The story lines heading into the 144th Travers Stakes were a plenty.  But Will Take Charge wasn't a big part of any of them.And that's why you play the games and that's why you race the races.  Will Take Charge, with jockey Luis Saez and trainer D. Wayne Lukas, had one of the great late surges this sport has seen this year and won the $1 million Travers.

The by the nose win margin of victory was the shortest in Travers history, reached nine times previously but not since 2010.

Moreno finished second.  Kentucky Derby winner Orb, without jockey Joel Rosario (broken foot announced on Saturday morning), finished third.

47,597 witnessed another historic race at Saratoga Race Course, the largest crowd in 10 years.

It was the third Travers win for trainer Lukas who told NYRA.com: “I changed up a [few] things,” Lukas said. “I took a chance on an up-and-coming rider. I thought my horse trained well, but these things are so tough. At the three-eighths pole, I thought we’d get a piece of it, but I didn’t know if we’d get up. He’s a little over 17 hands [tall] and just starting to find himself. This is a horse who’s going to get better. He’s getting his act together.”

By:  Mike Lindsley, "Mid-Day with Mike," M-F 1-4, Yankees pre/post game host on 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio.  Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/MikeLSports.  

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