Sovereignty, Magnitude top small Travers lineup

Magnitude, the only significant three-year-old Sovereignty hasn't proven himself superior to this season, will get his shot at the division leader Saturday in the $1.25 million Travers (G1) at Saratoga.

By virtue of consecutive wins in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont (G1), and Jim Dandy (G2), Sovereignty has discouraged most of the other leading lights of the crop from taking another swing at him. Thus, the 1 1/4-mile Travers (G1) attracted only a field of five.

Magnitude, though, is clearly fast enough on paper to win the Travers. Denied his own chance at the Kentucky Derby after exiting a 9 3/4-length romp in the Feb. 15 Risen Star (G2) with an ankle chip, Magnitude impressed again by a similar margin in his comeback run in the July 9 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows. Magnitude earned Brisnet Speed ratings of 105 and 104 for the two wins.

"We thought that was the perfect race back," said Scott Blasi, assistant trainer to Steve Asmussen. "He ran good figures once again. We wanted to give him plenty of time between that race and the Travers, which we've pointed to."

Nonetheless, it will be hard to depose Sovereignty, who has evolved from a deep closer into a more tractable runner, capable of winning from just about anywhere. He also has the advantage of being 2-for-2 at the distance, one Magnitude has not yet tried.

"I think he looks very much like he did going into the Belmont," trainer Bill Mott said. "I'm sure people figure there are probably easier places to run. Not everybody is fleeing. There's always somebody in there that can run. It is not a done deal."

A victory by any of the other three would be considered a shock. The lightly raced Strategic Focus was run down late as a 3-5 favorite in the restricted Curlin S., albeit by multiple Grade 1-winning stablemate Chancer McPatrick. Stakes-winning Bracket Buster was fourth in the Haskell (G1), eight lengths adrift of Journalism, whom Sovereignty has beaten twice. Then there is McAfee, who earned only minor awards in the Peter Pan (G3), Ohio Derby (G3), and West Virginia Derby (G3).

The aforementioned Chancer McPatrick is one of eight three-year-olds in the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) over seven furlongs. His rivals include Woody Stephens (G1) one-two Patch Adams and Madaket Road, undefeated Maxfield S. winner Verifire, and recent Amsterdam (G2) victor Smoken Wicked.

In addition to Madaket Road, Bob Baffert also sends San Vicente (G2) romper Barnes and Midland Money, a recent allowance scorer at Saratoga following an absence of more than 13 months. Stakes scorer Captain Cook debuts in the Jerkens for trainer Todd Pletcher after being based previously with Rick Dutrow.

The stakes action Saturday kicks off with the $400,000 Lake Placid (G2), a one-mile grass test for three-year-old fillies, which attracted six entrants.