SARATOGA SPRINGS — Here we go again.

A $250,000 bonus is sitting there waiting for someone to claim it, and for the third year in a row, a horse has a chance to do that in the Albany stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

This time, it’s Tin Cup Chalice, who won the Mike Lee at Belmont and the New York Derby at Finger Lakes to put himself in position to sweep OTB’s Big Apple Triple and collect a quarter of a million dollars, as well as the winner’s share from the $150,000 Albany purse.

Since the Big Apple Triple began in 1999, three horses have won the first two legs and lost the third, and one, Naughty New Yorker, won the first and third, but lost the New York Derby to Accountforthegold, in 2005.

Tin Cup Chalice is the 2-1 morning-line favorite, and will have to contend with Icabad Crane, a closer who was third to Big Brown in the Preakness and eighth in the Belmont to Da’ Tara.

Tin Cup Chalice is by Crusader Sword, who won the 1987 Saratoga Special and Hopeful at Saratoga.

Crusader Sword, who is stabled at Foggy Bottom Farm in Geneseo, topped the New York sire list for earnings in 2006, but hasn’t produced a top stakes winner since Isitingood, who won the 1996 Long­acres Mile at Emerald Downs.

Out of the Spectacular Bid mare Twice Forbidden, Tin Cup Chalice is a half-brother to Don Corleone, who won the 2004 New York Derby.

“If Tin Cup Chalice can sweep these races, a lot of people will take notice that a good New York-bred horse from Finger Lakes, who has already won at Belmont Park, can also win at Saratoga,” owner and trainer Michael Lecesse told the New York Racing Association. “That can only help our breeding business in this state.”

Lecesse retained Tin Cup Chalice when he passed through the 2006 New York-bred yearling sale at Saratoga without even drawing a bid.

Now, he has an undefeated

3-year-old with a chance to win the Big Apple Triple.

Tin Cup Chalice romped by 151⁄4 lengths over a sloppy, sealed track at Finger Lakes in his career debut as a 2-year-old, and followed that up with a win in the Finger Lakes Juvenile.

He won his first two starts this year by a combined 121⁄2 lengths before jumping into the chase for the Triple, winning the Mike Lee by 11⁄2 lengths despite being bumped at the start, and the New York Derby by 11⁄2 lengths.

“I am thankful that Tin Cup Chalice has this chance,” Lecesse said. “I won at Saratoga a few years back with a first-time starter named Cargo Ship. It was the most exciting win I had because everybody wants to win at Saratoga. It is the premiere track in the world.”

The second and third finishers in the New York Derby, Almighty Silver and That’srightofficer, are also entered in the Albany.

Icabad Crane won the Federico Tesio in April, skipped the Kentucky Derby, then ran the second two legs of the Triple Crown.

Chief’s Lake won the first two legs of the Big Apple Triple, but lost to Stunt Man in the Albany, and Ferocious Won also won two, but lost to Indian Hawke in 2006.