Travers Stakes at Saratoga could decide 3-year-old crown

Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Saturday's Travers Stakes at Saratoga could decide this year's 3-year-old championship -- one of a slew of key races from coast to coast that will help decide year-end honors.

On the distaff side, Vahva runs toward a crown of her own and Idiomatic and Randomized renew what's become a bang-bang rivalry.

Book'em Danno could make a big statement in the Sprint division. Godolphin seems to have a lock on the weekend's big turf feature. And the rain-delayed King's Plate program gets back in gear at Woodbine.

There are Breeders' Cup qualifiers all over the landscape, including in England, where trainer Aidan O'Brien and jockey Ryan Moore have turned York's prestigious Ebor Meeting into their own playground.

The 3-year-olds

Will the division champion be crowned this weekend or will the issue continue at a rolling boil until the Breeders' Cup Classic in November?

Dornoch could take a fairly firm grip on the Eclipse Award statue with a victory in Saturday's $1.3 million Travers at Saratoga. The Good Magic colt has a leg up with wins in the Grade II Fountain of Youth, Belmont Stakes and Haskell.

But he was fourth in the Grade I Blue Grass and 10th in the Kentucky Derby . If he falters again, a few others in the Travers field could take advantage.

Last year's juvenile champ, Fierceness, has yet to score back-to-back wins, but enters the Midsummer Derby off a win in the Grade II Jim Dandy and won the Grade I Florida Derby by 13 1/2 lengths. Sierra Leone won the Grade II Risen Star and the Blue Grass before that memorable second to Mystik Dan in the Run for the Roses.

The joker in the deck is the filly, Thorpedo Anna, winner of four straight races including the Kentucky Oaks and now trying the colts for the first time. If she beats them, it will cast doubt on the quality of this whole crop of 3-year-old males.

Meanwhile, two foreign 3-year-olds are looking to upset all the Americans in the Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

City of Troy, called the best he's ever trained by Aidan O'Brien, who has trained many great ones, won Wednesday's prestigious Group 1 Juddmonte International at York in England, leading gate to wire.

The Epsom Derby and Coral-Eclipse winner is by U.S. Triple Crown champ Justify and his owners, Ireland's Coolmore "lads," are licking their chops at the prospect of seeing him win America's biggest dirt race.

In Japan, Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Forever Young is training for a return to America for the Classic. He has one potentially tough prep race to go in Japan before finalizing a trip to Del Mar.

Meanwhile, Friday's $1 million (Canadian) King's Plate at Woodbine, delayed from last Saturday features trainer Mark Casse 's duo of My Boy Prince , third in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and Essex Serpent.

Classic

Saffie Joseph Jr. sends Skippy Longstocking in quest of a repeat score in Friday's $1 million Grade II Charles Town Classic.

The $250,000 St. Louis Derby at FanDuel Sportsbook got a decent field with the likes of Real Men Violin, E J Won the Cup and King Anthony.

Gould's Gold and Catalytic are the morning line picks in a field of six for Saturday's $200,000 Smarty Jones for 3-year-olds at Parx Racing.

Distaff

Idiomatic defeated Randomized by 1/2 length in a prolonged stretch battle in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff. Randomized returned the favor by a head in the Grade I Ogden Phipps on June 8. They meet again in Friday's $500,000 Grade I Personal Ensign at Saratoga.

Friday's $750,000 Grade II Charles Town Oaks got a solid field with fillies with recent form coming from Saratoga, Gulfstream Park and Kentucky. And a really tough and balanced field of eight awaits Saturday's $200,000 Cathryn Sophia for 3-year-old fillies at Parx Racing.

Sprint

Book'em Danno is back, looking to solidify his claim to the Sprint championship in Saturday's $500,000 Grade I H. Allen Jerkens Memorial for 3-year-olds at Saratoga.

The older sprinters go in Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Forego at Saratoga.

The Chosen Vron, riding a six-race winning streak, is the odds-on favorite in Saturday's $250,000 Grade II Pat O'Brien at Del Mar, a "Win and You're In" for the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Also on tap: the $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial for 3-year-olds at Charles Town and the $150,000 (Canadian) Grade III Bold Venture at Woodbine, both Friday.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Vahva could take a big step toward a division championship with a win in Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Ballerina at Saratoga, a "Win and You're In" for the PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. The Gun Runner filly has won four of her last five starts.

Also: Friday's $500,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes at Charles Town, Saturday's $135,000 (Canadian) Grade III Seaway at Woodbine and Sunday's $100,000 Grade III Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar.

Turf

Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby have Silver Knott and Measured Time as the big guns in Saturday's $750,000 Grade I Sword Dancer at Saratoga, a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf.

Filly & Mare Turf

In the books: Chad Brown saddled three of the four starters in Thursday's $300,000 Grade II Ballston Spa at Saratoga and they finished 1-2-3 -- Beaute Cachee, Gina Romantica and Delahaye.

Turf Sprint

Friday's $150,000 Smart N Fancy Stakes for fillies and mares at Saratoga and Saturday's $100,000 Parx Dash.

Turf Mile

Filo Di Arianna is the odds-on morning-line pick in Saturday's $200,000 (Canadian) Grade II King Edward at Woodbine.

Juvenile

Sunday's $200,000 Funny Cide at Saratoga is the feature in this division with Friday's $150,000 (Canadian) Soaring Free at Woodbine, Saturday's $100,000 Prairie Meadows Freshman and Sunday's $50,000 Washington Cup Juvenile Colts and Geldings at Emerald Downs.

Juvenile Fillies

The stakes ratchet up here, too, with Friday's $100,000 Prairie Meadows Debutante, Saturday's $200,000 Sorority at Monmouth Park and, on Sunday the $200,000 Seeking the Ante at Saratoga and the $50,000 Washington Cup Juvenile Filly at Emerald Downs.

Saturday's William Hill Prestige Stakes at Goodwood in England is a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Friday, Woodbine presents the $150,000 (Canadian) Catch a Glimpse on the turf.

Around the world, around the clock

York

City of Troy's victory was only the tip of the iceberg for Coolmore at the Ebor meeting. They swept the big three stakes on opening day and returned to win the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks on Thursday with Content, also a Breeders' Cup candidate.

Coolmore's The Lion in Winter led most of the way to a 1 3/4-length victory in the Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes for 2-year-olds and was elevated to early favorite status for the 2025 Guineas and Derby.

Friday's program promises a crackerjack matchup involving Bradsell, Australian invader Asfoora and 2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Big Evs in the Group 1 Coolmore Wooton Bassett Stakes. The race is a "Win and You're In" for the Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.