HORSE RACING: TRAVERS A TWO-HORSE RACE?Byline: Staff and Wire Services The Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Travers is the oldest Thoroughbred horse race in the United States. First held in 1864, it was named for William R. looks like a two-horse race between Bernardini and Bluegrass Cat Bluegrass Cat is a thoroughbred race horse. Born on January 23, 2003, he was a contender for the Triple Crown in 2006. However, he came up just short in the Kentucky Derby, finishing in second place, 6.5 lengths behind Barbaro. . Bernardini, the convincing winner of the Preakness and the Jim Dandy Stakes The Jim Dandy Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. The Grade II race has been held annually since 1964 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is open to horses age three, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. , was made the even-money favorite for Saturday's $1 million Travers, with Haskell Invitational winner Bluegrass Cat the 2-1 second choice. Both colts won their last starts by huge margins and are considered the leading 3-year-olds still in training. However, there's always a reason to believe in upsets, especially at Saratoga (N.Y.) Race Course, the ``graveyard of favorites.'' ``The two super heroes hopefully collide and fall apart for the rest of us (abuse) for The Rest Of Us - (From the Macintosh slogan "The computer for the rest of us") 1. Used to describe a spiffy product whose affordability shames other comparable products, or (more often) used sarcastically to describe spiffy but very overpriced products. 2. commoners,'' trainer John Ward said of his hopes for the race. Ward, who will send out Minister's Bid and Dr. Pleasure, figures Bluegrass bluegrass, any species of the large and widely distributed genus Poa, chiefly range and pasture grasses of economic importance in temperate and cool regions. In general, bluegrasses are perennial with fine-leaved foliage that is bluish green in some species. Cat's rider John Velazquez won't allow Bernardini and rider Javier Castellano Javier Castellano (born October 23, 1977 in Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Castellano began his riding career in his native Venezuela in 1996 and in June of 1997 moved to the United States where rode at race tracks in southern to have an easy time in the 1 1/4-mile race. ``Javier has to keep his eye on Bluegrass Cat -- it's going to be cat-and-mouse between those two riders. Hopefully, they are going to burn each other out.'' The post-position draw was held Wednesday for the summer's premier race, also known as the Midsummer Derby. Bernardini drew the No. 5 post, Bluegrass Cat the outside No. 7 post. Also entered are Ward's Dr. Pleasure and Minister's Bid, along with Hesanoldsalt, High Cotton and Kip Deville. Flag day: Unfurl the Flag led from start to finish to win for the first time in more than a year in the feature at Del Mar. Unfurl the Flag, who beat favorite Captain Kurt in a photo finish, paid $13.80 to win. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Trainer Tom Albertrani watches as Travers favorite Bernardini gets a bath after a workout at Saratoga Race Course. Rick Gargiulo/Associated Press |
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