Travers 2018 win would mean most to Brown, who packs strong 1-2

With two straight Eclipse Awards as top trainer, 10 Breeders' Cup victories and more than $137 million in purses earned, trainer Chad Brown has accomplished much in a short time. A victory in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes is one accomplishment that has eluded the 39-year-old, and Brown is hoping that will change Saturday when he sends out the top two morning-line choices in Good Magic (2-1) and Gronkowski (4-1).

Brown, whose 33 wins are more than double his next-closest competitor in Todd Pletcher (16) on the Saratoga Race Course meet leaderboard, has saddled six previous entrants in the Mid-Summer Derby, with his best finish a fourth-place effort by Gift Box in 2016.

"It would be the biggest race of my career; the most important race, personally," said Brown, a native of nearby Mechanicville, New York who won the 2017 Preakness with Cloud Computing and has 10 victories in Breeders' Cup races. "It would mean a lot to my staff, my family, my friends, the community; this is our home track. It doesn't get any bigger than this."

Good Magic drew post 9 in his first race since winning the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 29 at Monmouth Park, staying just off the speed before kicking strongly to win by three lengths over fellow Mid-Summer Derby contender Bravazo at 1 1/8 miles. Jose Ortiz, who was aboard for that win as well as his victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Del Mar and his runner-up effort to eventual Triple Crown winner Justify in the Kentucky Derby on May 5, will have the return call.

"For him being a 2-year-old champion, and running the Derby and the Preakness on sealed, sloppy tracks - not good conditions - and to make it through the Haskell, this horse has really trained and run a lot. For him still to be sound and happy and looking good, it's remarkable. It's really rare to have a horse that can do that," Brown said.

Gronkowski is coming off a strong North American debut in which he rallied to finish second behind Justify in the Belmont Stakes on June 9. After Gronkowski made the first six starts of his career in Great Britain, Brown said the extra time between races, along with running against the highest level of competition in his division in a Classic race, has helped prepare the colt for the Travers.

"He's real consistent in his training," Brown said. "He's gotten sharper, fitter, stronger; always shows up in the morning when I need him, in his gallops and his breezes. I feel like this horse is setting up for a forward move coming off the Belmont."

Gronkowski drew post 3 and will have the services of jockey Joel Rosario, whose best finish in the Travers was a third aboard Tonalist in 2014.

"Right now, we're just focused on bringing these two horses to the races as healthy and happy as we can," Brown said. "I'll leave it up to the jocks when the gate opens, but Good Magic will be forwardly placed and Gronkowski will be running towards the rear.

"There are a few horses in there in this field that if they run their race of their life, they can win. I'm just focused on my own horses, and they'll be positioned at different parts of this field early. I think either one of them is good enough to get it done."