Notes - Aug 9

- The Albany Times Union reports that Todd Pletcher is "99 percent sure" to skip the Travers with Any Given Saturday and point instead to the Sept 22 Brooklyn BC Handicap, one of the former Fall Championship races now transformed to a Breeders Cup Prep. I had thought that the colt's bottom-line owners would try to lock in a lucrative stud fee with a Travers win that looks achievable in the wake of his dominating win in the Haskell. However, with the older horse division shaky at best (despite Lawyer Ron's record setting Whitney win), a Classic win would certainly seem within reach. It would be six weeks between races to the Brooklyn, another five weeks to the Classic, and then, assuming all goes according to plan, about five minutes before he heads to the breeding shed.

Still, I wouldn't be shocked if they change their minds on this should the Travers come up short on talent other than Street Sense. The Derby champ worked a half in 49.03 yesterday. According to Calvin Borel, Nafzger "wants to bring him back four or five days from now and do a little something more serious than today." [Newsday] And with Curlin also on the fence, who is he going to face? Your guess is as good as mine.