A group of 17 nominated to Travers
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Nominations for Week 6 stakes at Saratoga Race Course are now available, anchored by the summer’s signature event for 3-yearolds, the 148th running of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers presented NYRA Bets on Saturday, August 26.
In total, a diverse group of 17 sophomores have been nominated to the 1 ¼-mile ‘Mid-Summer Derby,’ one of seven stakes on Travers Day. Among the top nominees are Grade 1 Belmont Stakes hero Tapwrit, trained by Todd Pletcher and making his first start since his twolength victory in the ‘Test of the Champion’ on June 10; Easy Goer and Grade 3 Los Al Derby winner West Coast from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who sent Arrogate to a record victory in last year’s Travers; Good Samaritan, a 4 ¾-length winner of the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in his first start on dirt for Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott; Grade 1 Haskell Invitational winner Girvin for trainer Joe Sharp; and Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming, also trained by Pletcher and looking to rebound from his third-place finish in the Jim Dandy.
Also nominated to the Travers are Grade 3 Matt Winn victor McCraken, who finished a game second in the Haskell; Grade 1 Preakness winner Cloud Computing, sixth in the Jim Dandy last time out; Irap, who owns a pair of Grade 3 victories this summer, including his recent five-length win the Indiana Derby on July 15; Outplay, the front-running winner of the Curlin last time; Gunnevera, who returned from the Preakness with a five-length win in the Tangelo on August 6; Jim Dandy runner-up Giuseppe the Great; and impressive allowance winner Fayeq, the half-brother to Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra.
Fox Hill Farm’s star filly Songbird, trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, leads 13 nominations for the Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign for fillies and mares, one of four “Win and You’re In” qualifiers for the Breeders’ Cup on November 3-4 at Del Mar. The Personal Ensign, carrying an all-feespaid berth into the Distaff, has also attracted heavyweight nominees Forever Unbridled, winner of the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis last time out; Shine Again winner Carina Mia; and multiple graded stakes winner Terra Promessa, exiting a distant second-place finish to Paid Up Subscriber in the Grade 3 Shuvee.
The top three finishers of the Grade 2 Bowling Green on July 29 at the Spa lead 13 nominations for the Grade 1, $1 million Sword Dancer. Hunter O’Riley, who finished a game neck ahead of Grade 1 United Nations winner Bigger Picture and a half-length ahead of third-place finisher Sadler’s Joy, lead the U.S.based candidates for the 1 ½-mile “Win and You’re In” event for the Turf. Top European trainers Aidan O’Brien and Andre Fabre each have a European group stakes winner nominated for the Sword Dancer in Idaho and Talismanic, respectively.
Baffert trainees Drefong, 2016’s Champion sprinter who broke his five-race win streak when he ducked the gap and lost jockey Mike Smith at Del Mar in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby, and Mor Spirit, who posted a 6 ¼-length win in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park last time out, top the nominations for the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego, a Breeders’ Cup qualifier for the Sprint. The Forego attracted a total of 18 nominations, including Grade 2 Belmont Sprint champion Mind Your Biscuits and Divining Rod, who returned from a nearly nine-month layoff with a dominating victory in the Polynesian on August 12.
Female sprinters will vie for a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ketel One Ballerina, which drew 14 nominations, including multiple graded stakes winners Paulassilverlining, Vale Dori, By the Moon, Curlin’s Approval, Finley’sluckycharm, and Highway Star.
The Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens and Grade 2, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa round out the stakes action on Travers Day. — NYRA Irad Ortiz, Jr. Jose Ortiz John Velazquez Javier Castellano Manny Franco Luis Saez Joel Rosario Jose Lezcano Ricardo Santana, Jr. Kendrick Carmouche Eric Cancel Angel Arroyo Rajiv Maragh Dylan Davis Junior Alvarado Joe Bravo Julien Leparoux Florent Geroux Robby Albarado Hector Rafael Diaz Paco Lopez Michael Mitchell Luis Reyes Luis Contreras Bernard Dalton Chris DeCarlo Tyler Gaffalione Mike Luzzi Sean McDermott Mike Smith Darren Nagle Oscar Gomez Chad Brown Todd Pletcher Kiaran McLaughlin Linda Rice Jason Servis Rudy Rodriguez Bill Mott George Weaver Charlton Baker Danny Gargan David Cannizzo David Donk Jeremiah Englehart David Jacobson Michael Maker Gary Contessa Steve Asmussen Michelle Nevin Bruce Levine Graham Motion Jimmy Jerkens Albert Stall Wesley Ward Mark Casse George Arnold Christophe Clement Horacio DePaz D. Wayne Lukas Raymond Handal Carlos Martin Shug McGaughey Ron Moquett Robert Ribaudo Barclay Tagg John Terranova II Richard Violette Brendan Walsh A.C. Avila Bob Baffert Robert Barbara H. James Bond Debra Breed Simon Callaghan Russell Cash Wayne Catalano Naipaul Chatterpaul Brad Cox Gustavo Delgado Michael Dilger Robertino Diodoro Carl Domino David Duggan Anthony Dutrow Chris Englehart James Ferraro Jack Fisher Mitchell Friedman Leah Gyarmati Gary Gullo Richard Hendriks Patrick Kelly Archibald Kingsley Steve Klesaris Kenneth McPeek Barbara Minshall Carla Morgan Thomas Morley Reid Nagle Jorge Navarro Teresa Pompay Thomas Proctor Mike Puype Patrick Reynolds Larry Rivelli Dale Romans Derek Ryan Michael Sabine Merrill Scherer Dallas Stewart Chad Summers James Toner Michael Trombetta Elizabeth Voss Ian Wilkes Leslie Young 32 32 24 18 15 13 11 10 10 8 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 24 23 8 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1