The Travers confrontation that racing fans had clamored for since the Belmont Stakes was made official never came to fruition. But, at the end of the day, literally, it didn't matter. Top class racehorses and full fields of classy, competitive thoroughbreds can render marquee match-ups moot. It was Travers Day, and the Mid-Summer Derby never fails to fire.

This is not to say that Funny Cide and Empire Maker didn't play a roll in the success of Travers 2003. Their names, after all, were dropped into the entry box and the attendant publicity certainly didn't hurt pre-event coverage.

Even though most believed that neither horse would run, the anticipation of what might happen, and the poker-faced statements of their trainers, harkened back to an age when horsemen played word and mind games, long before it was known as "smack."

Most numbers, before and after the event, were impressive. In all, 145 horses entered 12 races, five on turf, seven on dirt. Four stakes races, worth $1.6 million in purses and producing a North American record $1.4 million in Pick 4 handle, were major attractions. The table was set.

And so Travers Day dawned brightly. A record sixty-six thousand fans on track and scores of thousands at simulcast facilities showed their approval, spending 40 million of their hard earned dollars in search of a score. But it was racing, especially New York racing, that was the biggest winner.

Racing, and Team Dollase, too. Head trainer Wally, a mere 2-for-2 in the Travers, won on Saturday with Ten Most Wanted--six years to the day he broke his Travers maiden with the colt's father, Deputy Commander. The colt gave Pat Day his fourth Mid-Summer Derby. One more and he will be the winningest jockey in Travers history.

The race played on the track the way it played on paper. The speedy Peace Rules and Strong Hope  entertained each other on the lead; Sky Mesa and Ten Most Wanted and Wild And Wicked and Congrats followed. It was a matter of which horse would kick home best.

Ten Most Wanted proved to have the most kick, the most suitable pedigree. He won comprehensively, a combination of the pace coming back to him and his going on with it. He impresses as one with more growing and learning to do. He has the right people around him for that.

And so the leading protagonists of this year's Travers were no-shows, but one of them, the one they name spirits and ice cream after, is as responsible as anything else for the good that can happen in the game these days. He's one of the ones; the people's horse. The kind that make people feel good about themselves.

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Wednesday, Aug. 20: Shane Sellers hugged the fence with Showdown and got the money with the Nick Zito dropdown in the opener. Pat The Winner rallied strongly at headstretch, hung mid-stretch, then re-rallied late. Not sure what to make of it, diary, but thought enough to mention it... Steve Asmussen, having a very strong meet, unleashed a half brother to Housebuster by Tale of the Cat named Cat Buster. To no one's surprise, the colt can run. But the one to expect good things from as the distances stretch out is Breakaway, who finished like a rocket down the middle of the course, galloping out strongly while ridden out past the wire. More distance, please... Rounding the first turn on the inner turf course, juvenile fillies Galloping Gal and Miss Bergdorf were virtually eliminated but apparently the debuting runners didn't know any better. The former made a big move into contention from between horses on the backside, finishing strongly to win. Place finisher Miss Bergdorf was carried extremely wide then finished boldly late while wide in a remarkable performance... Traffic Chief has developed into a very nice state-bred for Mike Hushion, taking the final leg of the Big Apple Triple, as Albany Handicap co-highweight with 121 pounds and Jose Santos... Saint Stephen deserved a better fate. His inside post enabled a clear lead in the marathon finale, but the problem is that he prefers a target. When Richard Migliore pulled the rug a bit prematurely after entering the straight, it enabled a more than capable Rowans Park and patient Pat to outrun him late. Probably will make amends next out, but at a short price.

Thursday, August 21: She's Got The Beat is ready to re-enter the stakes ranks based on her strong-finish rout of three overmatched rivals in a money allowances at nine furlongs... It's amazing what turf racing can do to transform racehorses. At 2, Exchange Bay was a speed crazy juvenile that wouldn't finish what he started. But on grass at 3, under patient handling from J.D. Bailey, he has learned how to rate and finish. And finish he did, the final quarter mile of the mile event in :23 4/5. This game never fails to keep you humble...Speaking of Asmussen, he has a running juvenile miss in Ana's Lady Bird, who stalked a rapid pace then drew off to win by nearly 10 in 1:10 2/5. Ready for stakes company after what turned out to be a preliminary allowance prep.

Friday, August 22: Bailey certainly rode maiden Alajwad with confidence and the Tom Albertrani trainee responded affirmatively. After stalking in hand, he took over approaching headstretch and drew off with authority... Juvenile filly Sisti's Pride certainly appears to have the talent to go on, breaking her maiden at seven furlongs in a heady 1:23 2/5 by almost five. As an aside, how did this Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez juvenile return 8-1?.. I'm not sure if there are any more giants for Allen Jerkens to slay. His late developing 4-year-old Passing Shot put it all together and, benefiting from an eight-pound weight pull in the Grade I Personal Ensign Handicap, she outfought 1-5 Wild Spirit in a game come-again performance to win by a nose. Bailey certainly didn't cover himself in glory afterwards, suggesting that racing secretary Mike Lakow should be ashamed of himself for asking Wild Spirit to pick up five pounds off her Delaware Handicap score. Granted, five pounds is a lot of weight to add off one victory, even the one-sided kind. But a handicap is just that. As it was, the Personal Ensign attracted only four rivals for the favorite and Lakow's weights nearly produced a dead heat. Bailey should know better. Further, he should accept the fact that no one wins them all... Young trainer George Weaver showing a clever hand with turf runners. He had Blakelock ready to rock, by three under Velazquez. Three-year-old should handle class rise next. Gold Explorer was a game runnerup.

Saturday, August 23: Travers Day. Rick Violette, apparently, has every New York-bred by Smoke Glacken that can run. The latest, Distressed Debt, responded to the addition of blinkers and ran off the screen going 7 furlongs. Let's see what he does in the Belmont's Bongard if he remains in the state-bred ranks. This year's Funny Cide?... Quite obviously, Stanley Hough is much better than his results this meet. That's what has to make the return victory of Pretty Wild so sweet. Last year's Futurity and Hopeful runner-up made a sensational 3-year-old debut, winning a preliminary allowances by open lengths in 1:21 2/5, making a glib surface appear even faster. If he remains healthy, the colt's limit would appear to be the sky... Stylish made it three straight victories, and was the streaking Bill Mott's third win on the Travers card, a well-timed score under Johnny V. The talented Wonder Again still has not made the transition from 3-year-old to 4... Quest Star did all the work but Trademark got the money with his second consecutive perfect trip, sitting the pocket under Migliore. A Breeders' Cup Mile candidate, he likely will prep for the big one next at Keeneland next...King's Bishop winner Valid Video is going straight to the Breeders' Cup Sprint off his effort. A winner of the Carry Back on Calder's Sunshine Millions program in very fast time previously, he proved versatile and courageous in winning the other Grade 1 for 3-year-olds this day. Props to trainer Dennis Manning for getting his first career Grade 1 while the whole world was watching... Ten Most Wanted, the most legitimate 10-furlong horse in the Travers, spread-eagled the competition after taking advantage of the second fastest pace in race history. Peace Rules is a remarkably consistent, top class sophomore. Strong Hope, very talented, will receive a needed freshening, as will Congrats. Wild And Wicked will be better for the experience. Don't sell him short, diary. Sky Mesa did have problems at the start, but should have run better than that. Much better.

Sunday, August 24: Harmony Lodge helped Migliore celebrate a big weekend and helped take some of the sting out of Strong Hope's defeat for Pletcher, making every pole a winner. The gallant Shine Again failed by the length of the winner's nose from taking her third straight Ballerina. Santos did nothing wrong, but perhaps the filly missed Jean-Luc Samyn, in New York recovering from a broken femur. Diary wishes a speedy recovery... A Great Team is better than that. Much better.

Monday, August 25: Jimmy Jerkens, another having a strong meet, won with debuting Smokey Glacken, a half sister to Smoke Glacken by Forestry. After a less than sharp break, she zoomed to the front, opened a daylight margin and stayed there. Runners-up Storm Fleet, and the debuting Mystified and Cabo de Noche, all went well and should be on every player's radar screen. Unlike the winner, believe these three want more than 5-1/2 furlongs...Watching Evening Attire run is nothing if not fun. He tries hard every time and when he gets horses he should handle easily, he does, with Silky Sullivan style. Will obviously try to defend his Jockey Club Gold Cup title when racing resumes in Gotham.... Sixty Seconds is just a lovely turf mare. Trained by Christophe Clement, she sat outside the whole way and would not be denied in the 11-furlong Grade 3 Glens Falls. She will step up in class this fall and appears to have what it takes to make that transition... Favorites still winning at an astounding 44 percent... Velazquez needs two more winner to tie Bailey's meet record of 55... Pletcher remains in orbit with 33 victories and even NYRA is making a comeback. After recent blue skies have resulted in more turf racing and with full fields, on-track handle is now up over last year, as is interstate wagering. Only the intrastate figures, in the first year of expanded simulcasting at the state's OTB facilties, is handle still down, a trend unlikely to be reversed with a week remaining in the Saratoga 2003 session.