SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Though he will be most likely be favored in the most prestigious event of the Saratoga meeting – Saturday’s $1 million Travers Stakes – Stay Thirsty will once again be racing in the shadow of his more celebrated stablemate, Uncle Mo, who makes his highly-awaited return just 33 minutes earlier in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop.

But if Stay Thirsty continues on the upward trend he has shown in his last two races, by dusk Saturday he could occupy the top spot in the 3-year-old division once reserved for Uncle Mo, last year’s 2-year-old champion.

Two-year-olds will be in the spotlight on Saturday, as will the owner-trainer team of Fred Brei and Stanley Gold, when Calder presents its now traditional and extremely popular Juvenile Showcase. The 13-race program is comprised exclusively of 2-year-old races, six of which are stakes, topped by the $125,000 Affirmed and Susan’s Girl, middle legs of the Florida Stallion Series.

Saturday night’s $50,000 Sylvia Bishop Memorial Stakes at Charles Town is designed as a local prep for West Virginia-bred 3-year-old fillies pointing to the $85,000 West Virginia Division of Tourism on the Oct. 15 West Virginia Breeders’ Classic program.

But Parx Racing-based trainer Richard Vega is targeting an even bigger payday for his undefeated but long-absent filly Princess Cecilia.

DEL MAR, Calif. – A sharp win by Don Cavallo in the Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes at Woodbine on July 1 provided sufficient reason for owner-breeder Frank Stronach and trainer Roger Attfield to plan for an August start in a Grade 1 race in the United States.

Wesley Ward laughs at the suggestion that he must be in more than one place at a time. Does a body double stand in for him at the various racetracks where he hangs his colors?

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Chris Block is the antithesis of a racetrack tout. Block lets the horses he trains speak for themselves through performance. But early in the summer of 2010, Block took the time to point out a bay 2-year-old filly a few stalls from his barn office. She was by Bernardini and a sister to multiple graded stakes winner Vacare, whom Block trained early in her career. It has taken her more than a year to show what Block saw before she raced, but Alluring Squall might be on her way now.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The promise that Mr. Commons has shown this summer has led trainer John Shirreffs to take an uncharacteristic approach to the last weeks of the Del Mar meeting.

It would be easy for owner Ian Banwell and Shirreffs to point Mr. Commons to the $250,000 Del Mar Derby against 3-year-olds on Sept. 4. Instead, Mr. Commons has been entered in a more ambitious spot, Saturday’s $200,000 Del Mar Mile against older horses.

Heavy favorites figure to dominate a couple of $50,000 stakes races for 2-year-olds going 6 1/2 furlongs at Northlands Park on Saturday. Dougs Buddy in the Birdcatcher for colts and geldings, and My Daddy’s Girl in the Bird of Pay for fillies are both standouts in their respective races.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Up-and-coming trainer Paul Attard will seek his third Woodbine stakes win in the past month when he sends out Anne’s Beauty in Saturday’s $150,000 Ontario Colleen.

Anne’s Beauty captured the seven-furlong Duchess Stakes on Polytrack as the favorite July 30, when she earned a career high 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Seven-eighths on the Poly is probably her best trip,” said Attard, who also won last Saturday’s Eternal Search Stakes with Niigon’s Touch.

AUBURN, Wash. – After waging a fierce battle from start to finish in their last outing, Silver Boxcar and Chu and I will renew their budding rivalry Saturday in the $40,000 WTBOA Lads Stakes at Emerald Downs. The eight-race card gets started at 2 p.m. Pacific, and the Lads, for 2-year-old colts and geldings at one mile, is the seventh race on the program.