A Little Warm assigned early favoritism among 11-horse Travers

Saratoga's $1 million

Travers

S. (G1) has drawn a contentious 11-sophomore field to go 1 1/4 miles on

Saturday, and the group ranges from a Kentucky Derby (G1) winner to a maiden

scorer registering only his second career start. A LITTLE WARM (Stormin Fever)

has been installed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite for the "Midsummer Derby"

following his victory in the traditional local prep, the July 31 Jim Dandy S.

(G2), for trainer Tony Dutrow, but will be picking up 11 pounds off his last

race.

The bay colt attempted to make the Kentucky Derby back in the spring, running

second in the Hutcheson S. (G2) and Louisiana Derby (G2), but insufficient

earnings kept him on the sidelines as that field headed to the post. A try in

the Preakness S. (G1) was also scratched after he bled in a work five days prior

to that race. Instead, Dutrow gave his charge some time off and brought him back

to capture an allowance/optional claimer at Delaware Park before his triumph in

the Jim Dandy.

"We are so looking forward to the Travers with him," Dutrow admitted. "We

couldn't feel better about the horse's ability or how he's coming into the

race."

A Little Warm is seeking to become the ninth colt to complete the Jim

Dandy-Travers double, the most recent of whom was Street Sense in 2007. He'll

keep aboard John Velazquez, who guided the three-year-old in his past two wins.

While A Little Warm is the morning-line favorite, TRAPPE SHOT (Tapit) is not

far behind at 4-1 and could actually go off the public's choice when the gates

open. The Kiaran McLaughlin runner dropped his career debut last July at

Saratoga, but was unbeatable in his four initial starts of 2010 culminating in

the Long Branch S. at Monmouth Park on July 10. The chestnut made his graded bow

in a tough spot, the August 1 Haskell Invitational (G1), and ran game in defeat

behind division leader Lookin at Lucky (Smart Strike).

Despite having won the Kentucky Derby, SUPER SAVER (Maria's Mon) has been

tabbed the co-third choice on the morning line with AFLEET EXPRESS (Afleet

Alex). The Todd Pletcher trainee only raced twice in the spring, placing in both

the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and Arkansas Derby (G1), before his surprise win in the

Run for the Roses. He bounced a bit off that effort two weeks later in the

Preakness S. (G1), finishing eighth, but returned from a freshening to overcome

a stumbling start and fill the fourth spot in the Haskell last out.

"The second race off the layoff is typically his best," said Elliott Walden,

vice president and racing manager of owner/breeder WinStar Farm. "We hope he

learned something off the Haskell and will have a good race. He's got to step

up. We'll let him do the talking. He's set up to run very, very well."

Super Saver, who drew the far outside with Derby-winning rider Calvin Borel

aboard, is the only Travers starter to have won a race at the distance.

"His versatility and the kind of tactics Calvin was able to employ in the

Derby should bode well in (here)," Pletcher said. "Sometimes, the No. 11 might

be a little further out there than you'd ideally like, but I think with a mile

and a quarter it's OK; you get a decent run to the first turn so Calvin should

have the option to survey everything inside and see who's using their horse and

fall into a cozy spot, hopefully.

Afleet Express will go in the Travers for the Jimmy Jerkens shedrow following

his third in the Jim Dandy. The dark bay colt earned his shot in that event with

a game victory in the Pegasus S. (G3) at Monmouth Park, and has been earning

century-topping BRIS numbers in his past three races.

"He tends to break a little on the slow side, so it's probably better to be a

little bit out of the way than being down in there," Jerkens said of drawing

post 7 with Afleet Express. "I thought he would run well in his earlier races.

The water's a lot deeper now but he's doing great, and he'd better be. He'll

have to run better than he did the last time to win it, there's no doubt about

it."

Javier Castellano, in the irons for both the Pegasus and Jim Dandy, retains

the mount here on Afleet Express.

Like Trappe Shot, MINER'S RESERVE (Mineshaft) was under consideration for the

King's Bishop but his connections decided on the Travers. The Jim Dandy

runner-up is one of three Travers hopefuls going for trainer Nick Zito, along

with FLY DOWN (Mineshaft) and ICE BOX (Pulpit). The former runner conquered the

Dwyer S. (G2) by six lengths prior to running second by less than a length in

the Belmont S. (G1). Ice Box also earned a classic credit following his Florida

Derby (G1) victory, finishing runner-up to Super Saver in the Kentucky Derby.

FIRST DUDE (Stephen Got Even) will be making his sixth straight Grade 1

appearance in the Travers, having along the way collected a third-place finish

in the Blue Grass S., a second-place finish in the Preakness and third-place

finishes in both the Belmont and Haskell.

"He's doing great," trainer Dale Romans said of First Dude. "He shipped in

well on Tuesday and galloped perfectly over the track this morning. The post

position (4) is perfect. It's a good spot; best we've had his past few starts."

FRIEND OR FOE (Friends Lake), who did not start until March 6 of this year,

racked up three straight wins before finishing fourth in his first start around

two turns and against graded rivals in the Jim Dandy.

"I really think the horse is going to benefit greatly from his Jim Dandy

effort," trainer John Kimmel said. "We were asking the horse to go from

seven-eighths of a mile to a mile and an eighth against some improved horses and

he showed very well. He got bounced around a little bit, continued on well, and

galloped out well. The gallop-out was a good sign for me -- he galloped up right

past the winner. I think that now that he's had that experience, he should move

forward off the race and that's why we're here.

"Hopefully, he'll continue the tradition of New York-breds like Thunder

Rumble (who won the Travers in 1992)," Kimmel added.

Trappe Shot and Miner's Reserve going in the Travers leaves a field of seven

to line up for the $250,000

King's Bishop one race earlier on the program. D' FUNNYBONE (D'wildcat) and

DISCREETLY MINE (Mineshaft) are the top draws in the sprint spectacular, though

the pair could face a challenge from the up-and-coming BULLDOGGER (Dixie Union).

D' Funnybone easily added the Hutcheson and Swale S. (G2) to his line earlier

in the year, but suffered a troubled trip in the Withers next out, finishing

fourth after being steadied sharply. Trainer Richard Dutrow sent his charge back

into the sprint ranks following that one, and the chestnut responded with

another easy score in the Woody Stephens S. (G2) at Belmont Park. He was

upstaged by a local in the Carry Back S. (G2) last out and will be looking to

return to form here.

Discreetly Mine will do his best to spoil D' Funnybone's homecoming in the

winner's circle. After taking the Jersey Shore S. (G3) at Monmouth Park, the

Pletcher trainee romped by 8 3/4 lengths in the Amsterdam S. (G2) at the Spa

last out. That was his second win from three starts at Saratoga, after he broke

his maiden by 6 1/4 lengths over a good track one year ago.