In 2023, the 3-year-old male division in North American Thoroughbred racing has been highly competitive to say the least. Three different horses won Triple Crown races, and in the minds of many fans and handicappers the divisional leader is not among them.

The story of the sport of horse racing lies in its places: sprawling expanses of bluegrass nourishing generations, stunning mountain vistas watching over their battles, and timeless towns centered around these equine athletes. Summer brings America to one of those timeless towns, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where the best that the sport has to offer congregate for new editions of long-running fixture races.