Stewart's Travers Stakes decision looms with Chess Chief

Dallas Stewart thinks he’s got “an improving horse” in Chess Chief. Now the trainer wants to give him a shot at the summer’s biggest 3-year-old prize.

The Virginia-bred Into Mischief colt is among nominees for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 24 at Saratoga.

“We’re going to work him Monday and we’ll make a decision,” Stewart said by phone from Del Mar, where his Seeking the Soul will contest Saturday’s TVG Pacific Classic (G1).

Chess Chief’s resume isn’t on par with Travers probables like Code of Honor, Game Winner, Tacitus and Tax, all of whom are Grade 1 or 2 winners.

And that’s not including 3-year-old male division leader Maximum Security. Trainer Jason Servis said last week he’ll soon decide whether to contest that race or skip straight to the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) on Sept. 21 at Parx Racing.

Chess Chief, who is owned by the estate of James Coleman Jr., has recorded only a single win. It came March 2 at Fair Grounds in his fifth try against maiden special weight foes.

In the first three starts after breaking his maiden, Chess Chief ran fifth April 6 in Keeneland’s Blue Grass Stakes (G2), sixth May 4 in the black-type Oaklawn Invitational Stakes and fourth June 20 in a Churchill Downs allowance race.

But Chess Chief’s last two races have shown an upward trend.

He contested Indiana Grand’s Indiana Derby (G3) at 46-1 odds and moved up late to finish a respectable fourth.

Chess Chief faced long odds again last out, breaking from the gates at 35-1 on Aug. 2 in the West Virginia Derby (G3). While never a threat to first-place Mr. Money, he was best of the rest, edging out UAE Derby (G2) winner Plus Que Parfait for second.

The West Virginia Derby marked the fourth straight race Chess Chief set a new career-best Equibase speed figure, earning a 102 that day at Mountaineer.

“His races are getting better,” said Stewart, who's seemingly never afraid to take a shot. “That’s the time you want to try the big races.

“(The Travers) is a pivotal race, a great race. I think a lot of the horse.”