American Pharoah and the Travers Stakes

This past Saturday afternoon, Saratoga Race Course once again earned it's nickname, "The Graveyard of Champions."  American Pharoah tried to become only the second horse to win the Travers Stakes after earning the Triple Crown Championship.  Like many other great race horses, he failed, leaving Whirlaway (in 1941) as the only Triple Crown Travers winner.  I greatly appreciate the fact that owner Ahmed Zayat decided to run the colt in the Mid-Summer Derby after winning the Haskell Invitational on 2 August.  Most owners and trainers would have backed the colt off work, slightly, and allowed him to regroup and recover from the Triple Crown campaign before gearing up again for the Breeders Cup Classic.
   Mr Zayat knows that everyday people and bettors in America need a fantastic horse to help boost interest and income into thoroughbred racing in the United States.  After American Pharoah came through the Triple Crown trail looking better than ever, it was decided to run the colt in the Haskell.  With the short breaks between the Triple Crown races, perhaps the Zayat family thought that the colt would continue his unbeaten streak with a break of 27 days between the Haskell and the Travers.
   Keen Ice, a colt by Curlin, ran seventh in the Kentucky Derby; he did not run in the Preakness; and he finished third in the Belmont.  In the Haskell Invitational, Keen Ice took second place, two lengths behind American Pharoah.  In the Travers, Keen Ice won by three-quarters of one length.  Was the difference between the two colts Keen Ice's time off during the running of the Preakness?  We will never actually know, and it's certainly something that will be debated for many years to come.
   Saratoga Race Course has been known as the Graveyard of Champions since 1919, when two-year-old Man o'War met the only defeat in his career in a six furlong race.  The colt that beat him was named Upset.  And he won by three-quarters of a length.   In 1930, Gallant Fox, the Triple Crown champion was defeated by Jim Dandy, at odds of 100 to 1.  Secretariat was beaten by Onion at Saratoga in the Whitney; and Rachel Alexandra was defeated by Persistantly in the Personal Ensign.  And don't forget that while Affirmed, the 1978 Triple Crown winner crossed the wire in front of Alydar in the Travers Stakes, Affirmed was disqualified, and Alydar was proclaimed the winner.   I'll happily wager that Saratoga will continue it's tradition of kicking dirt in the faces of Triple Crown winners - it seems to be a habit.