Purple Egg Joins Field for Gallant Bob Stakes
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Goodwood Racing's Purple Egg will start for the first time since April in the $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes (gr. III) at Parx Racing Sept. 21.
The Jane Cibelli trainee comes in off a five-month layoff—his longest yet—to contest a deep field of 14 for the six-furlong dash. The Gallant Bob will be run ninth of 12 races on the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) Day card and has a post time of approximately 4:35 p.m. EDT.
Victorious in his first three starts last year, Purple Heart wrapped his 2-year-old campaign with a score in the Dec. 1 Inaugural Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs after securing his maiden debut at Monmouth Park and an allowance race at Parx.
Undefeated at the start of his 3-year-old season, he was then scratched from this year's Jan. 1 Gulfstream Park Derby and again from the Jan. 12 Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay, both times because he spiked a fever.
In his first stakes effort three months after the Inaugural, the Lion Heart gelding made a highly anticipated start in the March 9 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II), only to finish ninth. He comes into the Gallant Bob off the subsequent outing, a third in the Trippi Stakes at Belmont Park five months ago on April 26.
Most recently, the dark bay posted a workout at Monmouth, breezing four furlongs from the gate in :48.40, the second-fastest of 12 at the distance. He goes out as a 20-1 shot on the morning line and will break from the outside carrying 115 pounds with Roberto Alvarado Jr. up.
Most recently, the dark bay posted a workout at Monmouth, breezing four furlongs from the gate in :48.40, the second-fastest of 12 at the distance. He goes out as a 20-1 shot on the morning line and will break from the outside carrying 115 pounds with Roberto Alvarado Jr. up.
Winner of the Swale Stakes (gr. III) three starts back, Up Hill Stable's Clearly Now has yet to be out of the money in his eight outings, placing in three other graded events with a third in the Jan. 26 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III), a second in the April 6 Bay Shore Stakes (gr. III), and a third in June 8 Woody Stephens Stakes (gr. II).
Trainer Brian Lynch sends the Horse Greeley colt out after a run in the July 6 Charlie Barley Stakes at Woodbine, where he finished third but was placed second. Clearly Now will break from the 12 hole with Luis Saez in the irons as part of his 122 pound co-highweight impost, which he shares with Rainbow Heir.
Trained by Benjamin Perkins, Jr. to four wins in five starts, Rainbow Heir is a winner of the Jersey Shore Stakes (gr. III), his second score at the Gallant Bob distance. His only loss came in his last start, an off-the-board finish in the July 28 Amsterdam Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga Race Course. Though he's never raced over the Philadelphia oval, he registered a four furlong breeze in :48.05 at Parx Sept. 15, the second-fastest of 13 at the distance.
Favored at 3-1 on the morning line, New Farm's Rainbow Heir drew post 11 and will break with Mike Smith in the irons.
Runner-up to rival Rainbow Heir last time out in the Jersey Shore, Steve Asmussen trainee Amarish goes out for owner Jerry Durant looking for his first graded stakes win. The Scat Daddy gelding has one stakes win to his credit, in last year's Willard L. Proctor Memorial Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park, but he'll have to stretch out a bit from his average winning distance of 5 1/2 furlongs.
Jose Ortiz will ride 10-1 Amarish, who will break from post 9 carrying 115 pounds.
Canadian import Black Hornet boasts two wins and a second (all in stakes) in his four starts this year over Woodbine's synthetic track. He's won twice at the Gallant Bob distance for owner WinView Racing Stable, but in his only start on dirt he finished fifth in the Woodstock Stakes back in December at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trainer Pat Parente sends out the 8-1 Pioneering gelding, who will carry 119 pounds from the 3-hole.
Pennsylvania-bred Zeewat comes home for his first East Coast start off a six furlong allowance score at Golden Gate Fields. He counts three stakes wins on his record of 5-0-1 from nine starts, including this year's California Derby at Golden Gate.
Jerry Hollendorfer trains the Harlan's Holiday colt, which he owns with George Todaro. Jockey Rajiv Maragh has the call on 6-1 Zeewat and the pair will break from post 13.
Completing the field are stakes winners Distinctiv Passion and City of Weston; graded stakes-placed Heaven's Runway and Salutos Amigos; and allowance winners Res Judicata, English Manor, Majestic Hussar, and Take It Like a Man.
$300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes (gr. III, Race 9, approximate post time 4:35 p.m. EDT) 3YOs, six furlongs (dirt)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer, M-L Odds
1. Res Judicata (PA), K Carmouche, 115, J C Servis, 12-1
2. Distinctiv Passion (FL), E A Maldonado, 115, J Bonde, 8-1
3. Black Hornet (ON), TBA, 119, P Parente, 8-1
4. Take It Like a Man (KY), TBA, 115, K Gorder, 20-1
5. Salutos Amigos (KY), J R Leparoux, 115, E J Guillot, 12-1
6. English Manor (KY), R Montanez, 115, H Wyner, 20-1
7. City of Weston (FL), P Lopez, 117, A Sano, 20-1
8. Majestic Hussar (KY), J L Ortiz, 115, E Kenneally, 20-1
9. Amarish (KY), J L Ortiz, 115, S M Asmussen, 10-1
10. Heaven's Runway (KY), D Mello, 115, J R Martin, 20-1
11. Rainbow Heir (NJ), M E Smith, 122, B W Perkins, Jr., 3-1
12. Clearly Now (KY), L Saez, 122, B A Lynch, 4-1
13. Zeewat (PA), R Maragh, 119, J Hollendorfer, 6-1
14. Purple Egg (KY), R Alvarado, Jr., 115, J Cibelli, 20-1