Romansh Tries One Turn in Bold Ruler

The $200,000 Bold Ruler Handicap (gr. III) at Belmont Park Oct. 25 drew a classy, competitive field of seven, headed by proven graded stakes horses Romansh, River Rocks, and Salutos Amigos.

Tom Albertrani, trainer of  Godolphin Racing’s Romansh, has been bewildered by the poor performances by the son of Bernardini   in the grade I Woodward and Whitney Stakes and the grade II Suburban Handicap, so he has decided to cut the 4-year-old colt back to one turn in the hope he can regain the form that saw him run a strong third, beaten only 1 1/2 lengths, in the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I).

Romansh has scored victories in the grade III Discovery and Excelsior Handicaps and looked to be one of the top older horses following his big effort in the Met Mile. Although the Bold Ruler is run at seven furlongs, Albertrani is hoping the drop back in distance can wake the colt up.

But it’s not going to be easy with the presence of the John Terranova-trained River Rocks, coming off a second-place finish to Vyjack in the Kelso Handicap (gr. II), and Salutos Amigos, who was fourth, beaten two lengths, in the Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I) in his last start for trainer David Jacobson. The son of Salute the Sarge, who was pre-entered in the Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), also was third in the grade II True North Stakes and grade III Belmont Sprint.

Salutos Amigos, at 116 pounds, drops eight pounds off the Vosburgh, while Romansh, at 115, drops five pounds off the Woodward. River Rocks, the highweight at 117 pounds, picks up a pound off the Kelso. Joel Rosario replaces the injured Rajiv Maragh aboard the son of Western Pride  .

Joe Tess, trained by Derek Ryan, comes in off a series of grass races, including a victory in the Punch Line Stakes for Virginia-breds at Laurel Park. He also finished third in the off-the-turf Elkwood Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Rudy Rodriguez sends out Sage Valley, who looks to be rounding back in the form that saw him win the seven-furlong James Marvin Stakes (gr. III) at Saratoga in 2013, as well as that year’s Maryland Sprint Handicap (gr. III) at Pimlico.