Given makes his Point

A record crowd of 60,486 and millions watching on television witnessed Point Given reaffirm his postion as America`s top three year-old with an emphatic display in the Grade One Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday.

The Bob Baffert runner was slow into his stride in the 10 furlongs event but he was again to prove head and shoulders above his contemporaries.

The big chestnut swept past Godolphin`s E Dubai in the straight and mastered that rival by three and a half lengths under Gary Stevens.

The main rival to dual Derby winner Galileo for the Breeders` Cup Classic also became the first horse since Damascus in 1967 to win the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes and the Travers.

Trainer Baffert, saddling his first Travers starter, said: 'Coming off the Triple Crown road, it shows you how tough and durable this horse is.

'He just keeps amazing me. I`ve never seen anything like it. Tomorrow, I could put him in the gate and he could probably run the same race. That`s how toughand durable he is.

'He does things so much easier than horses I`ve had in the past. There`s no telling how good he`ll get. I think he will get better with age.'

E Dubai`s jockey Jerry Bailey said of his mount: 'My horse ran a huge race.

'We gave Point Given a good battle but he`s an awesome horse and proved to be best.'