Dein erstes Forum » Eddie Read Stakes on Sunday at Del Mar.Ridden by R

If Exaggerator wins Saturdays Travers Stakes, the centerpiece of a Saratoga meet that is annually the best race in North America, he will have built a case for this years champion 3-year-old male that will be difficult, if not impossible, to overcome.I suppose if Nyquist won the Breeders Cup Classic and defeated Exaggerator in the process, it might tip the balance for this divisional title back in his favor. But thats a tall order. While a lot can happen between now and the Breeders Cup Classic on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita, the truth is neither Nyquist nor Exaggerator have yet shown they are in the same league as our two top older males -- California Chrome, who was monstrous winning last weeks Pacific Classic, and Frosted, so impressive winning the Met Mile and Whitney in his past two starts.So, short of some Breeders Cup Classic fireworks, a victory Saturday in the Travers by Exaggerator will put Nyquist in an Eclipse Award hole that he wont be able to get out of. A resume of victories in the Travers, Haskell, Preakness and Santa Anita Derby, and a second in the Kentucky Derby, would outshine Nyquists record this year of wins in the Kentucky Derby, Florida Derby and San Vicente, a third in the Preakness, and whatever he might do between now and the Breeders Cup, if anything.Of course, all of this depends on if Exaggerator wins the Travers. And that is a HUGE if. Exaggerator might be by far the most accomplished member of this bulky 14-horse Travers field, but his accomplishments were not fashioned in a vacuum. In fact, the way Exaggerator has compiled his record this year has made him one of the most polarizing horses of 2016, and makes him vulnerable Saturday.Some handicappers, this one included, maintain that Exaggerator has been extremely fortunate over the past 5? months. Exaggerator is a horse who requires a hot and contested pace to make his late run most effective, and he is a horse who relishes a wet racing surface. Exaggerator has been blessed in 2016 to have had both far more often than not.Exaggerator got a scorching early pace and a sloppy track in the Santa Anita Derby, and he won laughing. He got a hot early pace in the Kentucky Derby, and while the official track condition for the Kentucky Derby was fast, there was a big rain storm minutes before the race, leaving standing water in many spots on the track. Exaggerator finished second, beating 18 opponents.The early pace in the Preakness was unsustainably fast and the track was a sea of slop, and Exaggerator scored going away. And the Haskell was a virtual carbon copy of the Preakness -- too hot an early pace, a sloppy track, and Exaggerator won decisively.But in the Belmont Stakes, Exaggerator saw an early pace that, while reasonably honest for the distance, was by no means fast. Exaggerator also caught a dry racing surface, and he had lost his prior three dry track starts. As the strong 7-5 favorite in the Belmont, Exaggerator surrendered, finished 11th of 13, and was beaten by 14 lengths.On Saturday, Exaggerator will get only half of what he wants. The pace in the Travers should be honest, with the potential of it going even a little faster than that. Barring an unforeseen track bias -- with a couple of isolated exceptions, the main track at Saratoga has for the most part played fairly this year -- the pace will play toward the late kick of Exaggerator, and other closers like him.However, unless the National Weather Services forecast for Saratoga is horribly wrong, Exaggerator will not catch the wet track that was present in all of his big performances this year, and, for that matter, in his Delta Downs Jackpot win last year. And that presents an interesting question.There are those who maintain that Exaggerator is more pace dependent than he is surface dependent, and might even go so far as to say he is not surface dependent at all. And to support their position, they will point to his win on a fast track in last summers Saratoga Special, even if that victory came at the expense of a suspect field.There are others who believe Exaggerator needs both a fast pace and a wet track, perhaps not in equal measure, but both, nonetheless, to produce his best performance in top-level races. I fall into this camp.This storyline is just one of several reasons why this Travers is so interesting. We might get the definitive answer as to whether Exaggerator is indeed a creation of both tremendously favorable pace set ups, and rainy weather, or if he is more than that. Jack Morris Jersey . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. 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DEL MAR, Calif. -- Midnight Storm fought off multiple challenges in the stretch to win the $250,000 Eddie Read Stakes on Sunday at Del Mar.Ridden by Rafael Bejarano and carrying high weight of 124 pounds, Midnight Storm ran nine furlongs on the turf in 1:47.88 and paid $5.40, $3.40 and $2.60 as the 8-5 favorite in the Grade 2 race.Ashleyluvssugar returned $5.60 and $3.40, while Flamboyant was another neck back in third and paid $3.40 to show.Trained by Phil DAmato, Midnight Storm took command from the gate and battled back when threatened through the stretch. Si Sage was another head back in fourth in the blanket finish.The victtory, worth $150,000, increased Midnight Storms career earnings to $981,110, with seven wins in 17 starts.dddddddddddd It was his fourth win in five starts at the seaside oval.In the $85,425 Sandy Blue Handicap for 3-year-old fillies, Barleysugar won by 2 3/4 lengths under Hall of Famer Gary Stevens. The Ireland-bred filly paid $22.20, $6.80 and $5.60 at 10-1 odds in her U.S. debut.Barleysugar ran nine furlongs on the turf in 1:48.70.Cheekaboo, the 3-2 favorite, finished second. Mrs. Norris was third. ' ' '