2021 Travers Stakes Probables, Contenders And Odds: Masqueparade
The 152nd Travers Stakes, the Mid-Summer Derby, is Saturday, Aug. 28, at Saratoga Race Course. The top race of the summer for 3-year-olds is contested at 1¼ miles with a purse of $1.25 million. In the days leading up to the race, usracing.com will publish profiles of the contenders.
2021 Travers Stakes Profile: Masqueparade
By Richard Rosenblatt
A better post position in the Travers may or may not help Masqueparade come up with a better finish than third in the five-horse Jim Dandy last month, but trainer Al Stall, Jr., makes his case for improvement:
“I love the draw. It’s completely different than the Jim Dandy draw,” he said after his colt drew the No. 6 post in a seven-horse field for the 152nd edition of the Mid-Summer Derby. “Being on the outside, we can chase some speed. If there’s no speed, we can lay very close. He can be more comfortable.
“In the Jim Dandy, he was trapped inside between speed horses (Dr. Jack and Weyburn), so we couldn’t get anything done because they were shuffling us back and we were last on the backside. Now he can float away from there and see how things go. He’s got good natural speed, so I really like where we are. I think he deserves a chance.”
Masqueparade had won three in a row, including the Ohio Derby leading up to the Jim Dandy, so Stall must feel his colt has a decent chance, even against odds-on choice Essential Quality. A top three finish is a good possibility.
2021 Travers Stakes Entries: Masqueparade
Post position: 6
Odds: 8-1
Trainer: Al Stall, Jr.
Jockey: Miguel Mena
Owners: FTGGG Racing
Career record: 7-3-0-2
Career earnings: $494,208
Top Equibase speed figure: 108
Pedigree: Upstart-Cry War Eagle, by Any Given Saturday
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Notes: Stall saddles his first Travers starter; he won the 2010 Whitney with Blame, the only horse to beat the Hall of Fame mare Zenyatta (in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic) … Mena, who rides predominantly at Ellis Park and Indiana Grand, has been aboard for all Masqueparade’s starts.
Over the years while working at The Associated Press, Rich Rosenblatt became a familiar name to legions of the horse racing fans and industry insiders with his award-winning articles on horse racing and his stories from the backstretch.
In addition to being an astute observer of sports, Rosenblatt is the co-author of The All-American Chili Cookbook. His work has been seen in just about every publication in the world, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and Time Magazine.
