Every year, after the Triple Crown races end, most of the nation’s elite thoroughbreds head to Saratoga for the late-August running of the Travers Stakes. Over 40,000 fans piled into a sunny Saratoga Race Course for the 136th running of the $1 million race. Those assembled saw Flower Alley, owned by Ottawa Senators proprietor Eugene Melnyk, take a two-and-a-half length victory over George Steinbrenner’s Bellamy Road.
Flower Alley’s victory marked the first Travers win for both trainer Todd Pletcher—the Saratoga meet leader—and jockey John Velazquez. Velazquez is currently second among jockeys in victories for this summer’s meet.
Bellamy Road went off as the odds-on favorite. The horse, however, hadn’t run since May’s Kentucky Derby, in which it finished seventh and injured a leg. The 100+ day layoff proved too much, as the horse rode a strong race, but managed a weak comeback down the stretch.
Flower Alley also ran a disappointing Kentucky Derby. The colt finished ninth, but has shown new life of late, especially at Saratoga. In late July, Flower Alley and Velazquez captured the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes by a comfortable five-and-a-half length margin.
After the Derby, Melnyk and company focused their energies on winning the Travers. They decided to forego the other two legs of the Triple Crown in favor of the Midsummer Derby, a decision that paid off.
Bellamy Road set the early pace, and Velazquez made his move coming into the stretch. Velazquez had been holding Flower Alley back for much of the race in order to save it up for that last stretch drive. Flower Alley posted a winning time of 2:02 3/5 seconds; a fleet pace, but still well off the race record of two minutes flat, set by General Assembly back in 1979.
Melnyk will now look to October 29’s Breeders’ Cup Classic to cement Flower Alley’s newfound reputation as a big-time horse. Whether Preakness and Belmont winner Afleet Alex will run remains to be seen.
