Unshaded Wins Travers and Stops Nafzger’s Slump

Trainer Carl Nafzger picked the right time to win his first race of the meet at Saratoga.

Third in the Belmont Stakes and Jim Dandy in his previous two starts, Unshaded got the job done for Nafzger Saturday in the $1-million Travers, beating Albert The Great by a head in 2:02 2/5 for the 1 1/4 miles.

Kept closer to a moderate pace by jockey Shane Sellers, the 3-year-old gelded son of Unbridled got up in the final strides to edge Albert The Great, a 7-1 shot who rebounded from a last-place finish in the Jim Dandy three weeks ago.

Unshaded, owned by James Tafel, won for the fourth time in nine starts and paid $8.90.

Nafzger had managed only a second and three thirds with his first 18 starters at Saratoga.

Commendable, who had only made the board when breaking his maiden and winning the Belmont, was a distant third, just in front of Dixie Union, the 5-2 favorite who finished worse than third for only the second time in his career for trainer Richard Mandella. The winner of the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park earlier this month, Dixie Union apparently lost his left front shoe during the race.

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Theresa’s Tizzy continued to have success Del Mar with a neck victory over 12-1 longshot Nany’s Sweep in the $150,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap.

Trained by Noble Threewitt for a partnership and ridden by Laffit Pincay Jr., Theresa’s Tizzy, the 19-10 favorite in the field of six fillies and mares, won for the sixth time in eight starts by the beach.

After briefly surrendering the lead to 2-1 second choice Hookedonthefeelin after a 44 3/5 half-mile, the 6-year-old Cee’s Tizzy mare drew clear in midstretch, then held off Nany’s Sweep.

“Hookedonthefeelin hooked me and she went by, but my mare was running well,” Pincay said.