Since 1961, the canoe has been a symbol of Saratoga Race Course’s main event and has been painted the colors of the winning horse owner’s silks. After Street Sense, owned by James B. Tafel, won the Travers Stakes in 2007, the canoe was painted blue and yellow. It’ll be just a matter of days until the canoe is repainted to reflect the winners of this year’s race.

“This year has a good feel to it. We have a solid card and 12 horses and trainers who have a good shot at making history,” New York Racing Association spokesman Francis LaBelle said.

This is the largest number of horses in the field since 1990, when 13 horses ran and Rhythm, owned by Ogden Phipps, came out on top.

The running of the $1,000,000 Travers Stakes, presented by Shadwell Farm, or otherwise known as the “Mid-Summer Derby” or “the fourth leg of the Triple Crown,” has become the race to see at Saratoga Race Course, typically featuring the top 3-year-old horses in the country. Favorites this year include Pyro, owned by Ron Winchell, Macho Again, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Belmont Stakes winner Da’ Tara. The race is a Grade I and covers 1 1/4 miles, with all horses carrying 126 pounds.

“Winning the Travers Stakes is a big deal. It holds its position as an important, rigorous race and it’s also important for the horse’s career,” LaBelle said. “All of the horses were born in the same year, but some of them may be late in developing. Some that weren’t ready when they ran the Belmont States, the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness may be coming into their own at the Travers Stakes.”

The Travers Stakes is the oldest major thoroughbred race in America. It was named for William R. Travers, one of the founders of Saratoga Race Course. The Travers Stakes began one year after the racetrack opened, but was first run where the race track stands today on Union Avenue. The first Travers Stakes was first won by a horse that Travers owned called Kentucky. The record for fastest running of the Travers Stakes at 1 1/4 miles was set in 1979 by General Assembly with a time of 2:00. The year 2001 holds the record for attendance and wagers, with 60,486 people betting $34,529,273. Last year’s attendance was 38,909.

“The test of greatness is time. This race has been around for 139 years. It’s seen the Civil War, World War I and II, Vietnam War. It’s seen the world change and people still come every year and look forward to it,” LaBelle said. “As long as the weather cooperates, it should be a great day.”