Malibu Ice Company

California Bob brings Coil back East for Travers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — Bob Baffert is back on the East Coast, convinced his 3-year-old colt Coil can beat the Preakness and Belmont Stakes winners again in the $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday.

Last time the California-based trainer brought Coil cross-country, the striking chestnut won the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park by a neck over Preakness winner Shackleford, with Belmont winner Ruler On Ice third.

"I think he's going to get better as he gets older," Baffert said.

The lightly raced Coil will attempt to become the first horse to win the Haskell and Travers since his sire, Point Given, did it in 2001. Point Given also won the Preakness and the Belmont in '01 and went on to be voted Horse of the Year. Coil missed the Triple Crown races, and will be making his seventh career start in the 1¼-mile "Mid-Summer Derby."

"Point Given had more of a foundation where this horse really doesn't have the foundation," Baffert said following Coil's final prerace workout earlier in the week. "He's doing things right now because of raw talent. He's fast, he's rateable and you can shut him off, which is good. So it's not like he's one dimensional. His daddy won it and I don't know why he can't."

Coil, who will be ridden by Martin Garcia, is the 3-1 second choice, with Stay Thirsty the slight 5-2 favorite in a 10-horse field. Stay Thirsty comes into the Travers with two wins and a second at the Spa, including a four-length victory in the Jim Dandy on July 30, a day before Coil won the Haskell.

Shackleford is the 9-2 third choice, with Ruler On Ice next at 6-1.

Also entered are Rattlesnake Bridge (8-1), Raison d'Etat (10-1), Bowman's Causeway (12-1), and 20-1 long shots J W Blue, Malibu Glow and Moonshine Mullin.

One question surrounding Coil is how well he'll run just over a week after scratching his right eye. He was fitted with a protective cup for his latest workout, and Baffert said he'll decide on race day whether to keep the see-through cup on.

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