KENSEI IN THE TRAVERS, AUGUST 29 AT SARATOGA RACE COURSE

Ladies and gentlemen, doff your bowlers and crank your engines - it's time once again for the Travers Stakes at historic Saratoga Race Course - and Kensei is on the bill!

With his effort in the Travers Stakes (GI) - known as the "Midsummer Derby" and the highlight of the Saratoga summer meet - Kensei will join such notable 3-year olds as Quality Road and Summer Bird in the oldest continuous thoroughbred race in American history, contested almost each year since 1864. The Travers Stakes was named in honor of William R. Travers, Saratoga's co- founder and first president, whose colt "Kentucky" was the winner of the inaugural running of the race; since that time, the Travers winner's circle has played host to a who's who list of peerless equine athletes, from Medaglia d'Oro and Alydar to Native Dancer, Whirlaway, and the iconic Man o' War.

Today, the Travers is run at 1 1/4 miles on a dirt track, hosting a field of some of the best 3-year olds in the nation. The race finds Kensei catapulting forward after a spectacular victory in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), named, interestingly, for the 1930 Travers victor who upset the great Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox by 8 lengths at astounding odds of 100-1 - a feat deemed one of horse racing's top 100 moments by Blood Horse Publications.

Often considered a prep race for the Travers, the Jim Dandy provided a telling picture of a powerful young colt who continues to grow into his commanding form, and showed an admiring public why Kensei will be amongst the top picks for a race worthy of the Tiffany & Co.-designed Man o' War Cup.

Kensei will break from the seventh post position in a field of seven, with morning line odds-makers placing Kensei as third choice behind Quality Road and Summer Bird.

Kensei worked a half a mile in :50 on Monday, August 24 in his final major tune-up for the biggest 3-year old stage of the summer season. Dane Noel, exercise rider for Kensei and trainer Steve Asmussen, commented that the colt is "training lovely" going into the Travers, noting that Kensei gives him a "10 of 10" on everything asked of him. Noel feels strongly that the Jim Dandy victory was a true breakthrough for the maturing colt, during and after which his level of professionalism increased dramatically. Dane says, "Kensei is everything a trainer could ever ask for in a horse."

2009 Shadwell Travers Stakes Post Positions and Morning Line Odds

1. Hold Me Back, 15-1
2. Charitable Man, 6-1
3. Warrior's Reward, 8-1
4. Quality Road, 8-5
5. Our Edge, 15-1
6. Summer Bird, 3-1
7. Kensei, 7-2