Fast Anna Gets Class Relief in Gallant Bob

Frank Calabrese's Fast Anna, who came tantalizingly close to winning in the Ketel One King's Bishop (gr. I) last time out in his stakes debut, takes another crack at a breakthrough stakes victory in the $300,000 Gallant Bob (gr. III) Sept. 20 at Parx Racing. 

The six-furlong race drew a field of seven 3 year-old sprinters, and Fast Anna drew post six when entries were taken Sept. 15. The event goes as race 10 on the 13-race program and is one of two supporting graded stakes on the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) undercard, joining the $1 million Cotillion Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies. Post time for the Gallant Bob is 4 p.m. EDT.

A son of Medaglia d'Oro   out of Calabrese's champion 2006 champion 2-year-old filly Dreaming of Anna, Fast Anna has raced just three times in his career, jumping immediately to grade I company after winning his first two starts for trainer Kathy Ritvo. 

A 4 1/2-length winner in his debut April 12 at Gulfstream Park, Fast Anna got nearly three months off before returning July 5 at the Hallandale Beach, Fla. track and scoring an eye-widening 13-length romp in a  6 1/2-furlong allowance test. Shipped to Saratoga Race Course, he made all the pace in the King's Bishop before The Big Beast overtook him and snatched the win by just a neck. 

Rustlewood Farm's Prudhoe Bay, the 122-pound topweight, is aiming for a fourth stakes win this year. The Songandaprayer   colt comes in off a three-quarter-length victory in the Jersey Shore Stakes (Gr. III), defeating PJG Stables' Favorite Tale, who reopposes Saturday.

Patricia Hope's Good Bye Greg won his first two starts by a combined 18 1/4 lengths at Arlington International Racecourse and Woodbine, respectively, before going winless in two stakes tries. He was fifth behind Pure Sensation in the Quick Call Stakes July 24 at Saratoga and then was third in the Straight Line Stakes Aug. 16 at Arlington.  

Trainer Christophe Clement sends out Patricia Generazio's Pure Sensation in search of a first graded win. Following his Quick Call triumph, the son of Zensational   was third in the Better Talk Now Aug. 20 at Saratoga.