Classic winners clash on stunning card at Saratoga

Preview: USA, Saturday 10.44pm BST (live on ATR)

Saratoga: Travers Stakes (Grade 1) 1m2f | dirt | 3yo

Saratoga's signature race, the Travers Stakes, has long been regarded as a sort of unofficial 'fourth leg' to the Triple Crown.

Seldom, though, can the race often labelled the 'midsummer derby' have better fulfilled that description than in its 148th running, which provides the $1.25 million highlight of a 13-race card at Saratoga featuring no fewer than six Grade 1s.

While the American three-year-old division has a totally confused look, the Travers may well provide some kind of proper pecking order as the winners of the Kentucky Derby (Always Dreaming), Preakness (Cloud Computing) and Belmont Stakes (Tapwrit) clash at Saratoga for the first time since 1982.

On that occasion, the Classic winners were all beaten by an interloper in the shape of Canadian-bred Runaway Groom, and several top-grade members of the division are ready to put a spanner in the works, among them Good Samaritan, who beat both Always Dreaming and Cloud Computing a month ago in the Jim Dandy.

In such a muddled division, it is difficult to know where to start. Always Dreaming (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez) looked clearly top of the league with his Kentucky Derby victory before flopping behind Cloud Computing (Chad Brown/Javier Castellano) in the Preakness.

Neither horse contested the Belmont, and neither covered themselves in glory in the Jim Dandy. “We’ve done a better job with him coming into this race,” Pletcher said of Always Dreaming.

"Honestly, I think we left him probably a little bit short for the Jim Dandy. I wasn't anticipating quite as demanding a racetrack that it turned out to be at that time. We put four works in between the Preakness and the Jim Dandy, so I think that race hopefully brings him forward, plus two good works since then."

Cloud Computing breaks from the rail this time in a stellar field also featuring Always Dreaming's stablemate Tapwrit (Todd Pletcher/Jose Ortiz), making his first appearance since he stayed on to win the Belmont. He was only sixth in the Kentucky Derby.

Trainer Bill Mott says he wouldn't swap with anyone after Good Samaritan's late-running triumph under Joel Rosario in the Jim Dandy, where he was switched to the dirt track and charged down the stretch to win by four and three-quarter lengths from Travers rival Giuseppe The Great (Nick Zito/Tyler Gaffalione).

“You got horses from everywhere, all the best,” said Mott. "You got the Derby winner, the Preakness winner, the Belmont; you've got everybody. It shaped up to be a really good field. So now, we've got to go out there and run our race."

Among others trying to jump to the head of the rankings are Girvin (Joe Sharp/Robby Albarado), who touched off McCraken (Ian Wilkes/Brian Hernandez) in the Haskell on July 30, and other well-known names from the division such as Irap (Doug O'Neill/Mario Gutierrez), Lookin At Lee (Steve Asmussen/Ricardo Santana) and Gunnevera (Antonio Sano/Edgard Zayas). West Coast (Bob Baffert/Mike Smith) is up in grade for the jockey/trainer team who claimed last year's race with an unheralded grey colt named Arrogate.

Coral: 7-2 West Coast, 4 Good Samaritan, 6 Tapwrit, 15-2 Girvin, 9 Always Dreaming, McCraken, 10 Irap, 12 Cloud Computing, 14 Gunnevera, 20 Fayeq, 33 Giuseppe the Great, Lookin At Lee.

Also on Saturday

Saratoga: Personal Ensign Stakes (Grade 1) 1m1f | dirt | 3yo+ f/m (7.23pm BST, live on ATR)

Despite adding a couple more Grade 1 victories to her lustrous CV, Songbird (Jerry Hollendorfer/Mike Smith) has looked a step or two short of her brilliant best so far this season. Nevertheless, a career record of 13 wins from 14 starts – and that sole defeat by a nose after an epic battle with Beholder in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff – makes her worthy of the utmost respect in this $700,000 contest.

Chief rival in a five-runner field is Distaff third Forever Unbridled (Dallas Stewart/Joel Rosario), a dual Grade 1 winner in her own right.

Saratoga: Ballerina Stakes (Grade 1) 7f | dirt | 3yo+ f/m (7.59pm BST, live on ATR)

Paulassilverlining (Chad Brown/Jose Ortiz), unbeaten in three since being bought privately as a broodmare prospect by Juddmonte, is looking for her eighth Graded-stakes success altogether.

Saratoga: H Allen Jerkens Stakes (Grade 1) 7f | dirt | 3yo (8.35pm BST, live on ATR)

The unbeaten Coal Front (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez) is out to complete a four-timer as he makes his Grade 1 debut following a Grade 2 success over 6½f in the Amsterdam earlier during this Saratoga meeting.

In a speed-packed race, three of his rivals – Practical Joke (Chad Brown/Joel Rosario), Takaful (Kiaran McLaughlin/Jose Ortiz) and American Anthem (Bob Baffert/Mike Smith) – also boast three-digit Beyers.

Saratoga: Forego Stakes (Grade 1) 7f | dirt | 3yo+ (9.12pm BST, live on ATR)

The Breeders' Cup Sprint will be on everybody's minds in this 'Win and You're In' contest as reigning champion Drefong (Bob Baffert/Mike Smith) bids to atone for his seasonal debut at Del Mar last month, when he ducked in and dropped his jockey shortly after the start. The four-year-old won the King's Bishop on this card 12 months ago.

He renews rivalries with Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Mind Your Biscuits (Chad Summers/Joel Rosario), a length and a quarter behind at the Breeders' Cup but so impressive in the Belmont Sprint Championship on his most recent outing. The other eight receive a few pounds from the 'big two'.

Saratoga: Ballston Spa Stakes (Grade 2) 1m½f | turf | 3yo+ f/m (11.20pm BST, live on ATR)

A Grade 1 event in all but name with a six-runner field featuring four top-level winners and headed by the estimable Lady Eli (Chad Brown/Irad Ortiz), second here last year after a 14-month absence through laminitis.

Her trainer, who largely made his name with turf females, also saddles Just A Game winner Antonoe (Javier Castellano) and Roca Rojo (Joel Rosario). Godolphin's Grade 1 winner Dickinson (Kiaran McLaughlin/Paco Lopez) has been behind the Brown distaffers on her last two starts.