There is a chance West Coast, who was clearly the best winning the just completed Travers Stakes, could follow the template laid out last year by Arrogate. That template says you can win the 3-year-old male championship despite not making much divisional noise the first half of the year by winning the Travers, and then going on to do something big time later in the fall.

Of course, Arrogate won his Travers in sensational, record-breaking style, and then went on to beat California Chrome in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. West Coast did not win his Travers in record-breaking fashion, and even allowing for considerable development this fall, it isn’t easy envisioning him winning the Classic. At least it's certainly far more difficult picturing that for him than it was for Arrogate.

But, this year’s 3-year-old male division has been a mess, and who knows, maybe a good effort even in defeat in the Classic might be enough to tip this division.