2017 Travers Stakes at Saratoga Ante-Post Preview PT 1

As we head into the opening weekend of the widely anticipated Saratoga meeting in Upstate New York - widely considered to be one of the most elite thoroughbred meets that unfold anywhere on the planet - the attention is already turning towards one of the marquee races of this intense 7 week Affair in the humid spa town just outside of Albany.

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This year's three-year-old season in America was a fascinating one and it was one of those years where we locked a genuine stand out within the Triple Crown season with three different horses each capturing one of the different jewels.

The excellent performance of always dreaming is standout Kentucky Derby saw him come into the Preakness with many proclaiming a rivalry with classic Empire could be the story of this year's three-year-old season in American thoroughbred racing. It turned out not to be.

In fact that concept lasted until the top of the stretch at Pimlico in the Preakness as always dreaming faded out after an intense front-running trip and classic Empire looms large and accelerated towards the wire - seemingly set to capture the second Jewel of the Triple Crown and avenging what many thought to be was an unfair trip that he suffered in the Kentucky Derby - still not stirring up the ability to finish fourth on the day.

However he was nipped in the final strides by Chad Browns 12/1 upset Cloud Computing, who is able to Classic Empire on the last three gallops of the entire mile and 1/16 race.