THERE are two Grade 1s up for decision on the Saratoga card tonight with the $300,000 Grade 1 Forego Stakes the highlight on dirt.

He may be seven years old but the consistent Whitmore, who won this race back in 2018, looks like the one to beat in the field of 11, as he seeks the second Grade 1 win of his career to add to his 14 victories and earnings of over $3 million.

The Ron Moquett-trained gelding is coming off a good second-place finish in the Grade 1 Alfred Vanderbilt behind rising star Volatile who controlled the pace to win by a length and a quarter and this race should play out better for his late finishing style. Mind Control also ran in the Vanderbilt, when finishing third, a half-length behind Whitmore, with Firenze Fire was another neck back in fourth.

Firenze Fire turns up in all the Grade 1s and has two graded wins to his name this season. He was second in this last year to Mitole. He should make a bold bid again.

Chad Brown’s Complexity won the 2018 Champagne Stakes and has only one run this year in a July 2nd allowance optional claimer, easily beating fellow Forego runner Win Win Win.

Trainer Jack Sisterson, who notched his first Grade 1 win this month with Vexatious, saddles three bigger-priced runners in Everfast, Lexitonian, and True Timber.

Everfast was second behind War Of Will in last year’s Preakness Stakes and looked good in a seven-furlong allowance race here at the beginning of the month. Lexitonian was beaten a nose in the six-furlong Grade 1 Bing Crosby in California last time. Funny Guy steps up in class and is also a Saratoga winner this summer.

Sword Dancer Stakes

The American turf horses are not of the highest quality and, with the Arlington Million cancelled this year, the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes contains the best of the east coast turf runners. Sadler’s Joy, who won the Sword Dancer in 2017, is out to gain compensation for his disqualification in the Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap in Belmont last time.

Sadler’s Joy will make his fourth appearance in the Sword Dancer for trainer Tom Albertrani. The seven-year-old Kitten’s Joy horse also finished sixth in 2018, and second last year.

He drifted inwards under a right-handed drive in the final furlong of the Bowling Green, leading to his disqualification.

He gets weight from his main rivals, 2lb from Cross Border who was awarded the Bowling Green, and 6lb from Aquaphobia.

Trainer Mike Maker saddles three contenders, Cross Border, Aquaphobia and Marzo. Each of them has the form to be involved. Cross Border, a six-year-old son of English Channel, was declared the winner of the Bowling Green after losing by a neck when he was bumped by Sadler’s Joy and, in turn, bumped Channel Maker.

Aquaphobia, by Giant’s Causeway, won the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park in July. Jose Ortiz partners Cross Border while his brother, Irad Ortiz Jr, was on Aquaphobia.

The wildcard could be the Graham Motion-trained Pedro Cara, with John Velazquez on board, who ran third in the H.H. The Amir Trophy in Qatar and was a close second in the Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park last year.