SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Depending on your point of view, Sierra Leone has been unlucky or an underachiever. A 3-year-old campaign that began with such promise, with victories in the Risen Star and Blue Grass has stalled some with narrow defeats in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Jim Dandy. His late-running style and tendency to lug in has cost him in those three defeats that have come by a combined 2 1/2 lengths. Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers at Saratoga affords Sierra Leone another opportunity to regain his shine and perhaps put himself back in contention for divisional honors. It is a most compelling Travers, highlighted by the presence of Thorpedo Anna – trying to become the first filly in 109 years to win the Travers – Dornoch, the current leader of the 3-year-old division, and Fierceness, last year’s 2-year-old champion who has had a hit-or-miss 3-year-old season. The eight-horse field in this 1 1/4-mile race includes Unmatched Wisdom, undefeated in three starts; Honor Marie, who has run better than it looks in two Triple Crown races; Batten Down, winner of the Ohio Derby; and Corporate Power, second in the Curlin. Sierra Leone always runs his race. The problem is he often leaves himself too much to do and, in the Kentucky Derby and other races, he has not maintained a straight course in the stretch costing him valuable ground. He did race straighter in the Jim Dandy – where he was beaten a length by Fierceness – but he was forced to the inside by Batten Down in the stretch. :: Gain a competitive edge at Saratoga with DRF's premier handicapping data — purchase our meet packages today and bet with confidence. “That particular day the inside was pretty deep,” said Chad Brown, the trainer of Sierra Leone. “When he went down in there it took away from his kick. I’m not saying he was going to win but it definitely leveled him off when he went down in there.” Brown said earlier this week that he hopes jockey Flavien Prat will be able to attain a little better position out of the gate. “In a perfect world, I wish he was a couple of lengths closer early, and certainly we’re going to attempt to put him there,” Brown said. “I don’t think in any of his races anyone’s taken him back, it’s just the horse settling where he ends up early. But if we could encourage him to be a little closer it would be beneficial.” There should be pace to aid Sierra Leone. Dornoch and Fierceness have done their best running from a forward position. Batten Down’s two wins have come in gate-to-wire fashion. Thorpedo Anna certainly has speed. She drew the rail and has been training very much on the muscle this week. Thorpedo Anna, trained by Kenny McPeek, is here because she has thoroughly dominated the 3-year-old filly division, having won three Grade 1 stakes – the Kentucky Oaks, Acorn, and Coaching Club American Oaks – as well as the Grade 2 Fantasy, and has little else to prove. Further, McPeek feels he has a line on this group of 3-year-old males because he won the Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan, a workmate of Thorpedo Anna during the spring before their victories in the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. “I’m not overly intimidated by this group of colts,” McPeek said. “I mean, of course, winning the Derby with Mystik Dan gave me an idea on where she fit, because she worked with him on a regular basis, and she’s always given him everything he could handle, and maybe more. “So at this point, we’re here, and it’s good chance to find out how good or great she could be.” Brian Hernandez Jr. rides Thorpedo Anna. The last three winners of the Travers, and five of the last eight, have been voted 3-year-old champion. Dornoch, already with Grade 1 victories in the Belmont Stakes and Haskell, could virtually sew up divisional honors with a victory Saturday. :: Get Saratoga Clocker Reports straight from the morning workouts at the track. Available every race day. Tenacity has been Dornoch’s best attribute. Three times in his career – last year’s Remsen when he beat Sierra Leone, and this year’s Belmont and Haskell – Dornoch has been passed in the stretch by another horse only to come back and win. Dornoch seems to find another gear when he switches leads in the stretch. “People are focused on him coming back. It’s basically when he gets tired and switches over he kicks in again and hopefully we keep seeing some more of that,” trainer Danny Gargan said. “[Winning] three Grade 1s in a row is really difficult to do. Only one horse has won the Belmont, Haskell, and Travers and that was Point Given . . . and he’s in the Hall of Fame.” Fierceness is the wild card of sorts. After being freshened following a 15th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, Fierceness was a sharp winner of the Jim Dandy here on July 27. His history of not being able to win back-to-back races hangs over him, and he is running back in four weeks. Trainer Todd Pletcher, a two-time Travers winner, believes the horse has held his conditioning well since the Jim Dandy and is ready to put forth a strong effort. “He’s trained as well as we could have hoped since the Jim Dandy,” Pletcher said. “His appetite’s been great, he looks good.” Fierceness figures to be a forward presence from his outside draw under John Velazquez. Honor Marie rallied from 20th to finish eighth in the Kentucky Derby and from last to finish fourth in the Belmont. Trainer Whit Beckman is adding blinkers to the colt’s equipment hoping he can get better early position and perhaps has stronger late foot. “I do expect a slight bit more responsiveness,” Beckman said. “I feel like him and Sierra Leone both give themselves so much to do that I’d like that to not be as big an issue coming to that final turn. I’m hoping he [is] in a better position than he was in the Belmont.” Tyler Gaffalione, who has been riding sensationally at this meet, will ride Honor Marie for the first time. Brown said he viewed Unmatched Wisdom as one of his top three two-turn colts last year but the horse had a really bad case of pneumonia and didn’t make it to the races until May. He won the Curlin racing on the front end, but Brown insists the horse is better with a target, and he will undoubtedly get one in here. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Corporate Power has shown improvement with the addition of blinkers, winning the Sir Barton Stakes and finishing second to Unmatched Wisdom when he had to make an early move. Trainer Shug McGaughey, who has won the Travers four times, believes the son of Curlin will relish the 1 1/4-mile distance. The presence of jockey Javier Castellano, who has won a record seven Travers, doesn’t hurt. Batten Down won a 1 1/4-mile maiden race and the Grade 3 Ohio Derby in front-running fashion. He was not on the lead in the Jim Dandy and finished third, 6 3/4 lengths behind Fierceness. The Travers is race 13 on a 14-race card that begins at 11:20 a.m. and includes four other Grade 1 stakes – the Ballerina, Forego, H. Allen Jerkens, and Sword Dancer. The forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 80s. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.