobiography (122 lb.), setting a new track record.

At Saratoga, Key to the Mint once again bested his older rivals, this time winning the Whitney Handicap in front running fashion under 113 lbs. by 2 lengths with Autobiography (120 lbs.) finishing fourth.

The 1972 edition of the Travers Stakes was not a championship deciding contest. Riva Ridge was given a rest after an unexpected defeat in the Monmouth Invitational Handicap (now the Haskell Stakes). Key to the Mint was the prohibitive favorite, and he prevailed by a length after a long stretch duel with Tentam, with True Knight ½ length back in third. Key to the Mint was Elliot Burch’s fourth trainee to be victorious in the Travers (Sword Dancer (1959), Quadrangle (1964), and Arts and Letters (1969) being the previous winners).
 

Alydar winning the 1978 Whitney Handicap
(NYRA telephoto)

The next horse to complete the Whitney – Travers double needs no introduction to avid racing observers. Alydar was a legendary horse and generally considered the greatest horse never to win a championship. The strapping chestnut son of Raise a Native was bred and raced by hallowed Calumet Farm and trained by John Veitch. His battles with Harbor View Farm’s Affirmed are etched in thoroughbred racing lore. Much has been written about their rivalry and I will not reiterate it here. Suffice to say that in the summer of 1978 Alydar came to Saratoga for the Whitney Stakes after three grueling losses to Affirmed in the Triple Crown Series in which he was the only horse in history to finish second in all three classics.

Of the two Triple Crown protagonists, the Calumet Farm star was the first to return to the races ready for a step down in class. In the 10 furlong Arlington Classic, Alydar, showed his amazing constitution with an overwhelming 13 length victory over subpar opposition. Settling in at Saratoga Racetrack, John Veitch, entered his star next against older horses in the Whitney Handicap. With the age allowance, Alydar was the technical high weight at 123 lb., although four-year-old J. O. Tobin carried 128 lb. The Whitney was a horse race until the field straightened out in the stretch. Buckaroo set the early pace with Nearly On Time in close attendance.  J. O. Tobin, after breaking poorly, went up to challenge the leaders as they approached the far turn. Just as J. O. Tobin raced alongside Buckaroo, Alydar who had been well back was launching a tremendous rally along the inside. Under Jorge Velasquez, he passed the leaders in a few strides and drew out to humble the field by 10 lengths in near track record time. Buckaroo held on for second by a head in front of Father Hogan with J. O. Tobin tiring to finish sixth.

A few days later at Saratoga, Affirmed made his first start after the Triple Crown in the 9 furlong Jim Dandy Stakes closing resolutely to catch loose leader Sensitive Prince by a ½ length while carrying 128 lb.

The Travers Stakes with a record Saratoga crowd was the 10^th in what would be the final meeting of Affirmed and Alydar. Despite Affirmed’s decided win margin (7-2) over his rival, Alydar’s connections were optimistic. Alydar seemed to be coming into the race sharper than his rival. In addition, Affirmed’s regular rider, Steve Cauthen, was injured and was replaced by Laffit Pincay Jr. There were only two other horses entered. Nasty and Bold, had carved out a very successful summer for himself winning in succession the American Derby and the Brooklyn Handicap against older horses. The remaining entry was Shake Shake Shake, a rank outsider, who nonetheless played a role in the Travers’ controversial result. Under Angel Cordero, Shake Shake Shake took the early lead with Affirmed directly to his outside. Alydar settled initially in fourth, just to the flank of Nasty and Bold. Down the backstretch, Jorge Velasquez seized the initiative by moving Alydar abruptly to the rail, coming up the inside of Shake Shake Shake. As Shake Shake Shake dropped back, Pincay on Affirmed angled him toward the rail, squeezing the oncoming Alydar and forcing him to lose his action and drop back suddenly. For a moment, it appeared, Alydar had broken down, but showing extraordinary courage he came back and made a valiant effort to catch Affirmed who had vaulted to a clear lead. At the finish, Affirmed was 1¾ lengths ahead of Alydar with Nasty and Bold some 3¾ lengths further back in third. The blinking lights on the tote board started flashing “Inquiry”, and, after some deliberation, the stewards rightly disqualified Affirmed for interference and declared Alydar the official Travers winner.

The result satisfied no one. The Harbor View Farm group and, especially, trainer Laz Barrera were upset. There were accusations of a collusion between Angel Cordero on Shake Shake Shake and Jorge Velasquez on Alydar against Affirmed. On the other hand, Alydar’s connections were convinced their colt was in a position to win the race when Affirmed cut their horse off depriving Alydar of a true victory. It was hoped this titanic rivalry would continue through the major fall races, but it was not to be, as Alydar suffered a year ending injury training for a return meeting with Affirmed in the Marlboro Cup.

Java Gold winning the 1987 Travers Stakes
(BloodHorse)

Java Gold, a product of Paul Mellon’s Rokeby Stables, was a son of the same connections’ Key to the Mint but conditioned by Mack Miller who assumed the stable’s training duties on the retirement of Elliot Burch. In major fall races, the bay colt had showed he was competitive with the best juveniles of 1986, winning in his final year-end start the 9 furlong Remson Stakes. With his stout pedigree being by a dam by Nijinsky, he appeared a classic type. Aimed for the Belmont Stakes in 1987, he was forced to miss a key prep due to a fever.

Racing in four minor races, in which Java Gold won three and lost to an older horse by a nose in the fourth, Mack Miller threw the son of Key to the Mint in the proverbial deep waters in entering the Whitney. Despite the presence of Broad Brush, arguably the best older male on dirt, three prominent sophomores - Gulch, Gone West and Java Gold chose to use this race as a prep for the Travers. The weights may have been the deciding factor with Broad Brush at 127 lb., Gulch (117 lb.), Gone West (116 lb.) and Java Gold (113 lb.). In a race with several lead changes, at the top of the stretch, Gulch, getting through an opening on the inside, spurted to a clear lead leaving Gone West and Broad Brush in his wake. However, jockey Pat Day had Java Gold on the inside just behind the leading trio when enough room became available between Gulch and Gone West. Showing a great turn of foot, Java Gold caught Gulch just before the finish to win by ¾ of a length, 2¼ lengths back was Broad Brush who finished a nose in front of Gone West. For Paul Mellon this was déjà vu, his Key to the Mint, as discussed above used the Whitney as prelude to a Travers victory. Would his son, Java Gold, follow suit?

The Travers Stakes was one of those rare events where all the major contenders converged on Saratoga in seemingly good form for this showdown.  Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Alysheba, Belmont and Haskell Stakes victor Bet Twice, Java Gold, Gulch, Polish Navy, Temperate Sil, Cryptoclearance were all there as well as longshot Fortunate Moment and Gorky who was used as a pacesetter for Gulch. On race day the track was drenched by heavy morning rains. Alysheba and Bet Twice’s respective forms on sloppy tracks were uncertain, but Gulch, Java Gold and Cryptoclearance all had won stakes races on off tracks. The public settled on the dual classic winner as the slight favorite over Java Gold and Bet Twice.

As the field raced down the stretch the first time, Temperate Sil and Gorky went strongly for the lead. Down the backstretch the pair opened several lengths on the field with Polish Navy and Bet Twice occupying the third and fourth spots, respectively. Alysheba and Gulch were in mid-pack with Java Gold and Cryptoclearance occupying the two rear positions. As the field headed for the far turn, the complexion of the race changed dramatically. First Bet Twice, then Polish Navy seized the lead. But when the leaders straightened out for the stretch drive, Cryptoclearance who had been making a bold bid, surged into the lead looking like a clear winner. However, Pat Day aboard Java Gold had been drafting behind “Crypto’s” wake and in mid-stretch, he asked the Rokeby colt for his run and the response was immediate. In deep stretch, Java Gold caught and drew past Cryptoclearance for a 2 length victory. Some 6½ lengths behind was Polish Navy in third, another 1½ lengths back in fourth was Gulch. The classic winners, Bet Twice and Alysheba, finished way back in fifth and sixth place respectively, and both horses’ connections blamed the track condition for their defeats.

Thus, Paul Mellon completed the Whitney-Travers double he had accomplished with Key to the Mint in 1972. In addition, Java Gold’s victory was Mellon’s fourth Travers, having won it also with Quadrangle (1964) and Arts and Letters (1969). This was Mack Miller’s first Travers victory; the three previous Rokeby horses were trained by Elliot Burch.

Easy Goer winning the 1989 Travers Stakes
(Saratogian)

The last horse to complete the Whitney – Travers double was like his sire Alydar embroiled in a torrid rivalry with another colt through the Triple Crown series. But, unlike the Calumet color bearer, Easy Goer had won a classic, a resounding 8 length victory over the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner. 

Another horse with an impeccable pedigree from a fabled stable, Easy Goer was a muscular dark chestnut son of Alydar from the champion mare Relaxing by Buckpasser, a pedigree that bespoke stamina and the highest class. Bred and raced by Ogden Phipps and trained by Claude “Shug” McGaughey, Easy Goer was the Eclipse Champion Two-Year-Old of 1988. He was favored in both the Derby and the Preakness but found West Coast flyer Sunday Silence one better.

Easy Goer, made his first start since the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, taking on older foes in the Whitney Handicap. Carrying top weight, by the scale of 119 lb., the son of Alydar was facing such veterans as Cryptoclearance (122 lb.), Forever Silver (120 lb.), and Homebuilder (116 lb.) in the six horse field.  Sitting behind in fourth place, Easy Goer appeared to be blocked behind horses as the field bunched together coming down the stretch. But as soon as his jockey Pat Day found an opening between horses, the big chestnut burst to victory by a widening 4½ lengths in near track record time.  Second was Forever Silver, a ½ length in front of Cryptoclearance.

Back against his own age in the Travers Stakes, Easy Goer faced five rivals. The threat to Easy Goer came from Clever Trevor, who since finishing 12th in the Kentucky Derby, won in succession the St. Paul Derby and the Arlington Classic in runaway fashion. As anticipated, Clever Trevor went right to the front pursued by Roi Danzig. Easy Goer was further back, first in fourth then moved up to be third down the backstretch. Nearing the far turn, Pat Day let Easy Goer run, and he readily moved alongside the leader. Around the turn both Easy Goer and Clever Trevor raced together and briefly it looked like a tight horse race, but once Day shook up Easy Goer, he pulled clear and won well within himself by 3 lengths. Clever Trevor, in an excellent performance, finished second, 9 lengths in front of Shy Tom.

As mentioned above, it is not currently possible for a sophomore to win the Whitney on the way to a Travers triumph. But we have seen that in the past four three-year-olds were able to use the Whitney as a launchpad for the Mid-Summer Derby. Their success is due to these horses’ inherent quality and the courage of their connections in stepping out of the normal pattern. Cheers to the risk takers!