SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- L'Oiseau d'Argent ran a solid field of allowance horses off their feet earlier this month, when he set a Saratoga inner turf course record for one mile.

On Saturday, he will have to be equally as sharp if he is to win his first North American stakes, when he meets nine rivals in the Grade 2, $200,000 Fourstardave Handicap at 1 1/16-miles over the Mellon Turf Course.

The Fourstardave is an inscrutable handicapping affair. Seven of the 10 entrants are coming in off a win and seven runners are undefeated at the Fourstardave distance.

L'Oiseau d'Argent, a 5-year-old gelded son of Silver Hawk, ran one mile in 1:33.42 on Aug. 5, winning a fourth-level allowance race. Two starts back he was beaten six lengths in the Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap, a race whose first two finishers came back to win Grade 1 races next out.

"He's always on the muscle," said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who won this race last year with Trademark. "He's hard to settle. We're going to be forwardly placed to say the least. I thought he might get a mile and three-eighths if he would settle, but he never settled."

McLaughlin said L'Oiseau d'Argent is a big, strong horse, and thus he doesn't fear a bounce off a career-best effort.

Trainer George Weaver has pointed Christine's Outlaw to this race since he won the Grade 3 Poker Handicap at Belmont in July. Weaver is hoping Christine's Outlaw will settle going two turns in the Fourstardave. He has retained Edgar Prado to replace Shaun Bridgmohan.

Silver Tree comes off a neck win over Nothing to Lose in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch earlier this meet. Silver Tree showed the ability to relax that day, something he hadn't done successfully in earlier races.

Nothing to Lose was bumped hard entering the first turn of the Bernard Baruch, and trainer Bobby Frankel felt that cost him the race. Nothing to Lose is 2 for 2 at 1 1/16 miles. John Velazquez rides.

Ay Carumba is an interesting longshot. A Group 1 winner in Brazil, Ay Carumba rallied from well off the pace to win his North American debut in allowance company at Churchill Downs.