Saratoga is offering a buffet on Traver’s Weekend in the order of 16 stakes, 7 graded of which 6 are Grade 1’s.
The buffet begins with an amuse-bouche of the $125,000 John’s Call. Peter Brant’s Serve The King (GB) won the 2021 edition of the one and five eights mile turf test besting Ry’s the Guy by half a length. The Chad Brown trainee completed the course in 2:43.49 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Friday offers an appetizer platter of six stakes worth $1.25 million. The tasting begins with the $200,000 West Point presented by Trustco Bank with problables: Action Jackson just off his maiden win August 6 at Saratoga; Forbidden Apple winner City Man; Cold Hard Cash just off an AOC win July 28 at Saratoga; Lord Flintshire who is coming off a fourth place in a starter allowance July 23 at Saratoga; Kingston Stakes winner Ocala Dream; Sanctuary City who was the runner-up in the Kingston Stakes on May 30; Mowhawk winner Somelikeithotbrown; and Therapist who was third in the Kingston. All-in-all the West Point is shaping up to be a competitive and entertaining event.
Also on Friday’s plate are the Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, Albany, Fleet Indian, $200,000 Yaddo and the Seeking the Ante.
The Pièce de résistance is Saturday with six graded stakes—five Grade 1’s and a Grade 2 worth $4.1 million in purses. The main course, the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers has probable entries such as Ain’t Life Grand, Artorius, Charge It, Cyberknife, Early Voting, Epicenter, Gilded Age, Rich Strike and Zandon.
The Brad Cox trained Essential Quality was the victor in the 2021 edition of the Travers.
Also on the menu are the Grade 2 Ballston Spa, and all Grade 1: the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer- BC WAYI, Personal Ensign and Forego.
A delicious desert is served on Sunday in the form of the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina – BC WAYI and the Better Talk Now. The latter named for graded stakes champ Better Talk Now, he was affectionately known as “Blackie.” Trained by Graham Motion, Blackie retired to Motion’s Herringswell Farm at Fair Hill where lived out his life until his passing at the age of 18. Motion will start Serifos in the race named for his charge.
Stakes Probables
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24
$135,000 John’s Call
Probable: Ocean’s Map (Gregg Sacco), Sa’ad (Keri Brion), Tide of the Sea (Tom Morley)
Possible: Common Bond (Eric Reed)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 25
$135,000 Riskaverse
Probable: Candy Light (Graham Motion), Customer List (Chad Brown), Faith In Humanity (Chad Brown), Gina Romantica (Chad Brown), Linda’s Gift (George Weaver), Missy Greer (Danny Gargan), Parnac (Christophe Clement), Skims (Shug McGaughey), Spirit And Glory (Robert Falcone, Jr.)
Possible: Canisy (Christophe Clement)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 26
$200,000 West Point presented by Trustco Bank
Probable: Action Jackson (Jorge Abreu), City Man (Christophe Clement), Cold Hard Cash (Linda Rice), Lord Flintshire (Jorge Abreu), Ocala Dream (Tom Morley), Sanctuary City (James Ferraro), Somelikeithotbrown (Mike Maker), Therapist (Christophe Clement)
$200,000 Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital
Probable: Acoustic Ave (Christophe Clement), Andiamo A Firenze (Kelly Breen), Belt Parkway (Uriah St. Lewis), Donegal Surges (Todd Pletcher), I’m Wide Awake (Tony Dutrow)
Possible: Curly Larry And Mo (Caio Caramori)
$250,000 Albany
Probable: Barese (Mike Maker), Montebello (Todd Pletcher), Price Discipline (Chad Brown)
Possible: Bossmakinbossmoves (Richard Schosberg)
$200,000 Fleet Indian
Probable: Curly Girl (Paul Barrow), Fingal’s Cave (David Donk), Galaxina (H, James Bond), Let Her Inspire U (Todd Pletcher), Shesascoldasice (M. Anthony Ferraro), Sweet Mystery (Patrick Quick), Venti Valentine (Jorge Abreu)
Possible: Vallelujah (Robbie Davis)
$200,000 Yaddo
Probable: Classic Colors (Christophe Clement), Classic Lady (Christophe Clement), Ice Princess (Danny Gargan), Marvelous Maude (Chad Brown), Runaway Rumour (Jorge Abreu)
$200,000 Seeking the Ante
Probable: Lady Mine (James Chapman), Les Bon Temps (Norm Casse), Maple Leaf Mel (Jeremiah Englehart), Miracle (Rodolphe Brisset)
Possible: Song Parody (Christophe Clement)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27
Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers
Probable: Ain’t Life Grand (Kelly Von Hemel), Artorius (Chad Brown), Charge It (Todd Pletcher), Cyberknife (Brad Cox), Early Voting (Chad Brown), Epicenter (Steve Asmussen), Gilded Age (Bill Mott), Rich Strike (Eric Reed), Zandon (Chad Brown)
Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa
Probable: Fluffy Socks (Chad Brown), High Opinion (Tony Dutrow), Lemista (Chad Brown), Technical Analysis (Chad Brown)
Possible: Messidor (Christophe Clement), Our Flash Drive (Mark Casse), Poca Mucha (Bill Mott)
Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial
Probable: Accretive (Chad Brown), Actuator (Michael McCarthy), Conagher (Michael Tomlinson), Gunite (Steve Asmussen), Happy Jack (Doug O’Neill), Howling Time (Dale Romans), Jack Christopher (Chad Brown), Runninsonofagun (John Toscano, Jr.), Witty (McLane Hendriks)
Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer- BC WAYI
Probable: Adhamo (Chad Brown), Broome (Aidan O’Brien), Channel Maker (Bill Mott), Gufo (Christophe Clement), Mira Mission (Ian Wilkes), Rockemperor (Chad Brown), Tribhuvan (Chad Brown)
Possible: Soldier Rising (Christophe Clement)
Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign
Probable: Clariere (Steve Asmussen), Crazy Beautiful (Kenny McPeek), Letruska (Fausto Gutierrez), Malathaat (Todd Pletcher)
Possible: Search Results (Chad Brown)
Grade 1, $600,000 Forego
Probable: Drafted (David Duggan), Jackie’s Warrior (Steve Asmussen), Pipeline (Chad Brown), Speaker’s Corner (Bill Mott), Three Two Zone (Ray Handal)
Possible: Baby Yoda (Bill Mott), Kneedeepinsnow (Matt Shirer), War Tocsin (Uriah St. Lewis)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 28
Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina – BC WAYI
Probable: Bella Sofia (Rudy Rodriguez), Ce Ce (Michael McCarthy), Goodnight Olive (Chad Brown), Lady Rocket (Brad Cox), Obligatory (Bill Mott), Travel Column (Bill Mott)
$135,000 Better Talk Now
Probable: King of Hollywood (Gregg Sacco), Riot House (Danny Gargan), Serifos (Graham Motion)
NYRA Press Office; Introduction by Maribeth Kalinich
Main Photo: Essential Quality (outside blue cap) and Midnight Bourbon battling it to the wire in the 2021 Runhappy Travers with the Brad Cox trainee the victor by a neck. (NYRA/Coglianese)
