Francesca Le Donne Photo

Saratoga Race Course Notes 8.24.17

by NYRA Press Office

• Songbird 'bigger and stronger' for G1 Personal Ensign
• 'All systems go' for Pletcher's Travers Day contingent
• G1 Travers contender West Coast progresses for Baffert
• Summers cranks up the tunes for Mind Your Biscuits
• Lynch gets first win of meet; Unchained Melody in good order
• Girvin, Grady hope to settle score with old friend Irap
• Tom's Ready training forwardly for Forego
• McCraken 'on his toes' for Travers gallop
• Fayeq looking to surprise from the outside in Travers
• Good Samaritan earns 'thumbs up' from Mott
• Giuseppe the Great 'solid' for deep Travers
• Gunnevera 'very happy' to be back at Spa
• Lookin At Lee has owners living it up

She's Baaaaack! And Songbird, the scary-good Eclipse Award winner in her juvenile and sophomore seasons, is even more than she was before in the opinion of her Hall of Fame trainer.

"She's matured. She's even bigger and stronger now," said Jerry Hollendorfer, who arrived from California Wednesday after being honored by the Eddie Gregson Foundation at Del Mar the night before and spent his first morning of the week at Saratoga with his stable star. 

"She's feeling better and acting better. We think she's better. She's more willing to be rated or go fast and do whatever the rider wants. According to what we're looking at and what her rider says, we think she's better."

Her rider is Mike Smith, who also is enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and has been aboard for all of the 4-year-old filly's 14 races and nine Grade 1 wins as they've been victorious on seven different racetracks .The only blemish on the record was a tough beat in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Distaff when the older and multiple champion Beholder just got her nose on the wire in one of the most exhilarating finishes in Breeders' Cup history.

Smith, who has ridden some of the greatest horses of all time and some extraordinary females, including Zenyatta, Azeri, Inside Information and Sky Beauty, has always been effusive in his lofty praise for Songbird and is demonstrably affectionate with her. 

"He seems to really love Songbird, and he enjoys riding her. But he's ridden a lot of good horses and does a good job on all them. It is nice to see this affection he has for her," Hollenforfer said. "I work real well with Mike and he likes working with our stable. We've had quite a bit of success together and hopefully, we can have some more."

They get their chance Saturday when Songbird, the earner of $4,562,000 from 13 wins in 14 starts, takes on a field of four other fillies and mares as the prohibitive favorite in the Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign Stakes at 1 1/8 miles. The race is a "Win and You're In" qualifier for this year's Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, which is the end-season goal for the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro.

The significance of running in the race which memorializes Hall of Famer Personal Ensign, who not only remained undefeated in her 13-race career while winning eight Grade 1s but was also a champion and the dam and granddam of champions, has not gone unlost on Hollendorfer.

"I remember seeing Personal Ensign race. It would certainly be an honor to win the race that is named for her. It would be an honor for the horse, and an honor for me," said Hollendorfer, who sent Songbird to stand in the gate Thursday morning before she went in the paddock to "look around for a while" and subsequently galloped 1 ½ mile gallop on the main track.

Songbird, who won the Alabama and the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga last year, is destined for the Hall of Fame. But first things first.

"I don't really think there is that much pressure [in bringing her across the country]. There's always anticipation before these big races but I'd rather have a horse who is well thought of than one that's not," he said. "Whether you have two horses or two hundred, your days are the same because you have to be around to make sure everything is okay all day long, and that's the way I approach it. We'll just do our best to keep her happy now for a couple more days and we'll see what happens."

Songbird is owned by Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farm, and he has been outspoken about how much she has always meant to him, especially as he fought cancer and underwent recent successful experimental treatment administered by the oncologists at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"I expect Rick to be here for her race and I'm pretty enthused about that," said Hollendorfer. "Songbird helps all of us who are involved with her. She keeps my spirits up all of the time. Mr. Porter has certainly had his spirits lifted by her."

*         *         *

Tapwrit, the 7-2 favorite for Saturday's Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers presented by NYRA Bets, galloped on the Oklahoma training track Thursday morning. Trainer Todd Pletcher said Tapwrit, getting ready for his first start since winning the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, is in good order and that both he and stablemate Always Dreaming will paddock school later in the day.

Always Dreaming, the Kentucky Derby winner, drew post 7 in the 12-horse Travers field and is 6-1 on the morning line. Tapwrit will break from post 4.

"He had a good gallop and he's doing well," Pletcher said. "They'll both paddock school and that will pretty much be it. They'll gallop again tomorrow and we'll let them rest until the race."

Pletcher said his other entries on Travers Day - Eskenformoney for the Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign, Distinta for the Grade 1, $500,000 Ketel One Ballerina, Coal Front for the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial andTommy Macho for the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego - are "all systems go."

Coal Front enters the race formerly known as the King's Bishop looking to build on his 3-for-3 start, including a 1 ½-length score in his stakes debut in capturing the Grade 2 Amsterdam on July 29 at the Spa. The Stay Thirsty colt will break from post 7 in the nine-horse race contested at seven furlongs.

"The fact that he ran well here is encouraging and he's been training here and looking good," Pletcher said. "Obviously, this is his biggest test so far."

Coal Front will have the services of Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

"The stretch out to seven shouldn't be an issue, he drew well and it seems like he's outside the other speed," Pletcher said. "American Anthem has speed as well, but I don't think he's looking to go super quick early. I think it's a pretty tough race. I would imagine Takaful will be showing speed from the inside. I think the main thing is for Johnny to let him get in a comfortable rhythm and I would imagine that would be in a stalking-type position and hopefully he can keep coming forward."

Twin Creeks Racing Stables and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Destin won his first start in nearly three months, holding off Donegal Moon by a nose to win an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles Wednesday. The 2016 Belmont Stakes runner-up previously ran third in an optional claimer on May 28 at Belmont Park.

"He looked good; we were just hoping to get him back on track and see a positive effort from him, which we got," Pletcher said. "Hopefully now that will lead to some bigger races down the road. It's a little early to pinpoint anything. We want to see how some things develop. He has common ownership with Tapwrit, so some of it will depend on how he does."

*         *         *

West Coast, who will line up in the Travers starting gate for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, has been lightly raced and stayed off the Triple Crown trail. But now he comes into Saturday's race highly regarded by his connections.

West Coast was accompanied by Jimmy Barnes, Baffert's top assistant, who also brought Arrogate to last year's Travers when the eventual 3-year-old Male Champion, who was jumping up from an allowance/optional claiming race and won by a dominating 13 ½ lengths in 1:59.36 while breaking the 37-year-old stakes and track record. 

No one is anointing West Coast yet, but Gary and Mary West's colt was reported to be checking off all the boxes since he arrived on the grounds Tuesday afternoon from California as he readies for his biggest test. 

"He's all settled in and is acclimated. We've had two good days of training and everything is going well. The track is nice and everything has been good," said Barnes, who sent him out for a routine gallop of 1 1/4 to 1 3/8 miles under regular exercise rider Dana Barnes, his wife. "He's doing great."

Unlike stablemate Arrogate, West Coast was unraced as a 2-year-old.

"There really is no story behind that. Horses tell you when they're ready to run. Some are early and some are late and some are a little bit later than others," said Barnes.

Baffert took his time with the $425,000 yearling purchase and let the son of Flatter out of the 2000 champion Juvenile Filly Caressing signal him. West Coast made it clear he wasn't ready to try the Triple Crown trail earlier in the year.

"We're learning every day about our horse. I think he's probably where he needs to be mentally. It looks to be like he's figured it out. We've learned that you don't want to rush him early. In some of his earlier races, that kind of took away from some of his performance, trying to put him a little closer in the race that he wanted to be," said Barnes.

Baffert opted for the Easy Goer at Belmont on Belmont Stakes Day an West Coast crushed the competition a few races before fellow Travers runner Tapwrit won the Belmont. Although the Easy Goer was run at 1 1/16 miles, it was a one-turn race.

"The plan was to go back to two turns after the Easy-Goer. We shipped him back to California and we didn't want to ship again, so we stayed in California. There were thoughts of the Haskell but we figured a little more time would be better and we pointed for the Travers."

It was unusual for Baffert not to have a horse in the Kentucky Derby this year, but now he's got one in the Mid-Summer Derby. Moreover, the 3-year-old division is wide open at this stage of the season.

West Coast, who won the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby last out for his third consecutive score, has been installed as the 4-1 second choice in a field of 12 which includes Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming, Preakness winner Cloud Computing and Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit.

"It's a big field, but it's a mile-and-a-quarter so sometimes you're better off with a big field. Sometime with a small field, strange things happen and things don't develop like they possibly should. A big field at a mile-and-a-quarter doesn't bother me. There's not a lot serious speed, but there's enough speed where it should be an honest pace. Mike [Smith] will get him out of there and put him in a good spot, and if he fires, then we're looking good," said Barnes.

Baffert, who reported Thursday that he won't be traveling to Saratoga for Saturday's card, also sends out American Anthem in the Grade 1, $500,000 Allen Jerkens Memorial and Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and 2016 champion Sprinter Drefong in the Grade 1 Forego.

"I hate to be repetitive, but they're all doing really well and training very well," said Barnes.

Baoma Corporation's Drefong got a long break after the November 5 Breeders' Cup and kicked off his 4-year-old campaign in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar July 29. Not all went according to plan after the gates open and Drefong ducked into the gap and dumped Mike Smith.

"That was our spot to run. He just had that unfortunate incident happen. We drew the inside at Del Mar. Just after the break he got hit by that horse on the outside of him and just nudged him in that direction and you're just breaking right at the gap there and it just sent him that way. It's unfortunate it happened." Barnes said.

Luckily, Drefong was no worse for the wear and has been taken back to the gate at Baffert's home base for a refresher course. The trainer and his assistant are now confident that incident was just a one-off.

They're hoping the reigning Sprint champion will be a repeat Saratoga sensation and follow-up up 2016 when he went gate-to-wire to win the seven-furlong Grade 1 King's Bishop, renamed the Allen Jerkens Memorial, in 1:21.1 under Smith.

"Drefong ran well on this track. So he's good and we drew good. Anytime you can draw to the outside in a one-turn race it always helps," said Barnes. "He's the one with the target on his back, absolutely. It's a strong field, but I really think he'll show up with his 'A' game."

American Anthem, who is owned by WinStar Farm, the China Horse Club and SF Racing, was on the Triple Crown trail this season but fell by the wayside after very disappointing efforts in the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn in March and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in April, both around two turns. They were races that one has to draw a line through.

Rather than keep the $435,000 yearling purchase routing, Baffert switched him to sprints and American Anthem responded beautifully, winning the Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera and then the Grade 2 Woody Stephens- both at seven furlongs- in a sharp effort at Belmont on Belmont Stakes Day.

"Can he go long? The question is in your mind if he can or not. I still think he probably can, but with him being so effective going one turn, this was the logical spot," said Barnes. "Bob has given him plenty of time between races, which is a good thing because it's tough if you keep wheeling them right back, especially if they're traveling. He should be fresh and ready to go Saturday."

American Anthem and Drefong also galloped Thursday morning.

"All three horses handle the track well and are handling the trip good. This is beautiful weather for the horses. The air is fresh and they feel it and are happy to be here," said Barnes. "A lot of times when you come to a new spot, they're looking around. But neither of these horses has shown any signs of greenness or have stopped paying attention," Barbes said. 

American Anthem schooled in the paddock Wednesday and Drefong and West Coast had their lessons Thursday. All three will gallop again on Friday.

*         *         *

J Stables and Head of Plain Partners-owned Mind Your Biscuits, the second choice in Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Forego is a bit of a different breed of thoroughbred according to trainer Chad Summers. The multiple Grade 1-winning sprinter who boasts victories in the Grade 2 Amsterdam, Grade 1 Malibu, Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen and Grade 2 Belmont Sprint, respectively, needs music to help keep him keep calm.

His favorite genre - early 2000s Hip Hop - is played while walking to the track, cooling out in the shedrow, or when he's getting done-up in his stall. The son of Posse, who loves to have a target to chase on race day to aid his strong, closing kick, has been different since he's found his new hobby.

"He's a dude, he's a cool horse," Summers said. "He keeps you on your toes, nothing is easy with him. You've got to play music with him to keep him calm. When he runs his races he's an absolute monster. [In the barn,] he messes with you, he's not bad. It's a game to him.

"It's been trial and error but he loves it. His ears perk up, he walks with confidence, he bops along," he said. "He's a big kid, loves to play. So, I'm trying to figure out how am I going to calm this horse down, earplugs and this and that, for whatever reason, one day I had music playing, and I was like oh, he's listening, and it just took off from there. [Other trainers] made fun of me when we were [at the Breeders' Cup] last year, and I said, 'Listen, he's a nice horse, we're going to keep the music on.'

"That 'All the Way Up' song? That was the Breeders' Cup song. Just when we're walking, when we're doing him up, stuff like that, we put it on the speaker, on the cell phone. The thing with him and other sprinters is you need to keep them as mellow as possible, as happy as possible, and if they're sound the big key is to keep them happy, that's why like a little thing like that, what people might perceive as a little thing is a big thing to us."

*         *         *

Trainer Brian Lynch got off the Saratoga schneid with Infinite Wisdom's one-length victory in the John's Call at 1 5/8 miles on the Mellon turf Wednesday.

Infinite Wisdom's gate-to-wire win marked the first victory in 20 starts during the Saratoga meet for the Lynch barn, who saddled three runners-up, including Loose On the Town in the Tale of the Cat and Belmont Stakes runner Meantime against allowance company on August 19.

"It's always a sense of relief and maybe the wins will start flowing now," Lynch said.

Infinite Wisdom, a 6-year-old son of Smart Strike, registered his first career stakes win.

"He came out of it in good order," Lynch said. "He's always been crying out to get a lot more ground. You always have limited opportunities to try him over those sorts of distances. Fortunately, we had a chance to try him there yesterday and he came out on top."

Infinite Wisdom has finished in the money in four of his last five races and won his first start at 1 5/8 miles, prompting Lynch to say he will have to look nationally to find long-distance races for his next spot.

"Those spots are hard to find and you have to ship to get them, but I find the older he gets, the better he gets," he said. "We just have to look for those marathon races. He ships well. He's a real easy keeper and laid back. That's why he's ideal to run in those races."

Unchained Melody, who was eased as a precaution in last Saturday's Grade 1 Alabama, got some good news after being examined at Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists in Elmont, New York earlier in the week, Lynch said.

"She got a clean bill of health on the nuclear scan," Lynch said. "There was nothing significant that lit up on her, so we're very pleased about that."

Unchained Melody was coming off a victory in the Grade 2 Mother Goose on July 1 at Belmont Park. The 3-year-old Smart Strike filly is currently at Belmont as Lynch plots her next steps.

"We're certainly in the regroup stage with her before we make any decisions, but hopefully we won't be too far away from that," Lynch said. "We'll get her back on the track and hopefully get it all turned around."

*         *         *

Girvin continues to train well for trainer Joe Sharp at Saratoga's Oklahoma training track. The son of Tale of Ekati jogged on Thursday morning. According to his conditioner, the second-leading money earner in Saturday's Grade 1 Travers will gallop on Friday morning on the main track.

Owner Brad Grady has had an exciting year thus far as an owner and pinhooker of thoroughbreds. His orange and black colors have raced at the Kentucky Derby and won a pair of million-dollar races with his stable star - Fair Grounds' Grade 2 Louisiana Derby and Monmouth Park's Grade 1 Haskell Invitational - and a victory by Girvin on Saturday could have year-end championship implications.

"The horse is doing really well and we feel pretty good going into the race," Grady said. "In my opinion, it's the toughest field he's faced, but he's really become a man over the last few months. We're dealing with a better animal and he's really grown and matured. 

"It's also been an incredible season for my family, my farm and my trainer," he continued. "We've had a stellar year. In addition to Girvin, we also had pinhooked [fellow Travers entrant and three-time graded stakes-winning millionaire] Irap and he's done incredibly well. It's kind of unparalleled."

Pinhooking is the main game of Grand Oaks, Grady's Texas-based farm and operation, but Grady has experienced ample returns in racing. Girvin was originally slated to be pinhooked after his $130,000 purchase, but an injury prevented him from being entered in a breeze-up sale in April 2016. 

The fashionably-bred Irap, on the other hand, turned over a nice profit when the half-brother to champion and top sire Speightstown brought $300,000 at Ocala's March sale. The irony of Grady's success came in the final stride of the June 24 Grade 3 Ohio Derby, in which Irap got up to beat Girvin by the slimmest of noses. 

"You always want horses you sell to do well," Grady said. "I'm glad Irap has become a top horse and it was a tough loss in the Ohio Derby. I think Girvin did all he could do in that race and he ran his race. I still can't believe we lost, but that's okay. Hopefully we beat him in the Travers.

"My 6-year-old son looked at me in the paddock for the Ohio Derby and said 'Dad, you should have kept Irap," Grady laughed. "Like they say, if you want to know the truth, ask a drunk or a kid."

*         *         *

One of the darlings of the Dallas Stewart yard, Tom's Ready has been pleasing his connections with his work leading into the Grade 1 Forego on Saturday afternoon. Listed at 20-1 on the morning line, the son of More Than Ready, who will go to stud at Spendthrift Farm at the completion of his career, breezed exceptionally well, according to his conditioner, in his final pre-race work.

Going a half-mile at Churchill Downs on August 17, the nearly black colt worked in 48.80 seconds with jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr., in the saddle. Hernandez will have the mount again in Saturday's ninth race when they break from post 3. The work was one of a series of strong moves since his last start, including a bullet half-mile in 47.60 on August 3.

"He's coming into the Forego in great shape," Stewart said. "I really like how he's training. His last work was a great one and he's been acting the way you want a horse to act before a race like this. It's obviously going to be a very tough race, but he's doing very well and he's won in New York before." 

Racing in the colors of the Benson Family - owners of the New Orleans Saints of the NFL and New Orleans Pelicans of the NBA - the four-time winner from 17 starts exits a gritty head victory in the one-mile Leemat Stakes against Pennsylvania-breds at Presque Isle Downs on July 9. A two-time graded stakes winner last year who has consistently clashed with tough company, he won Belmont Park's Grade 2 Woody Stephens at the Forego's seven-furlong trip last year and won Churchill Downs' Grade 3 Ack Ack over a one-turn mile later in the year.

In addition to a decent fifth in last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile - facing standouts Tamarkuz, Gun Runner and Accelerate -  he was a bang-up third in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes on May 6 of this year to kick off his season. In that effort, he was only three-quarters of a length behind Awesome Slew, who is the 6-1 fourth choice in the Forego morning line.

*         *         *

Whitham Thoroughbred's multiple graded stakes winner McCraken galloped 1 ½ miles over Saratoga's main track Thursday morning, two days after the Ian Wilkes-trained Ghostzapper colt turned in an easy breeze to complete his serious preparations for Saturday's Travers.

On Tuesday, McCraken covered a half-mile in 51.22 seconds with exercise rider Yoni Orantes up over the Oklahoma training track. He jogged on Wednesday, a normal part of the Grade 1 Haskell runner-up's post-work routine, but McCraken, 12-1 on the morning line for the Travers, was still keen enough by Thursday morning that Wilkes opted for a stronger gallop.

"He's been very on his toes," said Wilkes. "He would be too fresh [for the Travers] so I changed up a little bit on him.

"I just wanted a light work [on Tuesday]," he added. "He only needed to do a little bit. The horse is very routine at the moment. It's good timing and everything has been on key. I'm happy with him. It's getting down to him now, showing up on Saturday, and we'll see if he can do his thing."

Undefeated in three starts as a 2-year-old, McCraken emerged as a serious Kentucky Derby candidate after his 1 ½-length victory in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs to begin his 3-year-old campaign in February.

A minor injury pushed his next start back more than a month and he returned to the Derby trail in the Grade 2 Blue Grass on April 8, where he finished third as the 3-2 favorite. McCraken finished a troubled eighth in the 'Run for the Roses,' emerging from the race with a laceration on his hind leg. Given time to recover, he missed the remaining Triple Crown series and came back with a 2 ¼-length victory in the Grade 3 Matt Winn in June at Churchill Downs before finishing second to Girvin by a nose in the Haskell on July 30.

*         *         *

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Fayeq is doing well ahead of the Travers and will be looking to surprise the prognosticators entering the 'Mid-Summer Derby.'

"He's doing great and we're all set," McLaughlin said.

Fayeq, who along with Lookin At Lee is the longest shot in the field at 30-1, drew the outside in the 12-horse field. McLaughlin said the Malibu Moon colt has had issues at the gate but added he is glad that he won't have to contest with pace from the outside.

"We won't be in the gate long and we wanted to have the speed inside of us, so hopefully it works out," McLaughlin said.

A half-brother to Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra, Fayeq is making his stakes debut after breaking his maiden on June 11 at Belmont Park and winning against allowance company at 1 1/8 miles on July 26 at Saratoga.

Dickinson galloped Thursday morning in preparation for the Grade 2, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa. McLaughlin said there are no issues heading into a six-horse field that features 4-5 favorite Lady Eli, who was second in last year's edition of the Ballston Spa at 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf.

"All is well," McLaughlin said. "Lady Eli and the rest of the field are tough competitors but she's training great and we're excited."

Takaful also galloped Thursday and remains set for the H. Allen Jerkens, where he drew post 2 at 5-1 odds.

"Takaful's doing great; he worked a little bit this morning and all is well," McLaughlin said.

*         *         *

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott gave a thumbs up when asked how his charge Good Samaritan is doing on Thursday morning. The Grade 2 Jim Dandy winner is set to run in Saturday's 148th running of the Travers, and will be the eighth starter in the Mid-Summer Derby for Mott, who has finished second twice with Vision and Verse (1999) and Hold Me Back (2009). The pace of the race can fade or aid the son of Harlan's Holiday, but Mott said he won't worry with how it will play out.

"Thumbs up, that covers it all. Thumbs up baby," Mott said. "He's been behaving well. He's coming off a good race. [I] don't want to try and overanalyze it. They've got to go around there on Saturday afternoon. It's very simple. [I] don't want to overcomplicate it too much.

"You've seen his running style, best case scenario is a good, honest pace," he added. "I don't think you can predetermine that, it's determined by the pace in front of him."

The field for the Travers shapes up to be one of the most competitive in years, and Good Samaritan, one of three in the field who wasn't involved in the Triple Crown trail could have an advantage.

"I think a couple of the more famous horses are not coming off their best races. They obviously have to move forward in order to win it. They have to rebound, which they could, nothing says they couldn't rebound. I think I believe for sure that the horse is fresher now than he had been on the Triple Crown trail, I mean we had no choice, I don't think there was any choice in the matter. I feel good about the way the horse is doing," said Mott.

Good Samaritan, who debuted on the dirt in the Jim Dandy and responded with a closing 4 ¾-length victory, was cross-entered in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and the Juvenile Turf. It was decided to keep the colt on the grass where he had been perfect through two starts since his career debut at Saratoga which he won by a head, and his victory in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes at Woodbine. Good Samaritan finished third in the Juvenile Turf, and it was later found that he had a carpal chip in his knee, and he was removed from the Derby Trail.

Good Samaritan instead returned as a 3-year-old at Churchill Downs, and finished second in the Grade 2 American Turf, before repeating a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge. His only finish off the board came in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby, where he was a belated fourth.

*         *         *

Grade 2 Jim Dandy runner-up Giuseppe the Great is in good order for the Travers according to Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito. The colt by Lookin At Lucky received some gate training and a gallop on Wednesday morning, and galloped Thursday morning in preparation to run against the strongest group he's faced thus far.

The colt's progression, and his adversaries during Saturday's 1 ¼-mile race have the 69-year-old trainer and part-time racing historian excited about Saturday's contest.

"If he finishes out the week he has had, I'm happy. He's solid," Zito said. "It's amazing the type of field you've got in there. I don't ever remember a Travers this deep as far as credentials. I don't know if they're Secretariat-type horses or Arrogate-type horses, but the interesting thing is, I don't think you are going to get a race where there is a Derby winner, there is a Preakness winner, there is a Belmont winner, there is a Haskell winner, there is Baffert horse, Jim Dandy winner, it goes on and on, a horse that won the Blue Grass.

"To me, it's the best race I have ever seen where the credentials are actually true... At the end of the day, it's all true. It would be a great race to win, great to have a horse that is that consistent to pull off an upset in a place like this.... This could be one of the biggest in my opinion," he added.

For Zito, who has sent 28 starters postward in the Travers, highlighted by winning with Birdstone for Marylou Whitney in 2004, Giuseppe the Great could have the potential to pull off one of his biggest achievements in his career.

"I start thinking about goofy things, like winning something like this and pulling this upset and beating all those horses. I am grateful to be in this with a consistent horse. I have to talk to my young jockey [Tyler Gaffalione] because I believe this horse is going to be there again Saturday. He is that consistent."

As for Giuseppe the Great's name, it was chosen by Mossarosa's owner, Nena Moss. The Austin, Texas based businesswoman has a favorite Italian restaurant she visits when she comes east to New York. The name was picked in honor of the Long Island-based restaurant's owner, Joe, which in Italian is Giuseppe.

"It's called Umbertos," Zito said. "The original one in New Hyde Park, been there since 1968, the best one, still, I'll tell you a good story. When Eli Manning won the Super Bowl, he had pizzas delivered from that Umberto's, look it up. She loves it. All the famous restaurants in Manhattan she could go to, she goes to that one."

*         *         *

Back at the site of his first stakes win, Salomon del Valle's Travers contender Gunnevera has trained well over the Saratoga main track this week, said trainer Antonio Sano Thursday morning.

The 3-year-old Dialed In colt arrived by van on Sunday and made his first local appearance on the track Tuesday morning. Last summer, Gunnevera pulled off a mild upset with a one-length victory at 9-1 in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, his only other start at the Spa.

"He looks very good," said Sano. "He's been very happy, he likes it here. He was here last year and he did very good then, so we're looking forward to Saturday. Everything's been perfect so far.

As a juvenile, Gunnevera went on to win the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot to close out his season before finishing second to Irish War Cry in the Grade 2 Holy Bull in February. He came back with a 5 ¾-length victory in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 4. Gunnevera was third as the even-money favorite in the Grade 1 Florida Derby the following month before finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Preakness.

Purchased for $16,000 as a yearling, Gunnevera rebounded with a five-length score in the Tangelo on August 6 at Gulfstream Park last time out.

Gunnevera, 20-1 on the morning line, has drawn post 11 for the Travers.

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L and N Racing's Lookin At Lee has danced nearly every dance in the 3-year-old division this year and proven a tough, consistent customer for the always capable barn of Steve Asmussen. The son of Lookin At Lucky may be 30-1 on the morning line for Saturday's Grade 1 Travers, but if one were to estimate odds for who would finish in the top three, he would arguably be one of the favorites. 

His connections echo those sentiments and look forward to getting the bay colt back to the same 1 1/4-mile distance over which he was a driving second in this year's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. 

"He's been a great experience," said Michael Levinson, stable manager and part-owner of L and N Racing. "He always runs his race and he has trained well coming back. He has good energy and I'm looking forward to seeing him go 10 furlongs again.

"I think he'll run his race," Levinson continued. "He needs a fast pace, but if he has that, I think he'll be right there." 

In 13 starts, Lookin at Lee has finished in the top four in five Grade 1 events and has been competing against the best of his crop since commencing his career 13 months ago. As a juvenile, he was a solid second to eventual champion Classic Empire in Keeneland's Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity before finishing fourth to that rival in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.

This season, in addition to his impressive Derby effort, the Kentucky-bred was a rallying fourth in Pimlico's Grade 1 Preakness and an unlucky third behind consummate conqueror Classic Empire in Oaklawn's Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. After bombing in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes - a rare poor performance for the millionaire - the late-closing charge returned in Mountaineer Park's Grade 3 West Virginia Derby on August 5, finishing third after a wide rally and setting him up well for a return to more suitable conditions in the Mid-Summer Derby.

Lookin at Lee went to the Oklahoma training track at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday and spent time standing in the gate. He will likely gallop on Friday, a day before Saturday's big race. Ricardo Santana, Jr., who has ridden him five times prior, has the mount from post eight. 

"He knows Saratoga," Levinson said. "We decided to go back to him because of that and he knows the horse." 

Part of an initial foray into racehorse ownership for L and N, Lookin At Lee has his connections looking for even more excitement. 

"He is part of the first crop of horses we bought and we feel spoiled," Levinson said. "It's pretty unbelievable to get a Derby runner-up from the first group, so it's very exciting and we have some good ones coming up, including Orbatron, who was just fourth in the Ellis Park Juvenile.

"We have to get through Saturday before we look toward anything else, but if he continues to move forward, he will run well," Levinson concluded. "He's the one horse in this crop who has held his form the longest, from [a second to subsequent Breeders' Cup runner-up Not This Time in] the Iroquois to the Travers."