8/29 (SAR): 146th Travers Day; 6 Graded Stake Undercard
 

6th (2:35) Personal Ensign S. (G1)

1 1/8 Miles | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $750,000

1 America Alvarado J 119 L
2 Sheer Drama Bravo J 121 L
3 Tiz Windy Leparoux J R 117 L
4 Stopchargingmaria Castellano J J 123 L
5 Got Lucky Ortiz I Jr 119 L
6 Untapable Velazquez J R 123 L



7th (3:10) Ballerina S. (G1)

7 Furlongs | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $500,000

1 Sarah Sis Felix J E 115 L
2 La Verdad Ortiz J L 124 L
3 Merry Meadow Rosario J 121 L
4 Room for Me Velasquez C 117 L
5 Kiss to Remember Ortiz I Jr 117 L
6 Dame Dorothy Castellano J J 124 L
7 Unbridled Forever Velazquez J R 117 L
8 Street Story Lezcano J 119 L



8th (3:47) NYRA.com King's Bishop S. (G1)

7 Furlongs | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $500,000

1 Commute Bridgmohan S X 117 L
2 Grand Bili Castellano J J 119 L
3 Competitive Edge Velazquez J R 121 L
4 Watershed Rosario J 117 L
5 Mr. Z Bravo J 117 L
6 Limousine Liberal Ortiz J L 117 L
7 Holy Boss Santana R Jr 121 L
8 Classy Class Stevens G L 117 L
9 Loose On the Town Lezcano J 117
10 March Ortiz I Jr 121 L
11 Runhappy Prado E S 117



9th (4:25) Priority One Jets Forego S. (G1)

7 Furlongs | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $700,000

1 Race Day Castellano J J 122 L
2 Takajo Cancel E 118 L
3 Bourbon Courage Rosario J 118 L
4 Wildcat Red Lezcano J 118 L
5 The Big Beast Velazquez J R 118 L
6 Tamarkuz Ortiz I Jr 122 L
7 Private Zone Pedroza M A 124 L
8 Run for Logistics Arroyo A S 118 L
9 Viva Majorca Leparoux J R 118 L
10 Salutos Amigos Velasquez C 120 L
11 Den's Legacy Santana R Jr 118 L
12 Falling Sky Ortiz J L 118 L



10th (5:04) Sword Dancer S. (G1)

1 1/2 Miles (Inner turf) | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $1,000,000

1 Imagining Ortiz I Jr 122 L
2 Flintshire (GB) Cheminaud V 122
3 Fixador (BRZ) Alvarado J 116 L
4 Red Rifle 122 L
5 Twilight Eclipse Rosario J 124 L
6 Messi (GER) Velazquez J R 116 L
7 Guardini (FR) Harley M 120 Blk-On FTL
8 War Dancer Lezcano J 118 L



11th (5:46) Travers S. (G1)

1 1/4 Miles | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $1,250,000

1 Upstart Ortiz I Jr 126 L
2 American Pharoah Espinoza V 126 L
3 Mid Ocean Franco M 126 L
4 Texas Red Desormeaux K J 126 L
5 Frammento Ortiz J L 126 L
6 Frosted Rosario J 126 L
7 Keen Ice Castellano J J 126 L
8 Tale of Verve Stevens G L 126 L
9 King of New York Leparoux J R 126 L
10 Smart Transition Velazquez J R 126 L



12th (6:20) Ketel One Ballston Spa S. (G2)

1 1/16 Miles (Turf) | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $400,000

1 Tepin Leparoux J R 123 L
2 Danza Cavallo (FR) Ortiz I Jr 117 L
3 My Miss Sophia Velazquez J R 121 L
4 Dacita (CHI) Castellano J J 121 FTL
5 Solid Appeal Saez L 121 L
6 Night Song Velasquez C 117 L
7 Kitten's Queen Ortiz J L 117 L
8 Coffee Clique Rosario J 121 L
9 New Providence (GB) Alvarado J 114 FTL

I think Messi has the potential to be Main Sequence part 2. What a huge showdown with Flintshire shipping in. Adds a different type of flavor to a sure to be loaded card.

What a great line up, AP or not I think it's time to put the Frosted on!

STACKED!

AP going to travers

@jazz3162: Saratoga here we come!!!!!!! #AmericanPharoah @JustinZayat @ZayatStables @AshleyZayat8 @glennw305 @TheNYRA

TRAVERS

1. Upstart (Irad Ortiz Jr.) 15-1
2. American Pharoah (Victor Espinoza) 1-5
3. Mid Ocean (Manny Franco) 50-1
4. Texas Red (Kent Desormeaux) 8-1
5. Frammento (Jose Ortiz) 30-1
6. Frosted (Joel Rosario) 6-1
7. Keen Ice (Javier Castellano) 12-1
8. Tale of Verve (Gary Stevens) 30-1
9. King of New York (Julien Leparoux) 50-1
10. Smart Transition (John Velazquez) 20-1

Smart transition likes the track. Anyone considering him at all?

Huge fan of his. Almost commented on him in my last post. Problem is, I like him a lot for next year or later this year. He seems to improve every race. But this is asking a lot. This is obviously a giant step forward. I will use him in the 3rd spot w/ Upstart, who I also believe ran a lot better then it seems last time out, and you can easily call that race a prep for this spot.
I don't like Texas Red at all. He got his prep before the Jim Dandy, Frosted didn't. Frosted was ridden like the only goal was to win the Travers. Felt to me like Rosario never really got after him in the Jim Dandy. I have to hope they make Texas Red the 2nd choice based on the 2yr old form and winning the Jim Dandy, then try getting him right out of the number with AP obviously on top. Good Luck.

No King's Bishop or Smarty Jones for Tekton.. Rear condylar fracture in Monday work and sidelined until next year..

FOREGO

1. Bourbon Courage (Motion)
2. Private Zone (Navarro)
3. Race Day (Pletcher)
4. Salutos Amigos (Jacobson)
5. Tamarkuz KMc)
6. The Big Beast (Dutrow)
7. Viva Majorca (Wilkes)
8. Wildcat Red (Garoffalo)

9. Den's Legacy (Moquett)
10. Falling Sky (Wolfson)

Great lineup! Will be rooting for Wildcat Red, I always cheer for The Big Beast, and was at the SPA when Den's Legacy surprised all.

Luv it !!

I firmly believe Texas Red is a serious racehorse and even a BCC contender. I'm likely going big on an AP/Texas Red cold exacta.

Thats awful news. Hate to hear it.

Any news on japan?

Maybe a $4 exacta?

Any word what time American Pharoah is going to the track on Thursday? I know he's scheduled for 8:45 to 9:00 on Friday but would rather just make one trip up and catch him and Funny Cide.

Yep, it will be monster score...

Sure would like to have seen Mr. Z in the Travers and not the King's Bishop. There is no pace rival whatsoever to accompany American Pharoah in his next cakewalk. I presume either Joel Rosario or Kent Desormeaux (likely the latter) will send half-heartedly not wanting to make it easy for the Triple Crown winner while also knowing that their mount's best chance will be compromised. Frosted is starting to have the look of a dedicated bridesmaid, so I would prefer if he was sent up on the engine early. Desormeaux, however, has a penchant for taking early runs at odds-on favorites regardless of his own mount's chances, and given Texas Red's early presence in a slow-paced Jim Dandy, I foresee either a hustle from the gate or some ridiculous mid-race move that will lead to a hanging stretch run.

Meanwhile, as they round the far turn, if either gets close enough to AP to actually put some real pressure, expect Keen Ice to look like Concern circa '94 for about a 1/16th of a mile. Once they straighten up, he'll look like Hold Me Back circa '09.

The silver lining in all this is that AP will be the first horse to win the top 5 races in NA for 3yos (at least since the creation of the Haskell). I think the only Triple Crown winner to also take down the Travers was Whirlaway in 1941 (Affirmed won but was DQ'd for sawing off Alydar).

If you subscribe to CJ's pace figs, the pace in the Haskell was extremely fast probably meaning the end to the career of Competitive Edge circa TAP 2000-2015. If you subscribe to CJ's pace figs the brilliant Beholder wouldnt/couldn't get a sniff of AP's butt crack without succumbing to the same fate as others.

Not sure what the Haskell or Beholder has to do with the Travers. With no rival with even a hint of front-running speed, it is unlikely American Pharoah will have to go as fast early in the Travers as he did in the Haskell (hence the "cakewalk").

At the very least, presuming he gets to run a steady race (as opposed to the "run them off their feet" manner used at middle distances), we will see if AP can match or better Beholder's figure at the classic distance of 10f. I'm not convinced Beholder can uncork a race like the Pacific Classic every time out, but aren't AP's Derby and Belmont figures just a tick behind that race?

What I find disturbing is the entries by 3 very reputable trainers. Maybe this would explain their low win percentages at Saratoga.