Oaklawn winners dot Saratoga's Travers card

American Pharoah isn't Oaklawn Park's only rooting interest today at Saratoga, not even in the Travers Stakes, but he'll bring out the crowd both places.

The first Triple Crown winner in 37 years can become the first Oaklawn-prepped Travers winner since Temperence Hill 1980 with a victory in upstate New York. The third horse to sweep the Kentucky Derby and Arkansas Derby (joining Sunny's Halo, 1983, and Smarty Jones, 2004) became the first Arkansas Derby winner of the Haskell Invitational Aug. 2 at New Jersey's Monmouth Park, 57 days after taking the Belmont Stakes.

Saying that any horse is unbeatable at Saratoga -- even one, like American Pharoah, with eight straight victories, seven in Grade 1 stakes -- is unwise. Not at the site of historic upsets involving Man o'War and Triple Crown winners Gallant Fox and Secretariat.

But at 1-5 in the morning line, American Pharoah may well be unbettable in the 146th Travers. He comes off a Haskell romp of 2 1/4 lengths under wraps, earning a career-high 109 Beyer Speed Figure. The first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed is 6 for 6 as a 3-year-old, making him a shoo-in as division champion and early favorite as Horse of the Year.

"I thought in all his races he's run pretty well," said Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, comparing American Pharoah's midweek arrival at Saratoga like "bringing the Beatles to town."

"The Arkansas Derby, the Kentucky Derby, all of his races have been really just over the top," Baffert said. "That's what surprised me is that he keeps bringing it like he does. I've had really good horses that when they put in a great performance it's hard for them to keep bringing those great performances, and he does. We want to get another great performance out of him."

Post time for the Travers is 4:46 p.m. CDT on a two-hour NBC (Resort Channel 4) telecast starting at 3 p.m. The Travers (race 11) is the sixth Grade 1 event on a 13-race card starting at 10:45 a.m., Oaklawn opening at 10 a.m. for simulcast wagering.

Oaklawn also is represented in the Travers by King of New York, whose maiden victory March 14 came two races before American Pharoah made his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 Rebel. Trained by Ken McPeek, King of New York comes off a third-place finish July 31 in Saratoga's $100,000 Curlin, from which John Shirreffs-trained winner Smart Transition returns in the Travers.

Julien Leparoux lands the mount on King of New York, breaking from post nine. Victor Espinoza remains aboard American Pharoah, who drew post two going a mile and a quarter, the distance he negotiated in the May 2 Kentucky Derby when a length in front of Firing Line.

Champion filly Untapable, Sarah Sis, Street Story, Holy Boss and Race Day -- Oaklawn stakes winners in 2014 or 2015 -- appear on the Travers undercard. The Big Beast, March 1 Oaklawn winner in his 4-year-old debut for Conway owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong, is the 5-2 program favorite in the Grade 1 $700,000 Forego going seven furlongs.

Untapable, winless in two starts since Oaklawn's Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap April 10, is rematched against fellow 4-year-old Stopchargingmaria in the Grade 1 $750,000 Personal Ensign at a mile and an eighth. Untapable, 3-year-old winner of the 2014 Breeders' Cup Distaff at California's Santa Anita Park, finished a length behind Stopchargingmaria in Saratoga's Grade 2 Shuvee Handicap Aug. 2. Stopchargingmaria, trained by Todd Pletcher, is 4-1 in five Saratoga races and equally weighted (123) with Untapable in the Personal Ensign, after getting 3 pounds in the Shuvee.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez stays aboard Untapable (outside post six) for trainer Steve Asmussen and owner-breeder Ron Winchell. Eclipse Award winner Javier Castellano keeps the mount on Stopchargingmaria (post four), having replaced Velazquez in the Shuvee.

Sarah Sis, Oaklawn's Grade 3 Honeybee winner in March, takes a class hike in the Grade 1 $500,000 Ballerina at seven furlongs. Julio Felix stays aboard the 3-year-old filly for trainer Ingrid Mason, Sarah Sis a back-to-back stakes winner in Iowa after placing first or second in three of four Oaklawn races.

The Asmussen-trained Street Story, Oaklawn's Dixie Belle and Instant Racing winner last year, returns in the Ballerina after a distant second to La Verdad in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap July 29. La Verdad is the early 5-2 Ballerina favorite from post two under Jose Ortiz, Sarah Sis breaking from the rail post and Street Story (Jose Lezcano) from outside post eight.

Another Asmussen trainee, Holy Boss, seeks his fifth consecutive victory in the Grade 1 $500,000 King's Bishop for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs. Saratoga's Grade 2 Amsterdam winner by more than two lengths Aug. 1, the Street Boss colt started his winning streak in March at Oaklawn, next taking the track's $100,000 Bachelor. The 3-1 program favorite, Holy Boss keeps two-time Oaklawn champion Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard.

"I thought his last race was his best yet," said Asmussen, "and the way he ran in the Amsterdam at 6 1/2 [furlongs], this seems very doable."

Mr. Z, third in three Oaklawn stakes for Hall of Fame trainer Wayne Lukas when owned by Ahmed Zayat (American Pharoah), comes into the Grade 1 King's Bishop for 3-year-olds in sharp form. The Malibu Moon colt won June's Ohio Derby in his second start for new owner Brad Kelley (Calumet Farm) and placed second in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby last month. Joe Bravo, Mr. Z's rider in both recent races, stays aboard.

"He's doing really well," Lukas said. "It's a very tough spot. Shortening him up from those route races ... to seven-eighths is probaby a little bit of a concern. I'm trying to freshen him up with the cutback, but there's so much speed in the race; that's my concern."

Race Day, Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap and Grade 3 Razorback Handicap winner for trainer Todd Pletcher, breaks from the rail in the Forego with Castellano up. The Big Beast, beaten a nose by the Pletcher-trained Rock Fall in Saratoga's Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap Aug. 1, keeps Velazquez up from post five. The Lieblongs won the King's Bishop with the Tony Dutrow-trained The Big Beast on the 2014 Travers undercard.

Sports on 08/29/2015

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