Travers day ABC grid: How to navigate the 13-race card plus selected Spot Plays

Travers day is finally here, and before we get to Triple Crown Champion American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes itself at 5:46 p.m. EDT at Saratoga Race Course, we have ten races before to make some money and two races after to get it back if we don't. Then there's the Travers Stakes itself, which I'll cover in a separate post.

Travers day is a multi-race bettors delight with a Pick 6, Pick 5, three Pick 4s, 11 Pick 3s, and 12 doubles. The three stakes before the Travers are as competitive as any I can remember on an undercard, which makes the Pick 4 ending with the Travers well worth playing even if you're putting all your Kennedys on 1- or 2-to-5 favorite American Pharoah.

My ABC "selections" for all 13 races are below. Horses I'm most interested in playing "straight" (i.e. who I'll be watching the board for win-place-show opportunities) are #6 Attraction in race 2, #6 Neck of the Moon in race 3, #6 Race Ready or #7 Grand Candy in race 4, #2 Sheer Drama in race 6 (the Personal Ensign), #2 Grand Bili, #8 Classy Class, and/or #10 March in race 8 (the King's Bishop), #11 Den's Legacy in race 9 (the Forego), #1 Imagining or #4 Red Rifle in race 10 (the Sword Dancer), #6 Night Song in race 12 (the Ballston Spa), and #7 Oklahoma Den in race 13.

For the purposes of my "interest", the morning line price would be value to me. Good luck!