COLLISION course. Hofburg, third in the Belmont Stakes, dominated the Curlin at Saratoga last Friday week. Tenfold, third in the Preakness, eked out the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga on Saturday. Good Magic, second in the Kentucky Derby, trounced six rivals in the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park.

The trio passed their final preps, all looking better without Justify in the picture, before they square off in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga on August 25th.

Trainer Steve Asmussen summed up Tenfold after nearly throwing away the Jim Dandy in the final strides.

“He just makes little mistakes that are not a big deal to him and a big deal to us.”

Then he laughed.

Asmussen wasn’t laughing 35 minutes earlier when Tenfold veered to the right like he had missed a roadside coffee shop, squandering a lead he earned by putting away pacesetter Flameaway through the straight of the nine-furlong stakes.

Ricardo Santana Jr. teetered for a moment but kept riding the son of Tapit who crossed the wire three-quarters of a length in front of Flameaway on the rail and Vino Rosso in between horses.

“That’s a step on the way, he’s going to be, oh, a beautiful older horse, he’s got a frame and a girth, with that shoulder, he’s going to be gorgeous, there hasn’t been a pimple on him,” Asmussen said, jolting left about as fast as Tenfold did and knocking on the wooden top of a bussing station.

“Who knows when you get down the road and everybody sorts out, how good he’ll be. It’ll come together, he’s got a great disposition, he’ll lay down all day, he’s easy on himself, he’ll eat everything tonight and feel good tomorrow.”

Passing the eighth pole, Santana switched his whip to his left hand and slapped Tenfold behind the saddle twice.

As Santana switched his whip, and landed a second blow, Tenfold jinked and veered right, briefly popping Santana off-balance to the left, the duo recovered, slightly, and then went out again as Santana waved and whipped, trying to peddle and brake at the same time.

It worked, Tenfold flashed under the wire as Flameaway salvaged second and Vino Rosso arrived late to the dance, a head behind the runner-up, after 1m 50.49secs.

Tenfold won his first two starts this winter. In his third start, he stalked early but wound up fifth in the Arkansas Derby. Still confident, Asmussen decided to take on Justify in the Preakness. It nearly worked as Tenfold lunged at Justify in the straight but wound up third behind the eventual Triple Crown winner and late-running Bravazo.

“I thought watching the Preakness he could have won,” Asmussen said. “I hate anybody after the fact saying, ‘should have.’ The winner won, but he leaned in…”