King's Bishop tough comeback spot for Noble Moon

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Without many options for Noble Moon – and with the 3-year-old finally ready to run – trainer Leah Gyarmati said he will go in the Grade 1, $500,000 King’s Bishop here next Saturday.

Noble Moon, the winner of the Grade 2 Jerome Stakes in January, has not run since finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 5. Gyarmati had several stops and starts on the colt, mostly due to foot issues. Noble Moon was scratched from the Amsterdam Stakes here July 26 due to a foot abscess.

“I don’t see any other options,” Gyarmati said. “There are only five or six horses in the race, but they’re five or six really nice horses, and that’s really all it takes to put you out of the money.”

Noble Moon won his debut at six furlongs last fall at Belmont and was third, with a troubled trip, to Cairo Prince in the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct last Nov. 3. This will be his first one-turn race since then.

“I don’t know where I am with him because I had to stop and start with him so many times,” Gyarmati said.

There were only 12 nominations to the King’s Bishop. Those expected to run include C. Zee, Coup de Grace, Fast Anna, Myositis Dan, The Big Beast, and Wildcat Red.

On Friday, Myositis Dan worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 over Saratoga’s main track.

Gyarmati confirmed that Sweet Reason, the Grade 1 Test winner, would take on Untapable in the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion at Parx on Sept. 20.

“That’s the race we’re focusing on,” Gyarmati said. “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. If it does work, we’re in good shape.”

Gyarmati said Wonder Gal, third in the Grade 2 Adirondack, would likely skip the Spinaway and point to the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont on Oct. 4.