SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – National Treasure makes a return trip to Saratoga with a chance to take a stranglehold of the older male dirt division when he runs in Saturday’s $1 million Whitney Stakes. But if National Treasure is to achieve his third Grade 1 victory of the year, it is anticipated he will have to work harder than he did here eight weeks ago, when he dominated the $1 million Metropolitan Handicap. On paper, the Met Mile was a two-horse race and the other horse – White Abarrio – was a no-show. National Treasure dictated terms and won by 6 1/4 lengths over Post Time. In the Whitney, National Treasure – the 2023 Preakness winner – meets a seemingly well-matched group of 10 horses who have combined to win 18 graded stakes. There were 11 horses entered against National Treasure, but Il Miracolo is going to scratch, according to trainer Antonio Sano. The speedy National Treasure already beat 11 rivals once this year, doing so in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January, when he chased the fast pace set by Hoist the Gold, then held off a late run from Senor Buscador to win by a neck. “If you miss the break then the big field is a problem,” said Bob Baffert, the trainer of National Treasure. “If you break well, then you don’t have to deal with it. I think a big field hurts the horses that come from out of it.” Breaking from post 3 under red-hot Flavien Prat may give National Treasure an advantage over the other speed types in the Whitney, who appear drawn toward the outside. That includes Arthur’s Ride, who makes his stakes debut from post 11 while coming off a 12 3/4-length victory in a 1 1/4-mile allowance here on June 7. It was the second powerful allowance victory for Arthur’s Ride this year, the other coming in March at Gulfstream off a 13-month layoff. :: Gain a competitive edge at Saratoga with DRF's premier handicapping data — purchase our meet packages today and bet with confidence. In between, Arthur’s Ride finished ninth, beaten 23 lengths, in an allowance run over a sloppy Churchill Downs track. Trainer Bill Mott said he would consider scratching if the track comes up sloppy Saturday, and there is a 70 percent chance of rain. Otherwise, Mott said as he looked over the past performances, “I think our horse is supposed to be able to compete. We got to prove it, but from what I’ve seen from him, it looks like he’s got some upside.” Skippylongstocking began this year being pulled up in the Pegasus World Cup. The combination of being sent hard from his outside draw that day and the heat led to Skippylongstocking getting leg-weary around the far turn. He has rebounded with victories in the Grade 3 Challenger at Tampa Bay Downs and a dominant victory in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap. Skippylongstocking ran an odd race when finishing third in the Stephen Foster, pressing the pace, dropping back, and then coming on again and running the fastest final eighth of anyone in the race while getting beat 2 1/2 lengths by Kingsbarns. “You don’t see a horse lead, drop back, and then run the fastest eighth,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “I think that taught us that we can sit on him even more. He’s obviously tactical, but if he can sit on him a little more he can maybe be better.” Joseph has some concern with Skippylongstocking breaking from post 10 and he’s not certain to run. Joseph said Skippylongstocking would definitely run if the track comes up wet as he is 2 for 2 over a wet track. Trainer Todd Pletcher’s older male dirt roster is so deep that even with recent stakes winners Kingsbarns and Tapit Trice awaiting the Jockey Club Gold Cup, he has three in the race. Bright Future is the best of a trio that includes 2024 Suburban winner Crupi and 2023 Suburban winner Charge It. Bright Future is 2 for 2 at Saratoga, including a victory in the last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup. In both the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he finished sixth, only 3 3/4 lengths behind White Abarrio, and in the Salvator Mile, which he won last month at Monmouth Park, Bright Future dropped back at a key point in the race only to re-rally. Speaking of the Salvator Mile, Pletcher said Bright Future “got squeezed back on the far turn, he got intimidated and backed up. Once it opened up and he had a little clearer space, he jumped right back in there. I think he’s training well and with a race under his belt he’s ready to make a move forward, which he needs to do.” Crupi was good enough to run third in the Pegasus and win the Grade 2 Suburban. Most recently, he finished a well-beaten second to Next in the Grade 2 Brooklyn. It has been two years since Charge it won the Grade 3 Dwyer by 23 lengths. He is 2 for 10 since. First Mission and Disarm finished fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Stephen Foster. First Mission, trained by Brad Cox, had won two graded stakes impressively before that, including the Grade 2 Alysheba. In 2022, Disarm won a maiden race by 6 1/4 lengths here, a race in which Arthur’s Ride finished second and Crupi third. Last summer, Disarm finished second in the Travers. After an allowance win in May, Disarm disappointed in the Stephen Foster. “But looking at it, he’s a horse that takes races to get going,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “Same thing last year. He’s just a great big horse that takes racing.” Post Time and Tumbarumba are both models of consistency who are trying to prove themselves at the Grade 1 level and at 1 1/8 miles. Post Time, 8 for 11, did finish second to National Treasure in the Met Mile and will be trying 1 1/8 miles for the first time in this spot. He breaks from the rail Saturday under Sheldon Russell. “Sheldon is going to have to use him and get him in a good, comfortable position,” Brittany Russell said. “Really, you kind of hope there’s a pace scenario in front of him and he can get comfortable and he’ll be grinding away at the end.” :: Get Saratoga Clocker Reports straight from the morning workouts at the track. Available every race day. Tumbarumba, first or second in 10 of 15 starts, has a second and a third in two tries at 1 1/8 miles, albeit against lesser company. “Both were solid efforts and he’s much more horse than he was back then,” trainer Brian Lynch said. “He’s got a nice outside spot [post 8]. There should be plenty of speed to run at. He’s tactical enough where he could lay up there, but hopefully something goes with National Treasure.” Warrior Johny, trained by Phil Bauer, enters the Whitney off a powerful allowance win here on opening day. The Whitney, which offers a fees-paid berth into the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2 at Del Mar, goes as race 11 on a 13-race card that begins at 12:05 p.m. and includes the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby for 3-year-olds on turf, the Grade 1 Test for 3-year-old fillies on turf, the Grade 3 Troy for turf sprinters, and the one-mile Lure Stakes. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.