SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Despite being a champion, one of just two Grade 1 winners in the prospective field, and the primary speed in the race, Hansen figures to be somewhat of a longshot in next Saturday’s $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

In addition to trying a 1 1/4-mile distance that many believe is beyond his reach, Hansen will be racing just three weeks after finishing fourth as the 3-5 favorite in the West Virginia Derby.

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Risky Rachel looks like anything but a risky proposition in Monday’s $100,000 Union Avenue Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares at Saratoga.

Cutting back in distance and drawn sweetly toward the outside in a field laden with inside speed, Risky Rachel has trainer Juan Coronel quite confident she can return to her winning ways against six opponents.

Two hours after his Jackson Bend escaped serious injury in a mishap on the Oklahoma training track early Saturday morning, trainer Nick Zito sent another of his sprint stars, Fort Loudon, over to the main track to breeze a half-mile in 48.64 seconds under jockey Junior Alvarado in preparation for Saturday’s Grade 1 King’s Bishop.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Francois looked like a good $7,500 claim when he won a $16,000 conditioned claiming race first time out for new connections. He’s looking even better now.

Francois followed that initial success with a win in a first-level allowance race here Aug. 4, and on the opening race of the Arlington Million program he scored a determined half-length victory in the $66,130 Straight Line Stakes.

After beginning his 2012 campaign by running twice within the span of three days in January, the 3-year-old Reserved Quality didn’t race again for seven months. The New York-based Reserved Quality ends his long layoff when he faces older horses in Monday’s featured $47,000, first-level allowance at Parx Racing.

DEL MAR, Calif. – With his victory aboard Lady Ten in the Sandy Blue Handicap on Friday, Rafael Bejarano edged ever closer to the single-season stakes record for jockeys at Del Mar, a mark he seems certain to eclipse before the meet’s end on Sept. 5.

Lady Ten gave Bejarano, 30, his ninth stakes win of the meet, just three shy of the record held jointly by Laffit Pincay Jr. (1976), Chris McCarron (1995), Gary Stevens (1997), and Corey Nakatani (1998). There are nearly three weeks to go in the meet, and he has live mounts in just about every stakes race.

Uncoupled stablemates Al’s Deputy and Pro’s Pal, both coming off a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure, head a lineup of seven New York-bred sprinters in Tuesday’s $50,000 Leon Reed Memorial Stakes at Finger Lakes.

The 6-year-old Al’s Deputy and 7-year-old Pro’s Pal are both trained by Charlton Baker, but have different owners, so they will race as separate betting interests in the six-furlong Reed.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Two-time Grade 1 winner Jackson Bend apparently escaped serious injury after being run into by the 7-year-old gelding Little Nick during a frightening training mishap which took place on the Oklahoma training track shortly after 7 a.m. on Saturday. Jackson Bend was preparing to defend his title in the Grade 1 Forego Handicap on Sept. 1.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – High End Man earned his way into the Grade 3, $200,000 British Columbia Derby on  Sept. 9 with an impressive win over The Gov in the $50,000 Richmond Derby Trial at Hastings on Friday night.

Trained by Pete Gregory, High End Man paid $4.10 for his 5 1/4-,length win in the mile and a sixteenth race for 3-year-olds.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Rafael Bejarano edged ever closer to the single-season stakes record at Del Mar by piloting Lady Ten to victory on Friday night in the $88,100 Sandy Blue Handicap for 3-year-old turf fillies.

The win was the ninth this meet in a stakes for Bejarano, who is now just three away from tying the record of 12, and there’s still nearly three weeks to go in the meet.

“I’d love to,” Bejarano said when asked if he’d like to break the record. “I would like to do that.”