One of the 48,000-plus Travers Day fans handicaps one of the races on the Travers card. (Katie Dobies)
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And they're off...in the Travers Day undercard! Here's the start of the Ballston Spa. (Katie Dobies)
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Annals of Time, with Jockey Javier Castellano aboard, pours it on for the win in the Sword Dancer. (Katies Dobies)
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Jockey Javier Castellano waves to cheering fans following his win in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer on Trainer Chad Brown's horse, Annals of Time. (Katie Dobies)
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Code of Honor is escorted into the Paddock prior to winning the Travers Stakes. (Katie Dobies)
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(from left - front): Maria Sciandra, Madi Worden, Nancy Worden and family excited for the Travers to begin. (Katie Dobies)
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An official, holding the floral blanket that will be draped over Travers winner Code of Honor and jockey John Velazquez. (Katie Dobies)
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John Velazquez and Code of Honor are honored with the traditional blanket of flowers following their Travers win. (Katie Dobies)
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Code of Honor looks at the camera following his win in the 2019 Travers Stakes. (Katie Dobies)
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Jockey John Velazquez stands with Code of Honor Owner W.S. Farish and company in the Winner’s Circle, following their Travers win. (Katie Dobies)
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A nice chunk of the 48,000-plus fans at the 150th running of The Travers Stakes on August 24 at Saratoga Race Course probably only got to watch the big race and Code of Honor’s win on a TV screen. Or maybe you were in the Grandstand or at the 1863 Club and caught a glimpse of the horses as they whizzed by.
As luck would have it, saratoga living had two photographers onsite covering the Travers—Billy Francis LeRoux, who was positioned on the infield, where he shot a breathtaking group of photos of the race itself and its immediate aftermath.
You’ll be hard-pressed, however, to find a more complete (and gorgeous) run of photographs than the ones saratoga living photographer Katie Dobies took of Travers Day, which of course, isn’t only about the featured race: It’s about the fans, the atmosphere, the jockeys, the horses and the thrill of the race—and all the stakes races on the undercard. And while LeRoux completed shooting The Travers Stakes just outside of the Winner’s Circle, here, Dobies gives us unfettered access to the bedlam there, mere minutes following Code of Honor’s big win. Click on the photo above to see Dobies’ full gallery.
