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Golden Tempo will try to add a third jewel to his standout 3-year-old season when the starting gate opens in the biggest race of the summer: the 2026 Travers Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. Trained by Cherie DeVaux, the deep-closing colt famously rallied from the clouds to win the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes this spring. But because of an illness he has not raced since the Belmont. Bet the Travers Stakes with the TwinSpires promo code SPORTSLINE and get an exclusive $400 bonus, double the regular offer:
Despite that, Golden Tempo is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the 2026 Travers Stakes odds. Renegade (3-1), Sea Strike (5-1), Napoleon Solo (8-1) and The Puma (8-1) round out the top five on the odds board in the 10-horse Travers Stakes field. Post time for the Midsummer Derby is 6:35 p.m. ET.
With almost all of the country's best 3-year-olds set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you NEED to see what SportsLine horse racing expert Gene Menez has to say before making any 2026 Travers Stakes picks or horse racing predictions considering his track record.
A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
Menez excels on horse racing's biggest days. In 2024 he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for a $5,303 windfall. Last year he nailed the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby for a $529.60 score and the winner and trifecta in the Blue Grass Stakes for a $761.96 jackpot. He hit the late Pick 4 on Kentucky Oaks day for $915.48. In the Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. And earlier this year he struck big on Fountain of Youth day, hitting the late Pick 5 for $4,648.
Now, Menez has handicapped the 2026 Travers Stakes field and revealed his picks. One surprise: Menez's top pick is not Golden Tempo, even though he is the 3-1 favorite. "I realize Golden Tempo has won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, but he missed his prep race for the Travers because of an illness so I can't bet him as the 5-2 favorite," Menez told SportsLine.
Instead, Menez's top pick is a horse who "should get the perfect trip." Menez also is high on a longshot who "has trained up a storm." Menez is including these horses in his 2026 Travers Stakes bets, and so should you.
So which horse wins the 2026 Travers Stakes? What longshot is a must-back? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine NOW to get the top 2026 Travers Stakes picks and bets, all from the expert who finished 115th out of 643 entries in last year's Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge.
Don't miss out: All new SportsLine memberships include Paramount+ Premium -- a $13.99/month value -- for no extra cost! Join now and get it all.
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