The Lead:
Travers Day at Saratoga also showcases speed with elite sprints on the undercard for the H. Allen Jerkens, Ballerina and the Forego. The 7-furlong Forego goes as Race 12 and is a Win & You're In qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile -- not the Sprint -- and that will be an important facet to the discussion as you'll read.

Horseplayers with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet be sure to take advantage of the $5,000 Exacta-Thon promotion this Saturday for Saratoga. And for more Travers Day handicapping, check out the free 1/ST & VSIN Travers Wager Guide at 1st.com/guide.

​Field Depth:
Grade 1 winners BOOK'EM DANNO and MULLIKIN have the class edge on the field as they renew their rivalry. CRAZY MASON is a Grade 2 winner, while MOST WANTED, BISHOPS BAY, FULL MOON MADNESS and EXTRA ANEJO all have won at the Grade 3 level.
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Pace:
Cloudy ... to be blunt. None of these 11 have consistently gone to the front in sprint races, opening the door of 'rider intent' as wide as it can swing. He who wants it bad enough, gets it. MULLIKIN has shown the most frequent front-end interest among the main players and did wire the Forego a year ago. Flavien Prat may choose that path with outclassed OVER AND OLLIE and HOLD MY BOURBON making the front vs. lesser last time. FULL MOON MADNESS runs more forward when Kendrick Carmouche rides and he reunites. The route speed of MOST WANTED and BISHOPS BAY may play pretty well against this particular cast. A late runner will have his work cut out for him.

Our Eyes:
Here are my horse-by-horse notes.

#1-MOST WANTED: Trainer Brad Cox has both this guy and Bishops Bay as milers turning back in distance looking to punch their ticket to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He's 8-8 in the exacta lifetime from 7F to 9F and regular rider Florent Geroux got a real nibbler-breaks-out romping confidence boost for this colt last out at Monmouth. Dangerous, but trip will be key from rail.

#2-BISHOPS BAY: Projects to have a bit more natural speed than stablemate Most Wanted, but most other things equal among the Brad Cox pair. He's 10-10 in the exacta, got a romping confidence boost at Monmouth in June and should be a real threat under Irad Ortiz Jr. as Flavien Prat hops to ride Mullikin. Could find the trip a smidge easier from post 2 than the rail. Major threat if breaks within a length or 2 of the front.

#3-FULL MOON MADNESS: Tom Fool winner in March could show some early pace under Kendrick Carmouche, who got him to the front in April's Carter before tiring. Hasn't shown to be of Grade 1 ilk to this point and needs a career-best effort to topple several of the top players.

#4-BOOK 'EM DANNO (pictured): Clear favorite won the Grade 2 Vanderbilt by daylight as the 7-5 chalk over this track last out. His 7-furlong form is every bit as good as his 6-furlong mark, winning the Woody Stephens over the Spa at this trip last year. No reason to think consistent finisher won't come with his run again under Paco Lopez, who piloted 5 winners Monday at Parx. The horse to beat.

#5-EXTRA ANEJO: Lightly raced 5-year-old was won 5 of 11 and began his career looking like a Sprint division star. It hasn't panned out and his one race against the top sprinters in the land in the Churchill Downs Handicap was a major disappointment. That race was in the slop, so he'll want it dry for a chance at a do-over. Much still to prove.

#6-CRAZY MASON: One of my favorite horses in training with his blitzing late finishes, but he's not expected to get a great pace set-up in the Forego. The Del Mar stretch was too short, as was the 6-furlong trip at that level in the Bing Crosby, but he blew past the field in the gallop-out to indicate it wasn't about lost form. He ran his race, but the real estate wasn't a fit. Carter winner will come with his move, even under meet-struggling Manny Franco, but fear anything above a third-place finish seems against him.

#7-MULLIKIN: Last year's Forego win was a fourth straight victory as this Rudy Brisset trainee was on a roll. While he's 0-5 since, all have been good efforts and all have been against the absolute best of the Sprint division. He had no answers late for Book'em Danno at 6 and 6-1/2 furlongs, so it's natural to think 7 furlongs won't help the cause. But this pace seems softer than those and could give him more in the tank late to resist his rallying rival. Contends throughout.

#8-SCOTLAND: Bill Mott and Junior Alvarado team with Sovereignty as the odds-on Travers favorite in the next race on the card. Their likelihood is slim to sweep the Race 12-13 daily double as this effective allowance sort takes on the toughest field of his career. He at least has run well over the track at Saratoga.

#9-OVER AND OLLIE: July 4 local allowance winner ran a career-best in his first start since moving to Rick Dutrow's barn from Al Stall Jr. A bullet drill at the Spa August 10 indicates he's holding that form and is ambitiously placed while hot. Dutrow has slumped during the Saratoga summer meet, but this one could outrun some expectations with a forward trip.

#10-HOLD MY BOURBON: August 2 allowance winner at the Spa wheels back 3 weeks later for Saffie Joseph Jr. and takes on graded stakes company for the first time in his 13th start. Jose Ortiz jumps to ride Over and Ollie, leaving the mount for Luis Saez.

#11-DOC SULLIVAN: New York-bred longshot won the John Morrissey vs. state-breds over this trip at the Spa July 31 on a wet track. John Ortiz trainee is 3: 2-1-0 locally but struggled in open company at Aqueduct this spring.

Most Likely Exotics Contender:
BOOK'EM DANNO has been stellar at Saratoga and has never missed the superfecta at 7 furlongs. He'll come with his run, set up or not.

Best Longshot Contender:
None projected for the exacta, but at 30-1 in the morning line, OVER AND OLLIE could be a trifecta or superfecta expander on the bottom side.

Sending it in ($100 bankroll):
$65 daily double BISHOPS BAY to SOVEREIGNTY in the Travers. $35 daily double MOST WANTED to SOVEREIGNTY in the Travers.