Keen Ice has won the #Travers! http://t.co/9Tcjo4H65p
They call Saratoga the “Graveyard of Champions” for a reason. Keen Ice came on late, from the outside, to upset American Pharoah in the 146th Travers Stakes on Saturday afternoon. Check out the dramatic final here:
American Pharoah, the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, snapped his eight-race win streak in the challenging mid-summer derby. Pharoah was the 1-5 favorite in the race, while Keen Ice won just his second start of his career. The horse had also finished second behind Pharoah in the Haskell Invitational earlier this month.
Whirlaway was remains the only Triple Crown winner to win the Travers in 1941. Meanwhile, American Pharoah becomes the third Triple Crown winner to lose in the Travers. In 1978, Affirmed was disqualified for interference while Gallant Fox fell to 100-1 longshot Jim Dandy in 1930.
“He didn’t bring his A-game today, said Trainer Bob Baffert after the race. “He got beat, we have to suck it up.” The New York Racing Association had up’ed the purse of the Travers from $1.25 million to $1.6 million when it was announced that American Pharoah would race.