Big money, Breeders' Cup spots on the line on Travers weekend
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Aug. 28 (UPI) --Note: It was 58 years ago (Aug. 27, 1968) that I first reported for work at United Press International in Chicago, five floors above the Billy Goat Tavern. I've been writing for the company continuously ever since. Sunday will be the 45th anniversary of the first horse race I covered for UPI -- the inaugural Arlington Million.
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It's a good thing it's a quiet week on the international front because the North American horse racing schedule is jam packed with goodies. There are five Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" races and three others that offer purses of $1 million or more.
One of those seven-figure purses is the $1.25 million Grade I Travers at Saratoga, the "Midsummer Derby" with Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo seeking a virtual lock on year-end honors.
Another is the $1.75 million Grade I Ladies Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs, where the advertised purses are for Kentucky-breds. Others run for reduced amounts. The third is Friday's $1 million Grade II Charles Town Classic in West Virginia.
The Travers is one of the few remaining chances for 3-year-olds to run against their peers before trying their luck with older horses.
Gold Phoenix, shown winning the Del Mar Handicap for the fourth year in a row in 2025, shoots for No. 5 Saturday. Photo by Benoit Photography, courtesy of Del Mar Turf ClubGolden Tempo, who has been managed conservatively by trainer Cherie DeVaux and his owners, has passed up chances to pad his resume in the Preakness, Haskell and Jim Dandy. That could leave him vulnerable to a challenge for the title of champion 3-year-old should he misfire Saturday at the track known as "graveyard of champions."
Renegade, second in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Belmont, seems the main threat. But the field is rife with Triple Crown trail veterans, including Preakness winner Napolean Solo, Kentucky Derby third Ocelli, Florida Derby runner-up The Puma, Arkansas Derby runner-up Silent Tactic and Louisiana Derby winner Emerging Market.
Baby Vino stepped up to win the Grade 1 Haskell in his last race and Sea Strike won the Curlin Stakes on Aug. 2 with a 102 Beyer Speed Figure, best in this field.
Friday's Charles Town Classic is wide open -- but only for those without faith in Skippylongstocking's affinity for the Mountain State. The 7-year-old won the Grade III West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer in 2022, and then won the Charles Town Classic in 2023 and 2024. Last year, he finished eighth in the Classic, but has shown plenty of life in recent runs.
Also in the Classic Division, Saturday's $250,000 St. Louis Derby at Fairmount Park attracted a solid field of eight.
The first, albeit provisional, seven-figure purse of the Kentucky Downs meeting, Friday's Ladies Turf Sprint, drew a full field of 12 including last year's winner, Ag Bullet. She's the favorite to repeat after a second-place finish behind Reef Runner in the Grade I Jaipur at Saratoga's Belmont Stakes meeting.
In the other divisions:
Distaff
The first three finishers from last month's Grade II Shuvee -- Fully Subscribed, Scottish Lassie and Snowyte -- return as favorites in Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Personal Ensign at Saratoga, a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff.
Friday's $750,000 Charles Town Oaks has nine entries, with Grade III Delaware Oaks winner Luv Your Neighbor and undefeated, West Virginia-bred local heroine At a Premium atop the morning line.
Sprint
Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Forego at Saratoga features Book'em Danno -- 12 for 19 lifetime, 5 for 6 at the Spa and last year's winner -- as the even-money favorite.
Dr. Venkman and Stronghold, 1-2 at the finish of Del Mar's Grade II Pat O'Brien a year ago, return for Saturday's $250,000 running, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
The Forego and Pat O'Brien are both 7 furlongs and both are "Win and You're In" affairs for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
Englishman is 3-for-3 sprinting, including an imposing win in the Grade I Woody Stephens in his last start, earning a 115 Beyer Speed Figure. That makes the Cherie DeVaux trainee an easy choice in Saturday's $500,000 Grade I H. Allen Jerkens Memorial for 3-year-olds at Saratoga.
Saffie Joseph Jr. saddles three of the eight entered for Friday's $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial at Charles Town, including even-money favorite Solitude Dude, last seen finishing second by a head in the Grade II Amsterdam at the Spa.
Filly & mare sprint
Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Resorts World Casino Ballerina at Saratoga, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, has a strong field of 12. Eclatant has won three in a row for trainer Brad Cox but Ways and Means, conditioned by Chad Brown, is the morning-line favorite off a win in the Grade II Bed o' Roses.
Irish Maxima rides a four-race win skein to the favorite's role in Friday's $300,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes at Charles Town. Several others also appeal.
Filly & mare turf
Friday's $225,000 Grade III Waya at Saratoga is a program-stabber with Shug McGaughey-trained Silvology the lukewarm 7-2 favorite.
Saturday's $400,000 Grade II Lake Placid for 3-year-olds at Saratoga has a diverse field, with Queen of Hawaii, an Irish-bred filly who finished a fast-closing fourth in the 2025 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, as 2-1 favorite.
Turf
Gold Phoenix has won the Grade II Del Mar Handicap four years in a row and looks to make it five in Saturday's $300,000 renewal. The race is a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, where he finished fifth last year, fourth in 2023 and 2024 and 10th in 2022.
He is 8, but he's certainly not running like an old guy. The Irish-bred Belardo gelding has won three of his last four, most recently the Grade II Eddie Read at Del Mar on July 26.
Juvenile fillies
Waggley, undefeated after three starts for trainer Wesley Ward, is 5-2 favorite on the morning line for Saturday's $750,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint. It's the first time on the grass for the Life is Good filly.