SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Something had to give when undefeated speedsters Crude Velocity and Englishman met for the first time on the Kentucky Derby undercard in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile. Crude Velocity remained perfect by registering a comfortable 3 3/4-length victory over pacesetting Englishman, who was easily best of the rest that day. Crude Velocity and Englishman will square off again Saturday at Saratoga while turning back to seven furlongs and making their Grade 1 debuts in the $500,000 Woody Stephens. The race is more than a two-horse affair and features a stellar field of 3-year-olds that also includes Solitude Dude, Obliteration, Six Speed, Civil Liberty, Taj Mahal, and Stradale. Crude Velocity, trained by Bob Baffert, overcame a world of trouble to capture his debut March 7, then easily handled older optional-claiming and allowance rivals by 6 3/4 lengths just four weeks later, earning a 100 Beyer Speed Figure. Both races came at Santa Anita going 6 1/2 furlongs. “His first out he drew the one [post], didn’t break well, ran up on heels, and came around horses to win – something you just don’t do at Santa Anita, but which he did,” Baffert said. “Then I threw him in against older horses and he won that one with ease.” :: DRF Belmont Stakes Packages: Save big on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more. Baffert said Crude Velocity “worked brilliantly” for the Pat Day Mile but admitted he was doubtful his horse was going to catch the front-running Englishman as the field approached the stretch. “When Englishman got away from him like that on the turn, I really didn’t think we’d be able to run him down,” Baffert said. “But my horse just kept kicking in. He’s just a racehorse, and he continues to do well, although I’ll admit I’d rather this race were at a mile rather than seven-eighths.” Baffert has high hopes for Crude Velocity after the Woody Stephens, with the Grade 1 Haskell on July 18 at Monmouth his next goal if all goes well. “I did the same thing with Bayern, ran him in the Woody Stephens and went right to a mile and an eighth in the Haskell, and that worked out pretty well,” Baffert said. Bayern won both of those races by more than seven lengths before returning to Saratoga to finish a disappointing 10th as the favorite in the 2014 Travers. A few months later he won the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Regular rider Florent Geroux will be back aboard Crude Velocity, who breaks from post 6, just inside Englishman. Englishman opened his career with back-to-back gate-to-wire victories. Those wins came last fall at Churchill and late this winter at Fair Grounds for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Englishman sprinted right to the lead in the Pat Day before proving no match for Crude Victory through the final furlong. As one might expect, DeVaux, unlike Baffert, is delighted the rematch will take place at seven furlongs and not one mile. “The cutback in distance should be ideal for him. I’m definitely a lot more confident going up against Bob’s horse the second time at seven furlongs,” DeVaux said. “We gave him a little time off after his effort at Churchill Downs, he looks fantastic, and this is the third start of his current form cycle, which is usually the best. These are two very excellent and exciting 3-year-olds, and I think it is fun to be able to go back and forth with him.” :: Get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports straight from the morning workouts. Available each race day at Saratoga. Jose Ortiz will once again be aboard Englishman. Solitude Dude has captured four of his five lifetime starts and is unbeaten at one turn. His lone setback was a third-place finish behind two of the leading members of the 3-year-old division, Commandment and Chief Wallabee, in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth this winter at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Solitude Dude has won three stakes at three different tracks, including the Bay Shore against a very compact lineup as a prohibitive favorite going seven furlongs six weeks ago at Aqueduct. Six Speed paid the price in the Kentucky Derby after setting a blistering pace and leading for nearly a mile before ultimately finishing 17 1/4 lengths behind Golden Tempo. Six Speed, a Group 3 winner going a mile earlier this year at Meydan, was transferred from trainer Bhupat Seemar to George Weaver after the Derby. Obliteration has sandwiched well-graded and relatively easy stakes wins around his second-place finish in the one-mile Saudi Derby on Feb. 14 to kick off his 3-year-old campaign for trainer Steve Asmussen. Obliteration is the only member of the field with a win over the track, having shown a fondness for the local strip last summer by registering a resounding 10 1/2-length victory in the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes before returning to finish a somewhat disappointing second as the overwhelming 2-5 choice in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special. :: Bet the Belmont Stakes with confidence! Betting Strategies by Mike Beer and David Aragona feature exclusive wager recommendations!