By Ray Wallin
A few weeks ago, we went to the Jersey Shore and looked at the Haskell Invitational by the numbers; now we’re off to Saratoga Springs, New York, and a look at Saturday’s Travers Stakes by the numbers.
1 – Triple Crown winner to win (Whirlaway, 1941)
2 – Dead heats for first (Alpha, Golden Ticket, 2012), (Attila, Acrobat, 1874; Atilla later won race off to determine winner)
2 – Smallest field (1883, 1889, 1892, 1921)
3 – Winners by disqualification (Lady Rotha, 1915; Jatski, 1977; Alydar, 1978)
4 – Distances races has been run (1 3/4 miles, 1864-1889); (1 1/2 miles, 1890-1892); (1 1/4 miles, 1893, 1894, 1897, 1904-present); (1-1/8 miles, 1895, 1901-1903)
4 – Triple Crown winners to run (Gallant Fox, 1930, second; Whirlaway, 1941, first; Affirmed, 1978, second; American Pharoah, 2015, second)
5 – Most wins by a trainer (Bert Mulholland, 1939, 1950, 1951, 1962, 1963)
5 – Geldings to win (Carley B., 1882; Roamer, 1914; Loud, 1970; Holding Pattern, 1974; Unshaded, 2000)
6 – Most wins by a jockey (Javier Castellano, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018)
6 – Number of years race was not contested since starting in 1864 (1896, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1911, 1912)
7 – Winning fillies (Maiden, 1865; Ruthless, 1867; The Banshee, 1868; Sultana, 1876; Liza, 1895; Ada Nay, 1903; Lady Rotha, 1915)
8 – Preakness winner to win (most recently, Bernardini, 2006)
9 – Most winners sired by same stallion (Lexington , 1864, 1865, 1866, 1868, 1870, 1871, 1873, 1876, 1878)
10 – Winners by a nose (most recently, V.E. Day, 2014)
10 – Derby winners that won (most recently, Street Sense, 2007)
14 – Horses that won and sired a winner (most recently, Bernardini, 2006, who sired Stay Thirsty, 2011; and Alpha 2012)
14 – Largest field (1977)
15 – Most winners by first-letter of horse name — B (most recently, Bernardini, 2006)
19 – Most mounts by a jockey (Angel Cordero, Jr.; Pat Day)
21 – Most wins (since 1901) by post position — No. 4 (Posts 2 and 3 each produced 20 winners)
22 – lengths, largest margin of victory (Damascus, 1967)
25 – to 1, longest odds for winner (Adonis, 1945 — $53.50 for a $2 win bet)
26 – Derby winners to run (most recently, Always Dreaming, 2017, ninth)
29 — Belmont Stakes winners to win (most recently, Summer Bird, 2009)
32 – Preakness winners to run (most recently, Cloud Computing, 2017, eighth)
49 – Favorites to win since 1901
64 – Belmont Stakes winners to run (most recently Tapwrit, 2017, fourth)
67 – Number of bays to win
150 – Number times race has been run (includes 2019)
1,500 – Flowers in blanket of carnations presented to winner
Ray Wallin is a licensed civil engineer and part-time handicapper who has had a presence on the Web since 2000 for various sports and horse racing websites and through his personal blog. Introduced to the sport over the course of a misspent teenage summer at Monmouth Park by his Uncle Dutch, a professional gambler, he quickly fell in love with racing and has been handicapping for over 25 years.
Ray’s background in engineering, along with his meticulous nature and fascination with numbers, parlay into his ability to analyze data; keep records; notice emerging trends; and find new handicapping angles and figures. While specializing in thoroughbred racing, Ray also handicaps harness racing, Quarter Horse racing, baseball, football, hockey, and has been rumored to have calculated the speed and pace ratings on two squirrels running through his backyard.
Ray likes focusing on pace and angle plays while finding the middle ground between the art and science of handicapping. When he is not crunching numbers, Ray enjoys spending time with his family, cheering on his alma mater (Rutgers University), fishing, and playing golf.
Ray’s blog, which focuses on his quest to make it to the NHC Finals while trying to improve his handicapping abilities can be found at www.jerseycapper.blogspot.com Ray can also be found on Twitter (@rayw76) and can be reached via email at ray.wallin@live.com.