This weekend's $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park and $500,000 Jim Dandy at Saratoga could help crown this year's 3-year-old champion.
There's a lot of racing still to come, including the $1 million Travers Stakes -- the "Midsummer Derby" -- a month down the road at the Spa and, of course, the Breeders' Cup Classic, often a showcase for the best 3-year-olds.
With a little luck, those races will sweep together the best of the contenders, including last year's 2-year-old champ, Uncle Mo, who is back in training after a long illness that kept him out of the Triple Crown races.
In the meantime, Monmouth has attracted Preakness winner Shackleford and Belmont Stakes winner Ruler on Ice for the Grade I Haskell, sponsored by Resorts International. The race also gets the promising but so-far unfulfilled Astrology, who finished third in the Preakness but most recently was sixth in the Iowa Derby.
Others in the eight-horse field for the 1 1/8-mile Haskell are Louisiana Derby winner Pants on Fire; the lightly raced California invader Coil; Illinois Derby winner Joe Vann; Federico Tessio winner Concealed Identity; and J J's Lucky Train, who has been off the board only once in nine career starts in top company.
Kelly Breen, who trains both Ruler on Ice and Pants on Fire, said Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, who is out for the year, "is a great horse. I think Shackleford's a great horse. I just hope that my horses show up. These next two races are pivotal in people's voting on who's going to be top 3-year-old of the year."
Dale Romans, who saddles Shackleford, agreed the three Triple Crown winners are "even" in the race for year-end honors. But, he added: "I think Animal Kingdom's up against it if one of us goes on and wins another Grade I, especially here at the Haskell or Travers. And I think if Ruler on Ice or our horse wins this race, then they have to be considered in the lead."
Saturday's Grade II Jim Dandy at Saratoga drew seven 3-year-olds, including Uncle Mo's stablemate, Stay Thirsty, who finished second in the Belmont Stakes.
"He's been taking a back seat to Uncle Mo," said trainer Todd Pletcher. "But he can do a lot for himself by stepping up in the Jim Dandy and the Travers."
Also entered for the Jim Dandy is the third-place finisher from the Belmont, Brilliant Speed, who stepped into the big time earlier in the spring by winning the Blue Grass over Keeneland's all-weather track. Three other starters come into the Saratoga race off graded stakes wins -- Dominus from the Grade II Dwyer at Belmont Park, Alternation from the Grade II Peter Pan at Belmont and Scotus off the Grade III Matt Winn at Churchill Downs.
While the 3-year-olds have the spotlight, Saratoga also cards Saturday's $500,000 Diana Handicap, a 9-furlong turf test for fillies and mares. Three of the contenders there -- morning-line favorite Aruna, Aviate and Dyna Waltz -- started their careers in Europe. Unbridled Humor, the second pick in the morning line, puts an unbeaten record on the line, seeking her fifth straight win for trainer Graham Motion, who also saddles Aruna.
"She has done everything with relative ease," Motion said of Unbridled Humor. "But it is a huge step into Grade I competition."
The leaders in the Ladies Classic Division, Blind Luck and Havre de Grace, finished 1-2 in the Delaware Handicap July 16 and the Diana contestants will be chasing them in the division standings.
Monmouth supports the Haskell with seven other stakes, including the $200,000, Grade III Oceanport at 1 1/16 miles on the grass and the $200,000, Grade III Matchmaker for distaffers at 9 furlongs on the turf.
Saratoga's Sunday card includes the $250,000, Grade I Ruffian Invitational for fillies and mares at 9 furlongs on the main track and the $150,000, Grade II Fourstardave Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the green course.
Out west, Del Mar has the $250,000, Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes for sprinters on the all-weather track Sunday. Crosby, one of the founders of Del Mar, sang the track's theme song, "Where the Turf Meets the Surf," while taking tickers for the Hollywood star-studded crowd on Opening Day in 1937. The race drew last year's winner, Smiling Tiger, with a lot of serious competition, including world travelers Euroears and Kinsale King as well as top California sprinter Amazombie.
Del Mar features the $200,000, Grade II San Diego Handicap Saturday at 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather surface.
Elsewhere, Penn National has the $200,000 Pennsylvania Governor's Cup at 5 furlongs on the turf in Saturday's program; Woodbine features the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes for 3-year-old, Canadian-bred fillies at 1 1/4 miles on the grass and the $150,000 Vandal Stakes for Ontario-foaled 2-year-olds, both on Sunday; and Ruidoso Downs runs the Rio Grande Senor and Senorita Futurity races for New Mexico-bred juveniles, each worth $200,000 for a 5 1/2-furlon journey, on Sunday.
Overseas, Goodwood winds up its prestigious, weeklong meeting with Saturday's Group 1 Nassau for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on the grass. Sunday finds Deauville offering the Prix Rothschild for fillies and mares going a grassy mile. And Munich on Sunday runs the Group 1 Bayerisches-Zuchtrennen Dallmayr-Preis at 10 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up. Dermot Weld imports Famous Name for the German race off five wins in his last six starts.
