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Twelve set for Travers
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Colonel John discovered why Saratoga is nicknamed the "Spa"
(Adam Coglianese/NYRA Photo) |
Grade 2 winner PYRO (Pulpit) has been established as a lukewarm 7-2 favorite
on the morning line for what figures to be a contentious edition of Saturday's
139th running of the $1 million
Travers S. (G1). Twelve sophomores are entered
for the 1 1/4-mile event, including Jim Dandy S. (G2) winner and Preakness S.
(G1) runner-up MACHO AGAIN (Macho Uno), Belmont S. (G1) hero DA' TARA (Tiznow),
Grade 1 winner COLONEL JOHN (Tiznow) and Grade 3 victor HARLEM ROCKER (Macho
Uno).
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Pyro will enter the
Travers off a troubled runner-up finish in the Jim Dandy. The three-time stakes
winner got off to a bad start and lost valuable early positioning over the
Saratoga track that afternoon but finished with a rush to just miss winning,
falling a half-length short to Macho Again. Regular rider Shaun Bridgmohan will
be in the saddle once again, and Pyro will have to overcome post 11 on Saturday.
Macho Again earned his first stakes victory earlier this season in the Derby
Trial S. and provided conditioner Dallas Stewart with his first Saratoga stakes
win when capturing the Jim Dandy, rallying from just off the pace in the
nine-furlong affair. Julien Leparoux will retain the mount, and the gray colt is
6-1 on the morning line. Da' Tara faltered to the back of the pack after getting
into an early speed duel in the Jim Dandy, but there doesn't appear to be as
much early speed in the Travers for the Nick Zito runner. He'll try to revert
back to his form in the last leg of the Triple Crown when he posted a 5
1/4-length upset in the Belmont. Listed at 8-1 with Alan Garcia, the dark bay
colt will run uncoupled with stablemate COOL COAL MAN (Mineshaft), winner of the
Fountain of Youth S. (G2) and third most recently to Big Brown (Boundary) in the
Haskell Invitational S. (G1).
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Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Colonel John is one of two California shippers
in the line-up along with TRES BORRACHOS (Ecton Park), who earned his second
lifetime victory when upsetting Colonel John in the July 12 Swaps S. (G2).
Garrett Gomez will be in to ride Colonel John for Eoin Harty, while owner/trainer Beau Greely will give a leg up to Tyler Baze aboard Tres Borrachos. They're listed at
8-1 and 15-1, respectively, on the morning line.
Harlem Rocker, a last-out winner of the third leg of the Canadian Triple
Crown, the Prince of Wales S. at Fort Erie, is the early second choice at 4-1. A
smart 2 1/2-length winner of the Withers S. (G3) three starts back, the Todd
Pletcher pupil suffered his only career setback when finishing fourth over the
Polytrack at Woodbine. He's clearly better on dirt, winning the 1 3/16-mile
Prince of Wales impressively, and could run well under regular pilot Eibar Coa
on Saturday.
Other runners include last-out Henry Walton S. winner MAMBO IN SEATTLE
(Kingmambo), Grade 2 winner COURT VISION (Gulch) and Wood Memorial (G1) king
TALE OF EKATI (Tale of a Cat).
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