Gallant Bloom Handicap (2012) at Belmont Park
Las Vegas, NV - Belmont Park in New York will be the scene of the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap this Saturday, September 22. Fillies and mare three years old and upward will be after their share of the $200,000 purse when they race 6.5 furlongs on Belmont Park's main track.
The Gallant Bloom has attracted a very strong field of 10 females for race 9 on Belmont Park's Saturday card. Post time is 5:06 PM. Saturday's clash represents a great tune-up for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint which takes place on November 2 at Santa Anita. Here is a look at all 10 entries and the past performances that brought them to this Grade 2 race.
2012 Gallant Bloom Handicap Race Favorites
Turbulent Decent - won the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga a year ago and is coming off two straight wins - the Desert Stormer Handicap at Hollywood Park on June 17 and after a nearly seven month layoff and the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes last time out over Musical Romance at Saratoga on August 24. Turbulent Decent ended 2011 with some disappointing results - a sixth in the Grade 1 La Brea and a fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup before the layoff but two straight wins has put her firmly back on the radar. She has eight wins and two seconds in 12 career starts for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Musical Romance - Eclipse Award winner from last year will look to build in an impressive win last time out in the Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap at Calder on July 7 after a decent second at the Grade 1 Humana Distaff Stakes at Churchill Downs in May. Musical Romance also has a win in the Grade 2 Inside Information Stakes at Gulfstream on March 17 after a disappointing fourth in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint on January 28. In 2011 Musical Romance won the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes, the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Fillies and Mare Sprint over Turbulent Decent and finished second in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes. She won the Eclipse for a reason and will undoubtedly be another one to watch in the Gallant Bloom.
Gallant Bloom Handicap 2012 | Remaining Field Entries
Judy the Beauty - Trainer Wesley Ward brings lightly raced Judy the Beauty to Belmont this week. She has a string of three straight seconds heading into the Gallant Bloom - the Grade 1 Prioress lat time out at Saratoga August 4, an Allowance Optional Claiming at Churchill Downs on June 14 and the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga last September. She has three wins and three second place finishes in six career starts and is a most intriguing entry to this quality field.
Emma's Encore - won two minor races in February and March but then fell off a tad - a eighth place finish in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Oaks on March 31 was followed by a second place finish in an Allowance Optional Claiming here on May 16. Emma's Encore has rebounded from that unflattering stretch in a big way however recording victories in two straight ahead of the Gallant Bloom - the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes here on July 7 at 38-1 odds and at the Grade 1 Prioress Stakes last time out at Saratoga on August 4.
Gallant Bloom Handicap betting at Belmont Park with OffTrackBetting.com
C C's Pal - has had quite a 2012 so far. Wins in the Grade 2 Vagrancy Handicap here on June 2 and a win last time out in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga on August 3 highlight a productive year. Other good results in 2012 include a second in the Grade 2 Distaff Handicap and a third in the Grade 3 Bed o' Roses Handicap here on July 1. She has three wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in seven starts in 2012 and is in terrific form ahead of Saturday's race having posted two wins and a third in three starts on this track.
Risky Rachel - has 16 career starts with 7 wins including the minor Union Avenue Stakes last time out at Saratoga August 20 - her first win since May in the Putthepowdertoit Stakes on this track. She has concentrated mainly on minor stakes races in 2012 - Saturday marks a huge step up in competition.
Dust and Diamonds - Steve Asmussen filly makes her graded stakes debut on Saturday after two straight wins - the minor Dashing Beauty Stakes last time out at Delaware Park and an Allowance Optional Claiming at Oaklawn Park way back in March. She has four wins and four third place finishes in eight career starts.
Roman Treasure - has only two starts this year - a distant sixth last time out in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga and a win in the Chaldea Stakes here on July 7 after a seven month layoff followed some poor results in graded stakes action at the end of 2011.
Island Bound - has been good so far in 2012 - three wins and four second place finishes in nine starts this year. Her most impressive win came in the Grade 3 Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 2 in her graded stakes debut. Island Bound's other two wins this year came in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Tampa Bay in February and an Allowance on that same track in January. Her seconds this year have included the Sugar Maple Stakes, the Langhorne Stakes and at the tough Grade 2 Honorable Miss Stakes on August 3. Last time out was a disappointing sixth in the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes.
Mildly Offensive - finished fourth in a pair of graded stakes races this year- the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap and the Grade 1 Humana Distaff. Last time out was a win in the Big Bambu Stakes at Saratoga to follow a distant seventh in the Grade 2 A Gleam Handicap at Hollywood Park on June 14.
