Bulletin looking to get back on track in allowance

A year ago, Bulletin was winning the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs. Now, he’s trying to get his fall campaign back on track up the highway at Keeneland, as one of several familiar stakes performers in Wednesday’s nominal feature, an $80,000 allowance.

Bulletin is getting back to his preferred trip, sprinting on the turf, after trying dirt for the first time last month, finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx.

The City Zip colt, who is trained by Todd Pletcher for WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing, won his debut in September 2018 in the Hollywood Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park, then bounced right out of that for a front-running win at the Breeders’ Cup. He began 2019 by winning the Palisades Turf Sprint, going the same 5 1/2 furlongs on the Keeneland turf that he will traverse Wednesday. However, he then finished fourth as the heavy favorite in the William Walker Stakes at Churchill Downs and third in the Better Talk Now Stakes at Saratoga before his dirt start.

Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Bulletin for the first time, and the duo has drawn the rail in the field of 12.

Trainer Wesley Ward has entered a formidable pair in the millionaire Undrafted and the talented but lightly raced Bound for Nowhere. The 9-year-old Undrafted is looking for his first win this season. He most recently finished sixth in the Grade 3 Runhappy Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs, won by the Breeders’ Cup-bound Totally Boss.

Undrafted has won or placed in 10 graded or group stakes, highlighted by a victory in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at theRoyal Ascot meeting in 2015 and a third-place finish in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Corey Lanerie is named to ride the gelding, while Julio Garcia has the mount on Bound for Nowhere, winner of the Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland last year and making just his third start of this season. Bound for Nowhere was second by a neck to Imprimis – also a contender for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint – in this year’s Shakertown, then finished 13th in the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot in June.

Smart Remark finished second in the Runhappy Turf Sprint, and is also among the standouts in Wednesday’s allowance. Smart Remark most recently finished fourth in the Grade 2 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland and is one of several in this field exiting that race, along with Fareeq, who was sixth, and Royal Commish, who was ninth.

This allowance field also includes Wilbo, most recently seen winning Aristides Stakes in June at Churchill Downs but looking for his first win on turf, and multiple dirt stakes winner Heartwood, returning from an overseas trip where he finished eighth in the Korea Sprint.