Trainer salutes Colonel John after hard-fought nose victory in Travers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- There is no consolation after missing an opportunity in the Kentucky Derby. Or is there?

All was right with owner Bill Casner's world after Colonel John, a star-crossed sixth in the Kentucky Derby, eked out a nose victory against Mambo in Seattle in the $1 million Travers Stakes on Saturday.

"The Travers is certainly the second-most prestigious 3-year-old race next to the Kentucky Derby," Casner said. "It is a race for the ages."

There is a reason the 1 1/4-mile Travers is celebrated as the Midsummer Derby. The race's 139-year history is that rich, and Colonel John's scorching duel with Mambo in Seattle added to it.

The son of Tiznow answered two major questions about his ability that had been hanging in the air since his disappointing finish after a troubled trip in the Run for ...