As he coasts to his eighth Saratoga training title, Todd Pletcher defers credit to the people who work for him and the elite group of horses he is hired to handle. But the way he’s dominated at Saratoga this summer is remarkable. The trainer’s title was decided by the second week of this 40-day meet, and it’s not the first time he won by a huge margin. He started Saturday with 37 victories in 36 days, 16 more than Chad Brown, who in turn began Saturday seven winners ahead of Steve Asmussen in third. Pletcher has two more wins that Brown and Asmussen combined

Whether it was arrogance, ignorance or pathetic prioritizing doesn’t really matter. The New York Racing Association’s handling of its announcement that Sunday’s racing card at Saratoga would be cancelled due to onrushing hurricane Irene marked the lowest point in NYRA’s stewardship of racing in New York since 1955. And that’s saying a lot for a non-profit association that went bankrupt and has endured one scandal after another in the past decade and a half. Ten minutes before 6 p.m., NYRA President Charlie Hayward was interviewed on NBC, which had just televised Stay Thirsty’s victory in the $1 million Travers Stakes. Hayward disclosed that NYRA was happy with the crowd of more than 43,000, even though he said it was down six or seven percent. Hayward disclosed that NBC’s Saratoga meet coverage would be back in 2012.

It's finally time for award winning author, Bill Heller, to reveal his favorite Travers out of all the many that he has seen over the years...

Bill Heller's weeklong odyssey through his five favorite Travers runnings continues today with 1997...

Award winning author Bill Heller turns up the heat as he reaches #3 on his countdown of his favorite editions of the Midsummer Derby...

Bill Heller continues the countdown of his five favorite Travers with the battle between Holy Bull and Concern...

To celebrate the upcoming $1 million Travers Stakes Saturday, Bill Heller offers his five favorite Travers daily, from No. 5 up to No. 1

Inglorious looks to complete a most rare double of the Queen's Plate and Saturday's Grade 1 Alabama Stakes...

In the middle of August, industry leaders from around the globe journey to Saratoga Springs, New York, to attend the annual Jockey Club Round Table Conference. Usually, the conference consists of presentations regarding complex issues confronting racing. The 59th annual Jockey Club Round Table Sunday morning was markedly different. This year, The Jockey Club is taking action, and, in doing so, Sunday’s Round Table may have marked a watershed in Thoroughbred racing.

The New York Racing Association is going to honor my late friend Steve Schwartz with a race named in his honor at Saratoga Race Course tomorrow. His family will gather with friends to salute Steve, who passed away last November at the age of 64. Saturday evening, the party moves to Lillian’s, a popular restaurant in Saratoga Springs.