Hoist,
Empire maker never ran in the Travers. It never ceases to amaze me how some "breeding experts" can possibly hope to succeed with new stallions if they dont handicap or have a handicapping reference to tell them what the horses story, trips, and sheet numbers were.
You are referencing his Jim Dandy, and it was not a "bad loss", in fact it was an exteremly impressive race.
On that day any good and knowledgable player can tell you that the track at Saratoga that day resembled the Indy 500 speedway. Every horse who made the lead in a dirt race won!!! Throw in that on that day that the rail was GOLDEN!! Empire Maker was given one of the few bad rides that JD Bailey ever gave. He took him back to last behind a moderate pace that Pletcher's horse set while clear under no pressure on the rail. Empire Maker was then forced widest of all while attempting to rally from last and came up about two strides short while closing. They also flew home late in that race. His widest of all rally against an inside speed bias while attempting to run down a very sharp horse who was loose on the lead running with the aid of a powerful bias was VERY IMPRESSIVE!! His sheet number earned in that race was as good as any he ever ran.
To question his talent because of that race is quite ridiculous.