Bulletin tries dirt in Parx’s upgraded Gallant Bob Stakes
Bulletin, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner who swept his first three races, then lost his last two, will make a surface switch when returning Saturday in Parx’s Grade 2, $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes for sophomores going 3/4 of a mile.
Newly upgraded from Grade 3 status for 2019, the Gallant Bob goes as Race 9 on the card, one before the co-featured Cotillion (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G1) run back to back on the track’s biggest day of racing.
Bulletin was fourth in the April 27 William Walker Stakes when Todd Pletcher said he wheeled back too quickly from a victory in his season debut. The colt then ran third in the Aug. 25 Better Talk Now over Saratoga’s lawn.
The son of City Zip is bred to handle the main track, however, and picks up jockey Mike Smith as the duo breaks from the outside No. 9 post in the Gallant Bob at 4-1.
The morning line indicates King Jack as Bulletin’s toughest challenger. The Jerry Hollendorfer trainee most recently battled with Pennsylvania Derby contender Improbable, coming up 2 3/4 lengths short in the Aug. 25 Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar. The lightly raced son of Jimmy Creed was 2-for-2 before that, advancing from the maiden to allowance ranks.
Joel Rosario has the mount from post 7 with 2-1 morning line odds.
Landeskog, a Doug O’Neill-trained son of Munnings, will also ship in from California having returned from an off-the-board effort in Belmont Park’s Woody Stephens (G1) to win a salty Del Mar allowance race Aug. 4 by 4 3/4 lengths. The early runner figures to be a pace factor.
Abel Cedillo, an up-and-coming west coast jockey, has the assignment from post 6 with 7-2 odds.
Trophy Chaser is another contender of note, making his second start since finishing as a runner-up in Gulfstream Park’s Mucho Macho Man Stakes in January. Among those left in his wake were Code of Honor, the eventual Travers Stakes (G1) winner. Trained by owner Juan Carlos Avila, the son of Twirling Candy returned a one-length allowance winner on Aug. 30 at Gulfstream Park.
Jose Ortiz will ride the 6-1 shot from post 3.
Bethlehem Road represents the locals having started his career 3-for-3 before leaving town as a winner of the Parx Spring Derby. Fourth in the Ohio Derby (G3) and sixth in the Haskell Invitational (G1), the Dee Curry-trained son of Quality Road will shorten up after finishing fifth in the local Pennsylvania Derby prep, the Smarty Jones (G3).
Luis Rodriguez Castro gets the return call from post 5 at 10-1.
Others in the field are War Tocsin (post 1, 20-1), War Bridle (post 2, 20-1), Strong Will (post 4, 10-1) and Get Hammered (post 8, 12-1).
The Gallant Bob is set for 4:34 p.m. ET.