WONDER colt and More Than Ready son Verrazano is 2-1 favourite to make it back-to-back Grade 1 wins when he contests the 144th Travers Stakes in the USA this weekend.
Most pundit’s believe that this year’s Travers will determine which horse is named America’s Champion 3YO in 2013 given the presence of Kentucky Derby winner Orb and Belmont Stakes hero Palace Malice, a stablemate of Verrazano from the Todd Pletcher yard.
Verrazano has managed to win 6 of his 7 starts so far but a combined margin of nearly 50-lens including his swashbuckling 9 3/4-lens rampage in the Grade 1 Haskell last time out.
“It’s a great field,” Pletcher told the Miami Herald. “From a fan’s perspective, it’s one of the strongest Travers we’ve seen in a while. With the exception of (Preakness winner) Oxbow, all the major players are here.
“The last two races with our horses were very powerful and in the sense of what’s going on in the moment, that’s why (they are the favourites). But we have a lot of respect for Orb, and we know he’ll be tough to beat.”
