The field for the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) shrunk by one Aug. 18 when Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said Reincarnate would not make the trip to Saratoga Race Course.
Baffert, who has won the Midsummer Derby three times, will only send Preakness Stakes (G1) winner National Treasure to the race, which will be run Aug. 26.
“I just decided I wanted to split them up,” Baffert said by phone from his summer base at Del Mar.
Reincarnate won the listed Los Alamitos Derby, going gate-to-wire, in his last start July 8. He has two wins and two thirds in five career starts this year. The son of Good Magic was third in the Rebel Stakes (G2) and third in the Arkansas Derby (G1), both at Oaklawn Park. He finished 13th in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Baffert will redirect Reincarnate to the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing Sept. 23. The colt is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.
“They both have the same style of running,” Baffert said about the two 3-year-olds. “National Treasure should like the 1 1/4 miles. The other horse, I would like to get maybe a softer spot for him. Forte is going to be very tough in the Travers.”
Baffert said National Treasure is scheduled to work Aug. 19 at Del Mar.
With Reincarnate out, the expected Travers field looks like this: Mage (trainer Gustavo Delgado, jockey Luis Saez), National Treasure (Bob Baffert, John Velazquez), Arcangelo (Jena Antonucci, Javier Castellano), Forte (Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz Jr.), Disarm (Steve Asmussen, Joel Rosario), Tapit Trice (Todd Pletcher, Jose Ortiz), and Scotland (Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado).
Two other Baffert horses who could end up at the Spa worked Aug. 18. Arabian Lion and Fort Bragg , expected for the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1), both worked five furlongs at Del Mar.
Arabian Lion, owned by Zedan Racing Stables, has won his last two, the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park June 10 and the Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico Race Track May 20. The son of Justify worked five furlongs from the gate in :59 1/5, the fastest of 45 at the distance.
Fort Bragg, a son of Tapit , is owned by the same group that owns Reincarnate. He was timed in :59 3/5, the fourth fastest. In his last start, Fort Bragg won the Dwyer Stakes (G3) at Belmont by a nose over Saudi Crown , who was second by a nose to Forte in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga July 29.
“‘Lion’ is a laid back horse,” Baffert said. “He hasn’t run in awhile, that’s why I worked him from the gate, to sharpen him up a little bit. He is a beautiful horse. Fort Bragg has really started to mature and started to put it all together.”
Baffert, who said he may or may not be in Saratoga for Travers Day, expects his horses to ship Aug. 22.
Dallas Makes a Visit to the Spa
Most summers, the July/August place to be for trainer Dallas Stewart was right here, at Saratoga.
This year hasn’t been like most summers.
The 63-year-old Stewart, who is from Mississippi, has stayed put at Churchill Downs, which is his home base. Like many trainers in the game, the 40-day meet at the Spa is still where he wants to be.
Stewart will make his first visit of the season on Aug. 19 when he saddles 30-1 Sabra Tuff in the $600,000 Alabama Stakes (G1).
“I miss it,” Stewart said by phone from Kentucky. “I wish I had enough horses to compete.”
Going into the Alabama, Stewart has started two horses at the meet.
Sabra Tuff finished fourth, beaten 3 1/4 lengths in an allowance optional claiming race on July 13. On Aug. 17, Accommodate Eva , a 2-year-old filly, was second in a maiden race.
Sabra Tuff and Accommodate Eva are both owned by Murray Valene’s Valene Farms. He also owns Platinum Minit, another 2-year-old filly, who debuts in the fifth race at Saratoga on Aug. 20.
Stewart has stayed at Churchill and has shipped horses to run at Ellis Park, and a few others at Del Mar in addition to his Saratoga runners.
He has had success at the Spa before. He won the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) in 2017 with Forever Unbridled , beating Songbird , who was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame a few weeks ago, by a neck.
Dallas Stewart after Forever Unbridled beat Songbird in the 2017 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
In 2008, Stewart’s Macho Again won Saratoga’s Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and, the following year, gave future Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra all she wanted in the Woodward Stakes (G1). His rally came up a head short.
“I wish I had enough horses to compete (at Saratoga),” Stewart said. “You have to have the right horses to compete up there. I spent 30 years up there; raised my kids there. I enjoyed everything about it, just like everyone else.”
He’ll be in the paddock Aug. 19 to saddle Sabra Tuff and most might think the daughter of Cross Traffic is in pretty tough as she battles the likes of Wet Paint and Julia Shining .
As a 2-year-old, Sabra Tuff was third in Saratoga’s Adirondack Stakes (G3) and fifth in the Spinaway Stakes (G1). She was a rallying fourth in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).
“She ran pretty good up there at 1 1/8 miles on opening day,” Stewart said. “I think she will be good at 1 1/4 miles. She’s not a big filly, but she will go all day. It’s a totally different race going a mile and a quarter. We are going to give her a shot. The owner wants to give her a shot.”
And Stewart will be grateful for the opportunity to get back to Saratoga.
“It’s the meet we all look forward to every year,” he said. “It’s a fight, but it’s great when you win the Jim Dandy or the Personal Ensign. I have won some nice races there. Even the small ones…it’s great to win any race at Saratoga.”
