The biggest weekend of the summer racing season is upon us as Saratoga and Del Mar feature their marquee events of their meetings, each with a $1 million purse and a competitive field making each a good wagering race.
The $1 million Travers (G1) at Saratoga on Saturday is bringing together the top three-year-olds in training including the Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Orb and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Palace Malice.
Sunday’s $1 million Pacific Classic (G1) matches up former winners Richard’s Kid and Dullahan along with the top older horse on the west coast in Game On Dude.
Top Honors at Stake at Spa in Travers
The question of who is the top three-year-old in training likely will get answered on Saturday and it may not be the Kentucky Derby winner Orb or Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice.
The Todd Pletcher trainer Verrazano bounced back from his 15 ¾ length drubbing in the Kentucky Derby to post impressive victories in his last two outings at Monmouth Park. The colt won the Pegasus (G3) by 9 ¼ lengths and then returned to win the Haskell Invitational (G1) by 9 ¾ lengths and earning a 116 Beyer Speed Figure, tops by a three-year-old this year.
The colt is the 2-1 morning line favorite in the nine horse Travers field, but is going to face a tougher group than he saw in his last two starts.
His stablemate Palace Malice is the second choice on the morning line at 5-2. The colt showed his win in the Belmont Stakes at 13-1 was no fluke. The colt came back to win the Jim Dandy (G2) over the Spa main track on July 27.
Meanwhile, Kentucky Derby winner Orb has been relaxing at Fair Hill the past two months and will be making his first start since running third in the Belmont. The Shug McGaughey trainee is the 4-1 third choice.
The winner of the race will call dibs as the top three-year-old in training and will be the leader in the clubhouse for the Eclipse Award for the division.
The Trovers along with the $250,000 Ballston Spa (G2) and $500,000 King’s Bishop (G1) will be televised on NBC during a 90-minute telecast of “Summer at Saratoga” which gets underway at 4:30pm eastern.
Dude Looking for First Pacific Classic Win
The Bob Baffert trained Game On Dude has been the top horse in the handicap division on the west coast the past couple of years and is hoping the third time is the charm when he takes on a dozen foes as the 5-2 morning line favorite in the Pacific Classic
The gelding ran fourth in the race in 2011 and last year was the runner up to Dullahan, who returns this year to defend his title and is the 7-2 second choice on the morning line.
Game On Dude comes into the race riding a five-race winning streak. The gelding won the Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap (G1) in his last outing. He gets a new rider today in Joel Rosario as Mike Smith is committed to ride Palace Malice in the Travers.
Defending champion Dullahan is winless in five starts since wining last year’s race including a pair of dull efforts in Dubai. He showed signs of life last out with a close up third in the Arlington Handicap (G2) on turf.
Richard’s Kid is seeking to become the first three-time winner of the Pacific Classic. He won in 2009 and 2010 while under the care of Bob Baffert.
He has since been purchased privately and is in the barn of Doug O’Neill, who won the Pacific Classic with Lava Man in 2006. He would become the oldest winner of the race at the age of eight if he can pull off the upset.
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