Pharoah is heavy favorite in the Travers

American Pharoah was made the overwhelming 1- 5 favorite and drew the No. 2 post position in a 10horse field for Saturday’s Travers Stakes at Saratoga in New York.

“Once the draw is over, we just think about having everything going smooth into the race,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “The horse is doing well; that’s more important than what hole he drew.”

If American Pharoah starts, the Travers purse increases $ 350,000 to $ 1.6 million, with the winner earning $ 850,000.

American Pharoah will try to become only the second Triple Crown winner to go on to win the prestigious Travers. Whirlaway won the 1941 Travers after sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

“We’re just worried about getting him there and making sure he’s sharp,” Baffert said. “As long as he’s sharp and ready to roll, then what happens, happens.”

Frosted wasmade the second choice at 6- 1, and Texas Red the third choice at 8- 1. Frosted ran fourth in the Derby, second in the Belmont and second in the Jim Dandy at Saratoga on Aug. 1. Texas Red won the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Jim Dandy.

The federal ban on sports betting in all but four states was upheld Tuesday, dealing a blow to New Jersey’s latest effort to expand gambling options to help its struggling casinos and racetracks.

But the 2- 1 ruling by a panel of the U. S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia left the door open for New Jersey to further appeal the matter to the full court.