SARATOGA SPRINGS — “Who do you think will be the favorite?” Terry Finley said as he and his trainer, Dallas Stewart, sat down for lunch at the Spring Street Deli on Tuesday morning.

Good question.

The post position draw for the 139th running of the $1 million Travers at Saratoga Race Course will be held at 11 this morning, when what looks to be an 11- or 12-horse field will take shape.

Among them will be Macho Again, who won the Jim Dandy, the traditional Travers prep, for Stewart and West Point Thoroughbreds, managed by Finley. Among the partners in Macho Again’s ownership group are Roger and Joyce Locks of Saratoga Springs.

With Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown out of the picture, a competitive field that’s difficult to sort out is in the works. Of the 12 who appear likely to run, three are Grade I winners, and nine are graded-stakes winners, but only two of those have won more than one.

Some would say that it’s indic­ative of a weak 3-year-old division, at least compared to last year, which produced the likes of Curlin, Street Sense, Hard Spun and the filly Rags to Riches.

Stewart disagrees, especially since his horse has to butt heads with all these stakes winners on Saturday.

“I think they’re solid,” he said during a national teleconference. “It’s just a situation where Big Brown dominated the first two, but I would say it’s a solid crop. My horse won the Derby Trial, and he’s beaten some nice horses. He beat Pyro. For people to say it’s a bad crop, well, people are always going to talk.

“Neil’s colt, Mambo in Seattle, ran very well over the track. Pyro’s very tough. Tale of Ekati is a nice horse. So there’s horses with some credentials in there, and we need to be ready.”

Of the 12, eight have a race over the track, and three have won at Saratoga, including Macho Again, Acai and Mambo in Seattle, who won the ungraded Henry Walton at a mile and an eighth for trainer Neil Howard and owner Will Farish. They teamed up to send Grasshopper to the Travers last year and give Street Sense a thrilling stretch duel.

Stewart believes that Macho Again has an advantage over some in the field because he’s thrived here, enjoying the Spa atmosphere and winning over the main track.

“It’s probably a little of both,” he said. “I think they like the track, and they like being here. My horse has done very well up here. He was second in his 2-year-old debut. His appetite has increased since he ran, and he’s put some weight on.”

Macho Again was a little late to the Triple Crown scene, but won the Derby Trial, then was second to Big Brown in the Preakness and fifth to Da’ Tara, who is pointed for the Travers, in the Belmont.

He closed into an honest pace in the nine-furlong Jim Dandy, and beat Pyro by a half-length.

Stewart believes that, with a big field, getting the pace he needs in the 10-furlong Travers won’t be a problem.

“Usually, it does develop when it’s a mile and a quarter, maybe not when it’s a mile or a mile and an eighth, but I’m sure it’ll develop,” he said. “You won’t see a :50 half or three-quarters in 1:14. I’m sure it’ll be a good racehorse time, and hopefully, we’ll have some racing luck and be strong late.”

He said Macho Again has done everything right leading up to the Travers, despite getting a little colicky last week and also shaking loose from his handlers in the grassy area adjacent to Stewart’s barn.

“He had a little brush over his right eye, but it was very super­ficial. On the backstretch at Sar­atoga, there’s a lot of people walking around, and it could’ve been a disaster. I don’t think it will affect him at all. He seems focused. He’s a little bit of a handful. They were taking the bridle off right when he reared, and he knocked two guys over.”

Two California horses, Grade I

Santa Anita Derby winner

Colonel John and Tres Borrachos, are scheduled to arrive in Albany on the same plane this morning.

Tres Borrachos, who beat

Colonel John in the Grade II Swaps, worked a half-mile in 48.80 at Hollywood Park on Tuesday for trainer Beau Greeley.

Mambo in Seattle worked four furlongs in 48.80 on the Saratoga main track and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.15.

“It’s going to be an exciting race, and hopefully, it’ll be an exciting day for everybody,” Stewart said.