Street Sense Works
– It seems like Saratoga just started, but Travers week begins Wednesday and the end begins the week after. A couple of years ago, when I worked on the backstretch, this week was the one where everything — morning tasks, detention barn afternoons, the newspaper lady delivering each day’s Times and Form, the produce guy driving slowly past the barns calling, “Fruta! Fruta!” — settled, became routine. It wasn’t dull, though, of course not. Travers Day was approaching and Lost in the Fog was in an Oklahoma barn, First Samurai was all glorious potential, Bellamy Road was making his return. Excitement pervaded the backstretch, just as I’d bet it has this year, even with only seven likely starters for the Travers on Saturday ….
– Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense put in his final work for the race this morning, breezing five furlongs in 1:00.14 over the main track. “The work was really good,” said trainer Carl Nafzger, who admitted to some nerves about Saturday. “I’m not sleeping too good. I really want to win this race” (Blood-Horse). With Rags to Riches almost certainly not starting and Tiz Wonderful out, Street Sense’s main competition looks to be the Shug McGaughey-trained Sightseeing, winner of the Peter Pan and show horse in the Jim Dandy, who will get an extra eighth in the Travers to challenge Street Sense. “I’m going to be really interested what the extra eighth of a mile is going to do too, really interested,” said McGaughey. “It could be one of those things where it doesn’t make any difference, but it could also make a big difference, like a major, big difference” (DRF).
– Is it possible? Supertrainer Todd Pletcher is 0-for-21 since August 11, when The Leopard scored a maiden special win, and nine behind the meet’s leading trainer, Bill Mott. With five entered on Wednesday, Pletcher has plenty of chances to break his cold streak, although he probably won’t be visiting the winner’s circle after race three. Any other day, Wingspan, making her second North American start for the trainer, would likely be the even-money favorite in a race at this allowance level, but she’ll have to contend with the tough Argentina, coming off a second to My Typhoon in the G1 Diana last month, in this spot.
