Saratoga Springs, NY (My Sportsbook) - Commentator, a veteran of 23 career races, goes after his third Whitney Handicap victory Saturday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course. The eight-year-old gelding won the 1 1/8 mile race both last year and in 2005.
Six older thoroughbreds will take on the task of denying Commentator a third Whitney crown. The gelding and Asiatic Boy are co-highweights at 121 pounds, and Stephen Foster winner Macho Again will carry 119 pounds.
The $750,000 Whitney is a "Win and You're In" race, giving the winner guaranteed entry into the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park this fall.
Owned by Tracy Farmer, Commentator will start from the outside post in the seven horse field, with John Velazquez returning to ride. The eight-year-old is coming off a win at Belmont Park in June in the Kashatreya Stakes.
"He's already proved himself," said Farmer on Monday. "He has nothing to prove I should say. And it's exciting that he has the opportunity. There are going to be great horses running against him and he is a few years old. So I'm looking forward to it.
"I've never had a horse like this before, and I've owned several horses of the championship type. But Commentator is just something else. He loves Saratoga. It's like he's home when he's here. And he loves the Saratoga race track. He has won some phenomenal races and he can go down in history. Saturday it will be a history-making race if he succeeds."
Trained by Hall of Famer Nick Zito, Commentator has won five of his last seven starts, including last year's Massachusetts Handicap, which he won by 14- lengths. Overall, the gelding has won 14 starts and is on the verge of surpassing $2 million in lifetime earnings.
Commentator would become only the third horse to win the Whitney three times, joining the legendary Kelso and Discovery.
Asiatic Boy will be ridden by Alan Garcia from post two for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. The six-year-old is owned by Shaikh Mohammid bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.
Bred in Argentina, Asiatic Boy was second in each of his last two starts, the Suburban and Stephen Foster Handicaps. In his career, the six-year-old has won seven of 17 starts for more than $3.2 million.
Stephen Foster winner Macho Again has drawn post four, with regular jockey Robby Albarado riding. The gray colt is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and trained by Dallas Stewart.
The four-year-old went past the $1 million mark in earnings earlier this year by winning the New Orleans Handicap. He threw in a clunker with a sixth-place finish in the Alysheba at Churchill Downs prior to the Foster Handicap.
Macho Again has earned nearly $1.5 million with six wins in 18 career starts.
The full field for the Whitney in post position order: Smooth Air, Jose Lezcano; Asiatic Boy, Alan Garcia; Bullsbay, Jeremy Rose; Macho Again, Robby Albarado; Tizway, Rajiv Maragh; Dry Martini, Edgar Prado and Commentator, John Velazquez.
The Whitney Handicap has a scheduled post-time of 5:47 P.M. (et).
