Travers

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

The 138th running of Travers S. (G1) is the highlight of the season at

Saratoga, and it is impossible for us to pick against Kentucky Derby (G1) hero

STREET SENSE (Street Cry [Ire]). The Carl Nafzger trainee is the first Kentucky

Derby winner to run in the Travers since 1995, when Thunder Gulch won both

races. He will try to become just the 10th Kentucky Derby winner to triumph in

the Travers. In addition, Nafzger, who won the Alabama S. (G1) with Lady Joanne

(Orientate),

will try to become just the fifth trainer since 1901 to capture the

Alabama-Travers double.

Street Sense, last year's champion two-year-old, was the first horse to win

the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and Kentucky Derby. The dark bay colt has had an

outstanding sophomore season, winning the sport's most coveted prize before just

missing in the Preakness S. (G1). Nafzger decided to give the colt a break after

his agonizing loss to Curlin (Smart Strike) in the middle jewel of the Triple

Crown, and Street Sense returned to action with a dominant open-length victory

in the Jim Dandy S. (G2) on July 29. As is his wont, Street Sense traveled near

the back of the field along the inside, had to wait in a pocket near the

five-sixteenths pole, then angled out deftly at the top of the stretch, before

driving to a 1 1/2-length victory.

This year's Travers appears to have a lack of early pace, but Street Sense

has shown in the past that he can stay close, if necessary. In the Jim Dandy he

was relatively close to the front runners, for instance. More importantly,

Street Sense has proven time and time again that he can carry weight, and he

figures to improve in his second start off the layoff. Moreover, his regular

rider, Calvin Borel, is a perfect partner and knows him well. At anything

between his morning-line odds of 3-5 and even money, he would be an attractive

bet indeed.

Peter Pan S. (G2) winner and Wood Memorial (G1) runner-up SIGHTSEEING

(Pulpit) has the best chance to upset Street Sense. Trained by Lexington,

Kentucky, native Claude "Shug" McGaughey III, the dark bay colt comes off a good

third in the Jim Dandy. Sightseeing trailed the field and was widest of all on

the second turn. He waited patiently turning for home while deciding what path

to take, then advanced from between horses in upper stretch before having to

steady slightly near the furlong marker when a tiring Flashstorm (Storm Cat)

drifted out into his lane. Sightseeing continued to close, finishing third,

beaten 2 1/4 lengths, and galloped out in front of the field. He has trained

well since and should offer playable odds.

C P WEST (Came Home), one of two trained by Nick Zito, likely will be the one

to catch. The dark bay colt was in the mix on the outside before finishing a

decent fourth in the Preakness. In his next start, he dueled through the opening

1 1/4 miles of the Belmont S. (G1) before diminishing to fifth, then was a

gritty runner-up in the Jim Dandy. C P West dueled from the outside throughout,

took a clear advantage at the top of the lane between calls, then dueled with

Street Sense through the stretch, before holding on stubbornly under 115 pounds,

eight less than the winner. C P West could get loose on the lead, but our

concern is that he is picking up 11 pounds off his last effort, and that he is

still eligible for a non-winners of one "other than" allowance condition. On the

other hand, he did work a half-mile in a bullet :46 3/5 recently.

Three-time winner GRASSHOPPER (Dixie Union) was a good-looking, second-level

allowance winner going nine furlongs over this track in his last start. The Neil

Howard-trained colt pressed the early pacesetter from the outside while in hand,

then quickly drew off when given the signal at the top of the stretch. The dark

bay colt romped home under a hand ride by six lengths while defeating older

foes. Grasshopper is an up-and-coming sort who could factor for a share.

The Kenny McPeek-trained LOOSE LEAF (Notebook) was well back in the early

going before making a quick move through traffic in upper stretch and drawing

off to a 3 3/4-length score in the nine-furlong Lemon Drop Kid S. here on August

5. The bay colt is a useful closer, but he is ambitiously spotted with these. He

does, however, get the hot-riding Kent Desormeaux astride. FOR YOU REPPO (El

Corredor) exits a non-threatening third in a first-level allowance race on the

grass at Arlington Park after being sidelined for four months. The Helen

Pitts-trained colt is a promising sort with lots of upside but he would be a

surprise to light the board here. Garrett Gomez, one of the best finishers in

the business, rides.

HELSINKI (Distorted Humor), the lesser half of the uncoupled Zito entry,

finished a nondescript fourth in the Lemon Drop Kid with blinkers, which will

be removed today. The dark bay colt, a back-to-back winner in the mid-Atlantic,

is probably overmatched with these.