Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming by various accounts came bouncing out of Churchill Downs in good order. His Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher felt good about his preparation.
Richard Eng
There is no dominating horse heading into the $1.25 million Travers on Saturday at Saratoga. The Triple Crown races were won by three horses: Nyquist, Exaggerator and Creator.
A big story this spring has been if Songbird, the Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly, would consider a start in the Kentucky Derby against males.
Saturday is must-see TV for any horse racing fan serious about making money on the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland on Oct. 30 and 31.
Two logical stakes for American Pharoah are the Haskell on Aug. 2 at Monmouth Park and the Jim Dandy on Aug. 1 at Saratoga. Trainer Bob Baffert might hold him out until the Travers on Aug. 29 or even the Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 19.
There are nine grade 1 stakes this Saturday — five at Belmont Park and four at Santa Anita — leading up to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1
The three colts who won this year’s Triple Crown races are taking different paths to the $1 million Travers on Aug. 24 at Saratoga. The prestigious Travers is called the Midsummer Classic for good reason.
My Eclipse Award ballot finally arrived this week. I did what I said I would do after the Breeders’ Cup: I split my Horse of the Year vote between Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta. Because the National Turf Writers Association rejected this common-sense approach, my HOY vote will be disqualified.
The retirement of Lava Man lasted about as long as the 21-month hiatus of champion boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mayweather returned last week to pound the smaller Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden. Who knows if Lava Man can do the same again to the handicap division?
