Bulletin Set for Return to Action in Better Talk Now

Three-time stakes winner Bulletin will return to racing for the first time since April in the $100,000 Better Talk Now Stakes Aug. 25 on the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course.

Owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing, the son of City Zip surged onto the scene as a 2-year-old, winning the Sept. 29 Hollywood Beach Stakes by seven lengths in his debut at Gulfstream Park before posting a 2 3/4-length score in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs.

In his 3-year-old bow, the Todd Pletcher trainee extended his streak to 3-for-3 with a gate-to-wire win in the 5 1/2-furlong Palisades Turf Sprint Stakes April 4 at Keeneland. His lone loss came last out when fourth in the April 27 William Walker Stakes at Churchill.

Bulletin will stretch out to a mile in the Better Talk Now, taking his first career route with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano aboard from post 7. There are eight entered in the race for 3-year-olds and up who have never won a stakes at a mile or longer, with one, Achilles Warrior, a main-track-only entrant. 

"We liked the way he's been training. He's given us the indication he's ready to stretch out," Pletcher said of Bulletin. "It seemed like a good spot to bring him back. We've had this race in mind for a little while."

Bourbon War, who ran in the last two legs of the Triple Crown, will make his first appearance since running 10th in the June 8 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1). The Tapit  colt makes his turf debut for trainer Mark Hennig after posting two wins in seven starts. 

Bourbon War's best stakes effort came in the March 2 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream, where he ran second to Code of Honor. After three straight grade 1 starts on the main track, starting with a fourth in the March 30 Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) before an eighth in the May 18 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course, Bourbon War, owned by Bourbon Lane Stable and Lake Star Stable, will switch surfaces under Luis Saez from post 3.

Bryan Hilliard's Swamp Rat is looking to rebound from a troubled fifth in the Aug. 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga. Trained by Phil Gleaves, Swamp Rat will race for the third time this meet at the Spa following a second-place finish in an allowance optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles July 18 on good turf. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez picks up the mount from post 4.

"He had a bit of a rough trip (last out)," Gleaves said. "He was pretty rank and got boxed in around the first turn. It wasn't the jock's fault, it was just the way the race set up. We're looking for a cleaner trip this time.

"I think we could have been on the lead last time had we wanted to, and if there's no pace in the race, I don't see any reason why he couldn't be on the lead in this one."

Gary Barber's Our Braintrust will also switch to turf for the first time, following a Kentucky Derby-trail appearance with a 10th in the March 16 Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park and a third in the Feb. 2 Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Mark Casse, Our Braintrust will race for the first time since the Rebel. Tyler Gaffalione rides from post 2.

Klaravich Stables' Front Run the Fed, back-to-back winner by a combined 14 3/4 lengths at six and seven furlongs at Aqueduct and Belmont Park, will make his Saratoga bow for trainer Chad Brown. A $300,000 purchase at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the son of Fed Biz  will have Jose Lezcano in the irons from post 1.

Rounding out the field is Performer, a winner in his second start June 29 for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey (post 5, Joel Rosario), and Regally Irish, second last out in the July 6 Irish War Cry Stakes at Monmouth Park (post 6, Rajiv Maragh). 

Entries: Funny Cide S.

Saratoga Race Course, Friday, August 23, 2019, Race 8

• STK
• 6 1/2f
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 2 yo
• 4:46 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Bull of Bayern (NY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	122	Rudy R. Rodriguez	12/1
2	2No Lime (NY)	Junior Alvarado	122	William I. Mott	15/1
3	3City Man (NY)	Joel Rosario	122	Christophe Clement	3/1
4	4Mission Wrapitup (NY)	Dylan Davis	122	Bruce R. Brown	5/1
5	5Opportunist (NY)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Mark E. Casse	10/1
6	6Theitalianamerican (NY)	Javier Castellano	118	Gary C. Contessa	10/1
7	7Cleon Jones (NY)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	122	Jeremiah C. Englehart	8/1
8	8Sky of Hook (NY)	Luis Saez	122	Rudy R. Rodriguez	4/1
9	9Listentoyourheart (NY)	Manuel Franco	122	Christophe Clement	7/2