CODY’S Wish is the headliner at Saratoga tonight but Irish eyes will also be on the Saratoga Derby Invitational (10.01pm) where Fozzy Stack’s Aspen Grove, winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks on her last outing, is joined by the Joseph O’Brien-trained The Franchise in the Saratoga Derby Invatational.

Cody’s Wish is America’s banner horse at the moment because of the connection with his namesake, teenager Cody Dornan who is living with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic disease.

He is on a six-race unbeaten streak into the Whitney (10.42pm) including four Grade 1s and was an easy winner for trainer Bill Mott in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes and the Metropolitan Handicap in his two 2023 starts.

In the Metropolitan, he dismissed today’s rivals Zandon, White Abarrio and Charge It with ease. Charge It subsequently won the mile and two Grade 2 Suburban Stakes by over four lengths and looks the number two here.

Cody’s Wish has never won over this nine-furlong distance but his run style should be well suited to the distance and his breeding suggests no problems - by Curlin out of a Tapit mare. He can also sit off his wide draw in the six-horse field. It would be a big shock if he gets beaten. But Saratoga is called the Graveyard of Favourites and there are shocks every year.

Belmont Derby

Far Bridge winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes from British raider The Foxes and today’s rival Mondego heads the morning line odds for the Belmont Derby.

He got the run of the race that day but sets the standard.

Aspen Grove was well ridden by Oisin Murphy to come late and win the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks but John Velasquez takes over this time as Murphy is claimed for the Qatar Racing colt Lion Of War sent over by Charlie Johnston. He was a beaten co-favourite last time in the Golden Gates Handicap over a mile and two on the Saturday of Royal Ascot. The winner there Burdett Road didn’t run too badly in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.

The Franchise is a Siyouni colt who won a nine-furlong Curragh premier handicap on June 30th. He needs to step up well on that, though second Booyea has won since.

Chad Brown and Klaravich Stables runners are always to be feared and they run a newcomer to Grade 1 action in the British-bred Lope De Vega colt Program Trading, a maiden and allowance race winner on his two runs.

Lion Of War, drawn eight of nine could be the each-way angle against the favourite.

Test Stakes

Godolphin’s Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous bids to stay at the top of the three-year-old filly division while coming back in distance in the Grade 1, $500,000 seven-furlong Test Stakes.

The Brendan Walsh-trained Pretty Mischievous enters the Test off back-to-back Grade 1 wins on the Oaks at Churchill Downs and in the Acorn Stakes at Belmont.

In the nine-furlong Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks in May, she pounced from off the pace under Tyler Gaffalione to lead and fend off Gambling Girl by a neck before then beating Dorth Vader by a neck in the Acorn.

The Test will be Pretty Mischievous’ first start at a sprint distance since scoring in a seven-furlong claiming contest in October at Churchill.

Maple Leaf Mel is unbeaten in five races, the last two easy wins in Grade 3s at Pimlico and Belmont. She has been on the lead through every point of call in her perfect five-race career, but her trainer Melanie Giddings is confident the grey filly can handle stronger pace pressure in this.

Top sprinting filly and Breeders’ Cup winner Caravel goes for six in a row in the Grade 3 Troy Stakes earlier on the card having beaten the colts in the Grade 1 Jaipur last time.

Del Mar

Del Mar’s Grade 1, the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes for fillies, has a notable history with Zenaytta a dual past winner. In the five-horse field, Bob Baffert supplies the top two in the betting with Adare Manor coming on a three-race winning streak after landing two of Santa Anita’s summer Grade 2s – the Santa Margarita Stakes and Santa Maria Stakes.

Fun To Dream was the top filly on the California circuit last season with a Grade 1 win in the La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita in December. She has been off the track since her second to A Mo Reay in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita in March where today’s rivals Kirstenbosch and Desert Dawn were behind her. Winner of six of her eight races, she can best her stable companion for another Grade 1 win.