Baffert Saddling Talented Pair for Jerkens Memorial

Before he won the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course in May with National Treasure , Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert watched another of his horses, Arabian Lion , run a hole through the wind in the Sir Barton Stakes.

The sharp, four-length victory was so impressive that Baffert joked that he should have run Arabian Lion in the Preakness. 

Three months later, and here is Arabian Lion again, this time at a new locale, Saratoga Race Course. The son of 2018 Triple Crown champ Justify   is here but he isn't running in the Travers Stakes (G1). 

Arabian Lion will look for his third straight win when he runs in the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) Aug. 26 on the Travers Day undercard. A field of six has been entered to contest the seven furlongs.

It remains to be seen if Baffert is joking again that he should have run Arabian Lion in the Midsummer Derby.

Owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Arabian Lion has won two of four starts this year, the last being the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) on Belmont Stakes Day when he came from off the pace and beat Drew's Gold by 1 3/4 lengths.

He won the Sir Barton going gate-to-wire; he got caught in the Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland April 15 after setting the pace.

"He is a laid-back horse," Baffert said by phone from his summer base at Del Mar. "But he is a beautiful horse."

Baffert will also have Fort Bragg , the winner of the Dwyer Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park July 1. He won that race by a nose; in the race before that, when he was being trained by Tim Yakteen, Fort Bragg was beat a neck 

"Fort Bragg has really matured," Baffert said. "I can see a change in him and it looks like he has really put it together."

Fort Bragg , a son of Tapit  , is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.

Baffert has no problem entering two quality horses in a quality race. He has done it for years.

"I don't worry about that part of it," he said. "We try to go in there and we try to win the race and give them an equal opportunity. I am not going to keep one out because I have another one in."

Fort Bragg, who will be ridden by Joel Rosario, drew post position five and Arabian Lion, who will have Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the saddle, the six.

 As good as Baffert feels about his two Jerkens runners, he knows there is another one that has the potential to loom above the rest.

That is AMO Racing USA's New York Thunder , who has won all four of his career starts by a combined 23 1/4 lengths. The son of Nyquist  rolled to a 7 1/2-length win in the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga July 28. 

In that race, he recorded a Beyer Speed Figure of 110, the biggest number turned in by a 3-year-old this year.

He was dismissed at odds of 5-1 in the Amsterdam and finished the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.65.

That was his first start on dirt after running two of his first three starts on synthetic and one on grass.

"I remember when we approached the Amsterdam, nobody was paying attention to him," Jorge Delgado, New York Thunder's 33-year-old trainer, said by phone from his base at Monmouth Park. "When I was in the walking ring, they were interviewing a couple other trainers. I am sure people will be looking to see what he can do."

Baffert has been paying attention. And he is impressed with what he has seen.

"It was wild how fast that horse ran," Baffert said. "This is a good, competitive race. This is a serious grade 1, it's like a major for one turn horses."

Delgado, the nephew of Gustavo Delgado, who trains Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage , who is running in the Travers, says there is still plenty left in the tank for New York Thunder.

"Honestly, I think he can go faster," he said. "But I know it is going to be very hard to repeat the same performance, to repeat the same number. He is going to need more to win this race but I believe in the horse, I believe in his heart and I believe in what we do. I have no doubt he will show up and run."

New York Thunder will leave from post position five with jockey Tyler Gaffalione..

Verifying , trained by Brad Cox, will be shortening up to the seven furlong distance for the first time and drew the three post. Flavien Prat will ride him for the first time.

Also a son of Justify, the colt, owned by Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, Michael B. Tabor, Westerberg and Jonathan Poulin, is a half brother to 2019 champion older dirt female Midnight Bisou .

He has won three of nine career starts, two of six this year. In his most recent race, he won the Indiana Derby (G3) by a nose over

Raise Cain  as the 3-5 favorite.

"He has been a consistent, honest horse," Cox said in his office at this barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. "He has been asking us to shorten up. He wants to run one turn. This is a big opportunity for him and I love the way he has been training. Bring 'em on and we'll see how it goes."

Also entered is Drew's Gold , co-owned and trained by James Chapman. The son of Violence   has raced twice at the Spa this summer, finishing third in the Amsterdam as the even money favorite and then seventh in the Mahony Aug. 13. That was his first try on grass.

Drew's Gold, also owned by Stuart Tsujimoto, won his first four career starts before finishing second behind Arabian Lion in the Woody Stephens. He will leave from the No. 1 post and is reunited with jockey Jose Gomez..

Rounding out the field is Jonathan Kalman's One in Vermilion, who ships in from Canterbury Park. He was last seen finishing third in the West Virginia Derby for trainer Esteban Martinez. The son of Army Mule   has five wins in 11 career starts and won his only start at seven furlongs going gate-to-wire in the Laz Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita May 6. He has post position two and jockey Luis Saez is on board.