Every summer at Saratoga Race Course builds to the crescendo of the Travers Stakes, and this year is no different.
The 2026 Travers, the 157th edition of Saratoga's signature race, will be held on Aug. 29 and is expected to draw a field headlined by Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo, as well Derby runner-up and recent Jim Dandy winner Renegade.
The potential field for the race will evolve in the weeks heading up to race time, but here's a look at the horses most likely to target a start in the Midsummer Derby:
When:
Saturday, Aug. 29

#travers

Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Churchill Downs and the New York Racing ****** ociation Monday a new grouping of races for 3-year-olds that includes the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, but not the third leg of the existing Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, run in Maryland.
Churchill Downs and NYRA officials topped short of saying the six-race "Thoroughbred Championship Series" is designed to replace the historic Triple Crown. But with a $5 million bonus and longer ****** ing between the races, that would be the practical effect.
"This series is designed to showcase the sport's best 2-year-olds across a season-long championship, elevating our biggest events and creating the next generation of fans," David O'Rourke, the NYRA president and CEO, said Monday.
"By connecting these premier events through one championship, we're creating a season-long storyline that benefits the future of Thoroughbred racing," said Bill Carstanjen, the Churchill Downs Inc. CEO.
The series is to start with the Kentucky Derby on May 1 and follow with the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 5, the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in July, the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga in late July or early August, the Travers at Saratoga in late August and a "Championship Race" in September at Churchill Downs.

#churchill #championship #series #Monday

Over the last few years, the concept of winning the Triple Crown has been fading among horse racing's stakeholders.
On Monday, Churchill Downs Inc. and the New York Racing ****** ociation might have delivered its death blow.
In announcing a joint partnership for a six-race series beginning in 2027 with a $5 million bonus attached to the end of it, one entity was notably missing: The Preakness.
The six races will cover the Kentucky Derby on May 2; the Belmont Stakes on June 5; back to Churchill for the Matt Winn stakes in early July; the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes at Saratoga in late July/August; and then a newly created race to finish the series at Churchill in September.
As for the Preakness, the second jewel of the Triple Crown? Well, it still exists, but the traditional timing of the race — two weeks after the Kentucky Derby — has become incompatible with the way modern trainers manage their thoroughbreds. Golden Tempo and Sovereignty, the last two Derby winners, both skipped the Preakness, as did Rich Strike in 2022.

#churchill #preakness #last

LOS ANGELES–– There's much to marvel at in the sky even when clouds are absent. Birds suspended in flight. Planes traversing the blue expanse. The sun walking across the face of the firmament.
Nothing is there to obstruct your vision.
Even with the Rams in shirts and t-shirts on Day 7 of Training Camp, an exhale disguised as effort—the day more relaxed, the tempo dialed down—there was much to observe when it appears otherwise. How ***** erflies lined up in the backfield and onside, indifferent to the millionaires in its midst.
And yet the things that matter most in July rarely happen at full speed.
How Trent McDuffie used every rep to dial in and hone his craft. How Sean McVay and Chris Shula taught seasoned vets an install as they walked through.

#much #planes

Counting Stars has been shining bright during her three-year-old season
During the Spring and Summer, most of the Thoroughbred racing focus is on events like the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes. All these races are restricted to three-year-olds and mostly males run in them. For every race that has colts contending for greatness and notoriety, there is a sister race for those wonderful three-year-old fillies. During the 2026 racing season, a fantastic filly named Counting Stars has been quite celestial and is shining as bright as any three-year-old currently, regardless of gender.
The grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks has long been a summer showcase for the three-year-old girls. Inaugurated in 1917, this mile and an eighth dance over the New York dirt has seen its fair share of fantastic fillies. The 2026 edition was a showdown between Kentucky Oaks (opening leg of the Triple Tiarra) winner Always A Runner and Acorn Stakes (third leg and sister to the Belmont Stakes) champ Counting Stars. As the race unfolded, it became more of a showcase for a fabulous female.
Breaking alertly under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., Counting Stars immediately ******* umed the lead and rolled through some solid early fractions (23.86 opening quarter mile, 47.60 half mile). Sashaying to the top of the stretch in an almost effortless fashion, this daughter of Honor A.P. was suddenly challenged by her rival and Oaks winner Always A Runner. With an eighth of a mile to go, the two were running side by side and separated by a whisker. Suddenly, the Stars aligned and with an amazing comet-like burst of speed, this mercurial filly trained by Mark Casse left her rival eating kickback as she whisked towards the wire. At the sixteenth pole the race was over and Counting Stars cruised past the finish an emphatic 4 ¼ lengths ahead in Stakes record time (1:48.98).
"Coming into the race I was about as confident as you can be in this filly", says trainer Mark Casse. "At the eighth pole, I wondered if perhaps I was wrong and she's not as good as I think. Always a Runner is a very good horse so naturally I was a little concerned, but then she responded to the challenge with a huge effort down the lane".

#stakes #year #always #runner

A few talking points on the starting lineup. The big news was a first start for Hayden Hackney. The other talking point for the team was the absence of Jarrad Branthwaite. It was reported that this was as part of his planned reintegration into the squad. Tyler Dibling and Mykolenko return and Jake O'Brien started on the bench. David Moyes was starting with his favourite 4-2-3-1 with Beto up top.
A lovely night in Stoke with Everton in their all blue kits. Everton were immediately on the front foot and a nice bit of interplay only broke down when Dewsbury-Hall ****** ed a ball into the box and it was easily handled by the Stoke keeper. Interestingly, it looked like Dibling was playing at right ack with Hackney in front of him.
An early corner was recycled by the Blues and when it fell to George, he laced a shot just narrowly wide of the post. A very good start from the boys in blue. Stoke tried to slow the game down and get on the ball but Everton were pressing high. When George intercepted a pass, his pass was slightly overhit for Dibling.
Everton went off the boil and some lax defending by Tarkowski allowed Gallagher in on Travers but a great leg save denied the home team. It was then Everton's turn to hold onto the ball. It was all a little scrappy. Beto did some fighting for the ball in the middle of the park with no end product. A nice ove down the right side saw Rohl deliver a nice cross but no one was there when the keeper spilled the ball.
The interplay on the left side between KDH and George was really good. However, Travers was the saviour again as Thomas drilled another shot on the goal. Everton were then hanging on as Stoke delivered cross after cross.

#stoke #george

Here comes the celebrity fashion bride. Luxury brands are turning the wedding aisle into the new Hollywood red carpet. How "Little House on the Prairie" costume designer Mitchell Travers explored the artistry of Native American makers, Americana workwear and homespun dress. Plus, Betye Saar's wearable art at Roberts Projects, Etai Drori's artful new collab and Brunello Cucinelli's film hits U.S. theaters.
French fashion couture house Matières Fécales launched its bridal wear at the L.A. wedding of singer Gabbriette Bechtel pictured here at her final Paris fitting. Source: Matières Fécales
Paris couture sensation Matières Fécales, which just last week dressed Zendaya in a winged goddess gown at "The Odyssey" premiere in New York City, has joined a growing number of luxury brands that are turning the wedding aisle into the new Hollywood red carpet.
The fashion house created three wedding looks for singer/model Gabbriette Bechtel, who married English musician and 1975 frontman Matty Healy last weekend in L.A., in front of a crowd that included Charli XCX, George Daniel, Emily Ratajkowski, Alex Consani and more.
Following the nuptials, the brand issued a press release touting the event as the official launch of Matières Fécale bridalwear. The announcement arrived in my inbox on the heels of one from Saint Laurent with photos and dressing credits for Logan Lerman's Saint Laurent wedding tuxedo, and just weeks after Taylor Swift tied the knot at Madison Square Garden in a still unseen custom Jonathan Anderson Dior gown. (I predict the big reveal will be the September Vogue cover.)

#House #fashion #gabbriette #bechtel

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel's future is "in doubt," according to multiple reports, as the findings from a $12 million investigation into his department are set to be presented.
The Free Press had previously learned from multiple people that higher-ups at Michigan have been briefed on the findings from the investigation run by the law firm of Jenner & Block. More recent reports indicate Manuel's future is in jeopardy, with the decision potentially related to the findings from the investigation.
RELATED: Ex-Sherrone Moore aide sues U-M, says school hiding public records
The investigation began after Sherrone Moore, U-M football coach for two seasons, was fired Dec. 10 for a romantic relationship with ****** istant Paige Shiver, as well as for lying about the relationship when asked about it. A major focus of Jenner & Block's investigation was Manuel, a U-M alumnus hired as AD in 2016, as well as the culture within the department after numerous unrelated scandals during his tenure.
A U-M Board of Regents meeting is set for Thursday, July 16, in Traverse City, but no agenda has been announced.

Golden Tempo used a huge late kick to win the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He now targets the Travers for his next start
Golden Tempo captured the hearts of the sporting world with dramatic wins in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in the Spring. With the high-profile Summer Stakes races getting under way, trainer Cherie DeVaux has mapped out a plan for her prized three-year-old colt that has him training up to his next start in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on August 29.
In winning the world's most famous race, Golden Tempo placed himself as a real player in the Thoroughbred game. Last down the backstretch, lightning struck as this stretch-running son of Curlin thundered home with powerful strides and won the Kentucky Derby at odds of 23 to 1 under a brilliant ride from jockey Jose Ortiz. The more you replay Derby 152, the more amazing it becomes as this miraculous run was nothing short of Golden.
After bypassing the Preakness Stakes, the Golden Tempo team went to Saratoga for the Belmont Stakes with something to prove. After becoming the first female to condition a Kentucky Derby champion, DeVaux was eager to show she was not a rising female trainer but just a rising trainer period. Tempo carried that 23 to 1 moniker into the starting gates as other entrants were favored over him as some viewed him as a "lucky" winner on the first Saturday in May. And then the gates opened and Golden Tempo set the record straight. Breaking from the outside post in a 9-horse field, the Phipps Stables and St. Elias Stables owned colt careened up the backstretch looking at all the others. When the real running started, there was Golden Tempo confidently crushing it down the stretch. Rolling to the finish a powerful length and a quarter to the good, there was no doubt as to who the best three-year-old was on that day and in this 2026 crop.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK - JUNE 06: Jose Ortiz atop Golden Tempo celebrates winning the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on June 06, 2026 in Saratoga Springs, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The distance from the Canada border to the Mexico border of the United States along the Pacific Coast is around 1,650 miles. The route features an elevation gain and loss of nearly 80,000 feet.
Lifelong cyclist and Eugene middle school teacher Tanner Faris was unfazed.
He set his sights on smashing the fastest known time on the route — nine days and 14 hours by Tyler Pearce at the time of his decision — and to do it by himself with no material support. Starting December 2025, Faris kicked off a rigorous training regime that put in the miles needed to complete the trip in June after summer break started for Kelly Middle School.
While many Americans were resting and recharging over the Christmas holiday, Faris began the Rapha Festive 500, a challenge running from Dec. 24 to 31 to encourage cyclists to traverse 500 kilometers (310 miles).
This, he said, often feels like the toughest time to train: the days are short and the weather poor. Each workday he also biked to and from the middle school, racking up 10 miles per round trip.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Democrat Mallory McMorrow suspended her campaign for the U.S. Senate on Sunday, abruptly reshaping the party primary just a month before the election and leaving a two-person contest between moderate Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed.
McMorrow's exit comes after many Democrats increasingly viewed her as a long shot for the nomination. It also creates a fresh dynamic in one of the country's most closely watched Senate races, forcing Democratic voters into a direct choice between Stevens, a mainstream congresswoman backed by much of the party establishment, and El-Sayed, supported by many progressive movement leaders.
The binary choice will be on full display Tuesday, when Stevens and El-Sayed are set to face off in a televised debate. During a May debate, El-Sayed repeatedly went on the offensive against Stevens, who mostly declined to engage directly with him.
McMorrow's departure could also prompt influential Democrats in the state to announce their support for Stevens because of concerns about El-Sayed's electability in a general election. Some had stayed on the sidelines because of relationships with McMorrow.
The seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is one that the party must hold if it hopes to reclaim the Senate majority in this fall's midterm elections. The primary winner is expected to face Republican Mike Rogers, who lost to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024.

The 2026 Tour de France is officially underway, kicking off with Stage 1 on Saturday, July 4, at the Grand Départ in Barcelona, Spain. Over the next three weeks, the world’s most prestigious cycling race will cover 21 stages, traversing challenging terrain across several countries.
A total of 184 riders representing 23 teams lined up at the start in Barcelona, each aiming to take an early lead and position themselves for the race ahead. Among the competitors is Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar, the reigning champion, who returns to defend his ******* le and pursue a third consecutive Tour de France victory.
The opening stage featured a Team Time Trial spanning the first 12.1 miles of the race. Each rider’s individual time was recorded as they crossed the finish line, but the winner of Stage 1 was determined by the fastest combined team time. This year, Jonas Vingegaard’s Visma-Lease a Bike team claimed victory with a time of 21 minutes and 47 seconds.
Here is the leaderboard after Stage 1.
More: 2026 Tour de France: How to watch, schedule, stages for cycling's top race

German supporters left Boston shell-shocked on Monday after their World Cup squad fell to a scrappy Paraguay team in a penalty shootout during the Round of 32. The devastation, it seems, has broken even the team’s most optimistic and joyful supporter.
Freddy, or FreddyLA7 as his handle would read, became the viral sensation of this World Cup. A wide-eyed German youngster, Freddy gained a (seemingly organic) following in the lead-up to the World Cup by posting his travels throughout the United States, discovering the innocent joys of late-night Taco Bell, diverse landscapes, and Ella Langley as he and his German buddies traversed the country.
Freddy’s X account skyrocketed in popularity as the month of June went on, and the anonymous German started meeting with the likes of JJ Watt and NASA astronauts, and seemingly any other person or brand looking for an instant injection of free publicity.
But now, fewer than 24 hours of Germany’s defeat, Freddy’s account is nowhere to be found. It appears as if Germany’s early exit from the World Cup officially broke Freddy.
The Freddy saga has inspired some wild conspiracy theories. Some found his positive outlook too pure to be true, questioning if he was some sort of plant designed to engage in guerilla marketing tactics for the brands, people, or even states that he was posting about. Others thought the anonymous Freddy was some sort of social experiment designed to play out in front of ******* ds of social media followers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Transportation Secretary Pete ***** igieg was the target of an anonymous report that police determined was false and that he says forced him to spend a night away from his four-year-old twins.
According to ***** igieg, a Michigan State Police officer and a child protective services worker came to his home in Traverse City after they received an anonymous report alleging he posed a danger to his children. Authorities arranged forensic interviews for his twins and instructed him not to be alone with them until the interviews were complete.
Buttigieg described the 24-hour ordeal in a Substack post as "among the darkest hours of my life."
Michigan State Police said in a statement to The ***** ociated Press they received an "anonymous report" and that they and child protective services "responded and determined the report was false."
Buttigieg said investigators told him the anonymous caller claimed he had confessed years earlier to violent crimes during a chance meeting in Alabama. ***** igieg said he had never been to the town where the meeting allegedly occurred.

The design team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw has signed on to build a new golf course at Kingsley Club near Traverse City, Michigan. Clearing for the club's second 18-hole layout began this year, and the course is expected to open for limited preview play in late 2028 with a full opening in 2029.
The second course is part of a $40-million investment in the club by Escalante Golf, the Texas-based company that acquired Kingsley club in 2022. Escalante also is building an expansive new clubhouse slated to open at the club in 2027 to replace the converted construction trailer that served as a minimalist home since the club was founded in 2001. A larger practice green also will be built near the clubhouse. Kingsley is the owner-operator of 26 properties in 17 states.
The private Kingsley Club already is home to a well-loved Mike DeVries course that features frequently heaving terrain and is ranked by Golfweek's Best as the No. 39 modern course in the U.S. and the No. 3 private course in Michigan.
Coore and Crenshaw's course is being carved into a recently acquired 520 acres southeast of the original property. Planned as a walkable course, the new layout will feature fescue playing surfaces intended to promote the same kind of fast and firm conditions found on DeVries' original course. The new course also will feature a "bye hole" that returns to the clubhouse after the opening six holes. The layout is roughly planned to extend to 7,200 yards with a par of 72, but plenty can change during the build as Coore and Crenshaw tie the course into the landscape.
"The Escalante team has again given us an opportunity to work with a wonderfully intriguing, gifted site for golf, this time in the state of Michigan, home to some of America's most acclaimed golf courses," Coore, who worked with Escalante on the recently renovated Pines Course at The International outside of Boston, said in a media release that announced the new course. "We are excited about the potential of this highly individualistic site, the Kingsley Club in general and being able to create a course in a state with such a rich golfing history."

The NHL's move to an 84-game season in 2026-27 means the Blue Jackets will play only four preseason games.
They'll be split evenly between Nationwide Arena and two road games, including one home and one road game against the Detroit Red Wings plus a home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins and road matchup at the Buffalo Sabres.
The games will be played Sept. 21-26, starting with a back-to-back Sept. 21 against Detroit at Nationwide Arena and Sept. 22 in Buffalo. The Penguins visit Columbus on Sept. 24 before the Blue Jackets close out the preseason Sept. 26 in Detroit.
All four games will start at 7 p.m., leading into the start of a regular-season schedule that has yet to be released.
After competing in Buffalo the past two years, the Blue Jackets will return to Michigan for their annual pre-training camp prospects tournament. The Red Wings will host, but Detroit's tournament is now held at Belfor Training Center inside Little Caesars Arena rather than at Centre ice Arena in Traverse City, Michigan.

The Florida State Seminoles held their Seminole Showcase camp over the weekend, and multiple 2028 quarterback targets competed in the event.
One of them was three-star Brayden Tillman, who the Seminoles offered a scholarship earlier this month. This was his first time visiting Tallahassee, and he enjoyed spending time with FSU's coaching staff.
“I got a chance to spend a lot of time with Coach Tucker and Coach Stone,” Tillman told Allen Trieu of Rivals. “They were great, coaching me up and answering any questions my parents or I had. My parents and I also met with Coach Norvell. He is awesome to be around. He is honest and up front and I love that about him. Honesty is huge in this process for me in making a decision on where I go.”
Tillman is ranked as the No. 650 overall player and No. 67 quarterback in the Rivals industry ranking. The Traverse City native is also the No. 14 player from Missouri.
With several schools closer to him recruiting the 6-foot-4, 180-pounder, he felt he needed to make the trip to see FSU for himself, and he is now planning to return to watch a game in Doak Campbell Stadium.

The Michigan High School Athletic **** ociation crowned 12 state champions over the weekend in East Lansing, and The Detroit News covered them all. Here's a sport-by-sport look at the state finals coverage:
▶ Division 1: Detroit C.C. gives Adams triple trouble in Division 1 baseball final
▶ Division 2: Orchard Lake St. Mary's rallies, captures Division 2 baseball **** le in extras
▶ Division 3: Traverse City St. Francis rides ace in the hole to Div. 3 baseball **** le
▶ Division 4: 'Buzzsaw' Sacred Heart earns D4 baseball **** le in dominant fashion

Traverse City Central senior pitcher Piper Cavanaugh was named the 2025-26 Gatorade Michigan Softball Player of the Year on Friday, June 5.
Ranked No. 41 nationally by Softball America, Cavanaugh is a 5-foot-11 Oregon commit who has helped lead the Trojans to a 33-3 record and a chance to win a Division 1 regional ***** le Saturday. Traverse City Central faces Saginaw Heritage in a regional semifinal at Mount Pleasant High School.
The right-hander is 19-0 with a 0.41 ERA, 244 strikeouts and four walks in 102 innings. At the plate, she's batting .593 with 51 RBIs, 57 runs, nine home runs and a .633 on-base percentage.
“Her presence changes matchups and strategy, and she’s the type of athlete opponents have to account for every inning,” Traverse City West coach Brandi Reynolds said in a statement. “She’s the kind of complete player you don’t see very often.”
Cavanaugh carries a 3.99 weighted GPA and volunteers as a student athletic trainer at her school and pitching instructor for a 12U travel softball team.

NASA rover detects some of the oldest evidence of water flowing on Mars

By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - Using ground-penetrating radar, NASA's Perseverance rover has detected underground remains of an ancient river delta on Mars in some of the oldest evidence yet obtained showing how water once flowed on the surface of Earth's planetary neighbor.
Researchers ‌said the six-wheeled rover revealed geological features up to 115 feet (35 meters) underground while traversing 3.8 miles (6.1 km) of terrain inside Jezero Crater, ‌an area in the Martian northern hemisphere believed

‘Walking sharks’ lay eggs without breaking a sweat

Being pregnant and giving birth is hard work for any species—but epaulette sharks (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) might disagree.
These fish and a number of other species are known as “walking sharks” for their ability to traverse both the seafloor and land with their fins. But as of now, that’s no longer the coolest thing about this rather adorable predator. Epaulette sharks’ energy use didn’t change during their reproduction cycle, as described in a study recently published in the journal Biology Open.
“Reproduction is the ultimate investment

Starfish Control Hundreds of Feet Without a Brain. Here's How.

Starfish (aka sea stars) are master climbers. These many-armed invertebrates traverse vertical, horizontal, and even upside-down surfaces: it seems no substrate is too rocky, slimy, sandy, or glassy. And they do so without a centralized nervous system, let alone a brain.
A new paper written by an international team of biologists and engineers reveals that starfish locomotion is nonetheless rather clever, with built-in features that allow starfish to drastically adapt their motion depending on the challenge at hand (or, rather,

If you were traversing the ancient Tethys ocean some 115 million years ago and encountered gigantic lamniform sharks, you’d most definitely need a bigger boat.
Lamniformes, an order of sharks that includes the great white of Jaws infamy, evolved around 135 million years ago and may have begun as wee, shallow water-dwelling creatures—around 3 feet long. But over time, they evolved into massive, fearsome fish that ruled the world’s oceans, for example the extinct megalodon that might have surpassed 50 feet long.
Previous evidence suggested that lamniformes swelled in size to hit the top of the