Casino Host, a turf specialist with form at very nearly this distance of eleven furlongs, has strong claims in the Del Mar Handicap.
Simon Rowlands takes a look at some of Saturday's major action, with three Grade 1s at Saratoga and big handicap from Del Mar...
"Where have all the young horses gone?", as Pete Seeger might have put it.
The premature retirement of I'll Have Another, Bodemeister and Union Rags means that US racing can no longer call upon either of the winners of this year's Triple Crown races nor the runner-up from the first two legs.
You could usually expect that one or more such individuals would turn up for the G1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga, but in their absence the race (due off at 17:46 local time on Saturday, 22:46 BST) has a rather second-division look to it this year.
Then again, weak or not, there's a winner in there somewhere. The market is likely to identify Alpha as the most probable one, and the market is likely to be right. But the Bernardini colt only just edges it on Timeform figures and the value may lie elsewhere.
Alpha got to dictate matters when winning the Jim Dandy Stakes on a sloppy track here last month, and a repeat of those tactics could be in the offing in the Travers with little obvious pace in the line-up.
However things pan out, he should again have the measure of most of those behind him that day, but an exception could be Atigun, who got a most unadventurous ride and never threatened in sixth.
Julien Leparoux is replaced by Mike Smith as Atigun's jockey at the weekend. "When will they ever learn?", to push Seeger's lyrics still further.
Leparoux had been on board when Atigun finished third to Union Rags and Paynter in the Belmont Stakes in June. The video of that race shows that Atigun is no stamina glutton, and nor does he need to be dropped out.
You might expect a Belmont third to be close to favouritism in this company, especially as the mile-and-a-quarter trip will hold no fears. But Atigun is likely to go off at odds that are a fair bit bigger- the Morning Line has him at 12/1- and excusing him one excusable defeat seems sensible.
The Travers, with $1m in prize money, may have the limelight at Saratoga, but it is preceded by two other G1s of considerable appeal.
Both the Test Stakes for fillies (due off at 16:38 local time, 21:38 BST) and the King's Bishop Stakes (17:10 local, 22:10 BST) are for three-year-olds, over seven furlongs and promise to be fast and furious affairs.
Contested should be popular in the former, but she is unlikely to get things all her way up front with the likes of Ullapool and Gypsy Robin in the field, and she flopped last time. Book Review was only workmanlike in despatching Ullapool last time, and a better alternative could be Beautiful But Blue.
She has won five of her last six starts, but none of them in Graded company, let alone Grade 1 company. However, she has been beating useful rivals and the small gap in class disappears when her weight allowance is taken into account. Beautiful But Blue's stalking style could match well with the pace scenario here, and she looks worth siding with again.
Trinniberg and Doctor Chit are two of the fastest three-year-olds around and there's a decent chance they will cut each others' throats in the King's Bishop. Currency Swap could well be harrying them, too. So, a leftfield selection is a colt stepping down in distance who could come late and pick up the pieces.
Ever So Lucky has a bit to find, but he's not been around all that long and managed to finish second in a Grade 2 on just his second start. Things could just fall into his lap here and the odds are likely to make the risk worth taking.
If turn-ups prove to be the flavour of the day at Saratoga, one looks less plausible in Del Mar's feature, the Del Mar Handicap (due off at 17:30 locally, 01:30 on Sunday BST).
Casino Host, a turf specialist with form at very nearly this distance of eleven furlongs, has strong claims. Don't worry that he was third to the high-class Acclamation here last time when Interaction was second, as Casino Host was given too much to do and fairly rattled home.
He meets Interaction on slightly better terms and looks to have the measure of Dhaamer and Worth Repeating at his best as well. He should be just about favourite in Timeform's book.
Recommendations
1pt win Atigun
1pt win Beautiful Not Blue
0.5pts win and 0.5pts place Ever So Lucky
2pts win Casino Host
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/ Editor / 08 October 2011 / Leave a Comment 
