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Bayern is favorite for Travers Stakes

By WTOP Staff

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert still isn’t sure how far his talented speedster Bayern can run, but he is willing to find out.

Baffert is shipping the 3-year-old colt from California to Saratoga Race Course, where he is the 2-1 favorite for Saturday’s Grade 1 $1.25 million Travers Stakes.

Owned by Kaleem Shah, Bayern leads a field of 10 3-year-olds entered Tuesday for the 145th renewal of the Mid-Summer Derby, followed by Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist at 3-1 and Jim Dandy winner Wicked Strong at 7-2.

Bayern enters the 1 1/4-mile Travers off a dominant victory in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational last month at Monmouth Park, hitting the wire 7 1/4 lengths in front with a time of 1:47.82 for 1 1/8 miles.

“The Haskell was pretty impressive. I didn’t really see any reason not to try him a little further, because it wasn’t really taxing on him,” Baffert said. “Will he take a step backward? I don’t know. I’m not totally convinced with him going a mile and a quarter, but he’s pretty fast. From what I’ve seen so far, he looks pretty good.”

Bayern made one appearance in the Triple Crown, finishing ninth out of 10 in the Preakness after encountering trouble leaving the gate. He rebounded with a 7 1/2-length victory in the Grade 2, seven-furlong Woody Stephens on June 7 at Belmont Park.

“He’s not a really big horse, but he’s fast. He’s a handy horse, and he’s got a lot of speed,” Baffert said. “You just have to let him go and what happens, happens. You can’t worry about it. When you have a horse with that kind of brilliant speed, you have to use it.”

Regular rider Martin Garcia will ride Bayern from the second post.

A lung infection knocked Tonalist from the early Triple Crown races but he returned to win the Grade 2 Peter Pan and the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes before finishing second in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga on July 27.

Joel Rosario will ride Tonalist from the No. 6 post, one spot inside Wicked Strong at No. 7.

“We’ve got Wicked Strong outside of us and he might go a little bit, too. It could be a good setup,” said Christophe Lorieul, assistant to trainer Christophe Clement. “We don’t want to be as wide as we were in the Jim Dandy.”

Wicked Strong, winner of the Grade 1 TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in April, finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont, but was fitted with blinkers by trainer Jimmy Jerkens and turned the tables on Tonalist in the Jim Dandy.

“It definitely made him get on the bit. I don’t think it made him rank by any means,” Jerkens said. “I can’t deny that he does seem to run straighter and truer with them on, no question.”

The Travers field, from the rail out, is Commanding Curve, Bayern, Charge Now, V. E. Day, Viva Majorca, Tonalist, Wicked Strong, Kid Cruz, Ulanbator and Mr Speaker.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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