SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Javier Castellano will ride Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo and Luis Saez will ride Kentucky Derby winner Mage in the $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 26, it was announced Tuesday. Castellano had won his first Kentucky Derby aboard Mage and, five weeks later, his first Belmont on Arcangelo. He was hoping to wait as long as possible to decide which one to ride in the Travers. However, in the end, Castellano said he didn’t make the final decision.  Ramiro Restrepo, the co-owner of Mage, announced on Twitter Tuesday afternoon that Saez would ride Mage in the Travers. Saez rode Mage to a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, but took off that horse to ride Tapit Trice in the Kentucky Derby. Tapit Trice finished seventh. Tapit Trice is under consideration for the Travers. Restrepo said he told Castellano and his agent, P.J. Campo, on Sunday that he and his partners wanted a decision “sooner than later.” Restrepo said he understood the difficult decision facing Castellano, but didn’t want to be “left without a top rider,” he said.  :: DRF's 2023 Saratoga headquarters: Previews, past performances, picks, recaps, news, and more. “We are under the understanding the Travers is going to be a pretty full field, most of the riders are starting to become committed to their mounts. Not wanting to be caught without a rider until the last minute, we decided to go with Luis who had ridden the horse before and who is a top-level rider in his own right.”  Castellano, in a phone interview with Daily Racing Form on Tuesday afternoon, said that trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr. had reached out to him Monday and then again Tuesday morning asking that he make a decision on whom to ride by 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Castellano said he did not respond to those messages because he wanted to talk first with Campo, and Jena Antonucci, the trainer of Arcangelo, first to make sure all was well with her horse. Castellano said he also wanted to talk to Delgado and others about Mage’s future beyond this year. Castellano said the connections of Arcangelo have already told them they plan to run the horse in 2024. “Let’s put it this way I never had an opportunity to make a decision,” Castellano said. Castellano admitted he was leaning toward riding Arcangelo. He is 3 for 3 on that horse, including wins in the Belmont and Grade 3 Peter Pan. He has worked the horse twice since the Belmont and has raved about the way he has trained. Castellano is 1 for 4 on Mage and was taken off the horse following his fourth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth. Castellano has won the Travers a record six times. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.