Post Positions, Odds, And Epicenter’s Tough Six-Way Fight For The Win

The 2022 Travers post positions have been drawn, the morning line has been issued by the NYRA’s odds gods, and the trainers are back in their barns sharpening their tactical sabers for the August 27 running of what’s truly shaping up to be an ideal late-summer Grade 1. Phenom 2022 Derby-stealer Rich Strike is back, and so is that sneaky Preakness-stealer Early Voting.

Epicenter, the victim of those back-to-back robberies and the narrow morning line favorite, has redeemed himself — sort of — at the Spa earlier this month in the bracing Jim Dandy and seems ready to rumble. By no means least, Zandon, one of this three-year-old crop’s usual suspects, is thought to be training well and ready to take ‘em all down. Adding to the picture, Trainer Chad Brown will have his hands full with no less than three contenders vying for the Travers’ $1.2 million, two of the above favorites in Zandon and Early Voting, and the hot latecomer-who-cannot-be-counted-out, Artorius. If Epicenter’s going to live up to his favored status, he’s going to have to work for it. At least he’s demonstrated that he likes the track, and Steve Asmussen has been letting him work it for a solid month.

But before we wade into the nitty-gritty of this bracing six-way battle, herewith, the post positions and morning line.

(Post Position, Horse, Jockey, Morning Line)

1 Cyberknife, Florent Geroux, 7-2

2 Rich Strike, Sonny Leon, 10-1

3 Ain’t Life Grand, Tyler Gaffalione, 20-1

4 Gilded Age, Jorge Alvarado, 30-1

5 Artorius, Irad Ortiz, 9-2

6 Epicenter, Joel Rosario, 7-5

7 Early Voting, Jose Ortiz, 8-1

8 Zandon, Flavien Prat, 5-1

(Source: NYRA, 8/23/2022)