SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After proving competitive in a series of two-turn races on the Kentucky Derby trail, Bravaro will shorten up in distance and return to statebred company when topping a strong field of nine 3-year-old New York-breds, including the recently untouchable Sculcos Folly, on Wednesday at Saratoga in the $200,000 Mike Lee Stakes. Bravaro launched his career winning a pair of statebred races, including the one-mile Sleepy Hollow by 2 1/2 lengths during an abbreviated 2-year-old campaign. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. thought those performances warranted putting Bravaro on the Triple Crown trail this winter at Gulfstream Park, where he finished second in the Grade 3 Holy Bull and a troubled fourth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth. Joseph took one last swing at a Derby berth when adding blinkers and sending Bravaro back to New York to try his luck in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial. Bravaro turned in a very credible showing in what ultimately proved to be a key race on this year’s Triple Crown trail, finishing fourth, beaten just 2 1/2 lengths by Albus, despite tracking a very lively pace and taking up sharply inside the tiring Napoleon Solo while looming boldly along the rail a furlong from the wire. “I thought he ran very well in the Wood, even though he got pushed back and forced to check inside the leader in early stretch,” Joseph said. “I think the blinkers made him a lot more manageable than he had been in his earlier races and I really liked the way he never quit and ran on right through the wire despite the trouble.” :: DRF Belmont Stakes Packages: Save big on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more. Joseph admits the plan all along for Bravaro was to at some point get back to one-turn races, with the seven-furlong Mike Lee a perfect choice to begin that process. “I’ve kind of felt all along that one turn is his best game, and I think if we’re right about the cutback, he’s going to put up a pretty big performance. And if he does, this race should go through us,” Joseph predicted. The former $25,000 claimer Sculcos Folly is undefeated and virtually untested in his last three starts for trainer Rick Dutrow, having won those races by a combined 24 lengths while earning Beyer Speed Figures in the low 90s on each occasion. He was soundly beaten, however, in his only previous start at Saratoga when launching his career last summer. “I just want him to stay the way he is right now, he’s really in a good zone,” Dutrow said. “Hopefully, he likes Saratoga. He’s a much different horse now than he was when he first ran here. He runs big up there, and we can keep [the streak] going.” Sculcos Folly is one of five horses coming into the Mike Lee off victories in their most recent starts. The group also includes B Thedonald, Party in the Army, Max Money, and Stickupwithoutagun. The field also includes Arctic Beast, a 9 3/4-length winner of the seven-furlong Damon Runyon in his last start against statebreds on Feb. 14, the multiple stakes placed Time to Roll, and Wamo. Bouwerie The $200,000 Bouwerie Stakes, the 3-year-old filly counterpart to the Mike Lee, drew a field of seven. The race is topped by Hot Currency, who figures to be a solid favorite off her popular and well-graded 9 1/2-length victory in the Fourstar Crook division of the New York Stallion Series on April 11 at Aqueduct. Hot Currency prompted the early pace before drawing off with complete authority in the 6 1/2-furlong Fourstar Crook, earning a career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure. The win was the second in the last four starts for Hot Currency, who has improved dramatically since trainer Linda Rice added blinkers to her equipment for a runaway maiden win during the fall of her 2-year-old campaign. Pinky Brier outgamed Hot Currency to register a hard-fought and well-deserved three-quarter-length decision when the pair first met five months ago under high-priced optional-claiming and allowance conditions. She was subsequently claimed for $75,000 by her present connections, Flying P Stable and trainer Gustavo Rodriguez, out of a winning effort when cutting back to six furlongs on March 22. :: Bet the Belmont Stakes with confidence! Betting Strategies by Mike Beer and David Aragona feature exclusive wager recommendations! Galinda outfinished Pinky Brier to register a game half-length victory over open company on April 19 for her third win in four tries and may ultimately prove the one to catch when returning to statebred stakes competition in the Bouwerie. “She’s a neck away from being undefeated in four starts and is doing well coming into the race,” trainer Miguel Clement said. “She’s a good filly, she tries hard, she’s got plenty of speed and while she might be better at six furlongs, she has already won twice over seven-eighths. “I don’t necessarily think she has to be in front, but I believe she prefers it, and on dirt that’s usually the right place to be.” :: Get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports straight from the morning workouts. Available each race day at Saratoga. The remainder of the field includes Venetta, Victory Hall, Irish Lullaby, and Celestial Body. – additional reporting by David Grening