It’s Chief’s Crown and Cordero on Top in Travers Stakes

Chief’s Crown and Angel Cordero had been two of a kind. Chief’s Crown, the 2-year-old champion colt who couldn’t win the big ones this year. Cordero, the nine-time Saratoga riding king who couldn’t win the track’s showcase race, the Travers Stakes.

Both horse and man, as though they had booked a passage for two with destiny, ended the ignominy beautifully Saturday. With Chief’s Crown supplying the horsepower and Cordero furnishing the horsebacking, they won the $293,000 Travers by 2 lengths in a convincing performance before 45,067 fans, the second-largest crowd in the century-old history of this idyllic Upstate track.

The only thing that diluted Chief’s Crown’s victory was a development 230 miles to the south. Shortly before the 116th running of the Travers, Spend a Buck, who beat Chief’s Crown in the Kentucky Derby by almost six lengths, won the Monmouth Handicap in New Jersey in record time, a victory over older horses that probably left him atop the 3-year-old division.

But the Chief’s Crown crowd--Cordero, principal owner Andrew Rosen and trainer Roger Laurin--didn’t let Spend a Buck’s victory spoil their celebration. They all talked of wanting another chance against Spend a Buck, a race that may never come off because Chief’s Crown’s schedule is likely to keep him in New York, and the Kentucky Derby winner is a bleeder who can’t run with medication here because of state regulations.

Cordero, who had only four seconds and three thirds to show for 13 previous Travers mounts, has a special reason to want a showdown with Spend a Buck. He rode Spend a Buck in the colt’s first four starts this year, including the win in the Derby, then lost the mount because of a long-standing commitment to ride Track Barron. Cordero then saw Laffit Pincay earn $260,000 as his replacement, for a win and a bonus in the Jersey Derby. It bothered Cordero that Pincay got a $200,000 piece of a $2-million bonus after Cordero had ridden Spend a Buck in three of the four races that the colt won to qualify for Garden State Park’s offer.

“I’m not gonna knock the other horse,” Cordero said Saturday. “He was very good to me--he gave me a win in the Derby. Both of these colts are very talented. Whoever beats older horses later this year will be the champion. But Spend a Buck’s gonna have to come to New York to do that. I think my horse was good enough today that he would have beaten Spend a Buck in the Travers.”

There was little early speed in this Travers, and Cordero resisted the temptation to gun Chief’s Crown to the lead when none of the seven starters wanted it.

“Those horses were walking at the start,” Cordero said. “If it had been up to me, I would have gone on early, but I had my orders (from Laurin, who visited the rider in the jockeys’ room Saturday afternoon to make sure there was no misreading of the plan).”

Don’s Choice, second to Stephan’s Odyssey in the Jim Dandy Stakes here two weeks ago, looked like a horse who might have made the lead. But Don’s Choice and Don MacBeth, who was replaced by Cordero as Chief’s Crown’s rider after the Kentucky Derby third and a second in the Preakness, had trouble leaving the gate. Consequently, Turkoman, who had never had the lead in his life, went to the front, followed by Don’s Choice and Skip Trial, with Chief’s Crown and 8-5 second choice Stephan’s Odyssey taking up positions in the second file.

Skip Trial, an upset winner over Spend a Buck in the Haskell Handicap at Monmouth Park in his last start, took the lead from Turkoman on the last turn, but that’s when Cordero was shifting Chief’s Crown into high gear. Five horses wide at the top of the stretch, Chief’s Crown passed both of the leaders and coasted home under only occasional whipping from Cordero.

Chief’s Crown, earning $175,800 and increasing his career total to more than $1.5 million, was timed in 2:01 1/5 for the 1 miles, more than a second slower than the track record. The 6-5 favorite, Chief’s Crown paid $4.40, $3.80 and $3.60. Turkoman, who came back to finish second, three lengths ahead of Skip Trial, paid $5 and $4.80. Skip Trial’s show price was $4.20. The rest of the field, in order, consisted of Stephan’s Odyssey, Uptown Swell, Broadway Tommy and Don’s Choice.

While the race of Turkoman, a California-based colt who had won only two races lifetime and none in a stake, was a refreshing surprise for trainer Gary Jones, the performance of Stephan’s Odyssey was a disappointment.

Pat Day was riding Stephan’s Odyssey for the first time because Pincay was busy with Spend a Buck at Monmouth. “We were in a good spot early,” Day said, “and my horse was well within himself. But when we needed to make a move to get into a contending position, I hit him from the right side at about the three-eighths pole and he didn’t make that explosive run that I had seen him make in some of his prior races. All he gave me was a little bit of run.”

Darrel McHargue, riding Turkoman, regretted that his mount took the early lead. “I didn’t expect to be there,” McHargue said, “but nobody else wanted the lead. They ran the first quarter in :24 1/5. In California, that would be like galloping. And my horse isn’t the type that can steal a race. But at least he changed leads (switching a lead foot on the turns) today. That was an improvement over the way he’s run some of his other races.”

A positive thinker, Cordero felt his day in the Travers sun would eventually come. “I knew I’d win this race before I retired,” the 42-year-old jockey said. “I’ve always said I didn’t win it before because I didn’t have the horses that were good enough.”

Horse Racing Notes Pancho Villa’s win in the $50,000 King’s Bishop Stakes Saturday at Saratoga boosted trainer Wayne Lukas’ purses for the year to $5,843,781, which broke the record the conditioner set last year. . . . Darrel McHargue rode Pancho Villa, who came from behind instead of his usual front-running style. . . . Other winners on Saratoga’s seven-stake card included Wedding Picture, Seal Harbor, Cognizant, Duluth and Mo Exception. . . .