ESPN Horse Racing

Gallant Bloom Handicap
Saturday, Sept. 20, Belmont Park

The Low-Down: In just 15 editions, the Grade 2 $150,000 Gallant Bloom fast has become an extremely important race in the filly and mare sprint ranks. Distaffers like Classy Mirage, Dream Supreme and Lady Tak have ventured to its winner's circle. On Saturday, last year's Eclipse Award winner as Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, INDIAN BLESSING, will be favored to add her name to that honor roll. She'll try to defeat elders for the first time. However, that's a scenario that historically has been difficult in the Gallant Bloom. Only three sophomores have bested their older rivals in this race, the last of which was Dream Supreme eight years ago. And this will be no short order. Despite only five runners in the entry box, there's not a single stiff amongst the bunch.

Our Eyes: I'm not sure I can recall a short-field race in which the riders will be so important. Consider that any one of four entrants could make the lead in here if their pilots so chose, with the exception of PORTE BONHEUR. What makes this race even more enigmatic from an analysis standpoint is that you have Corey Nakatani partnering with INDIAN BLESSING for the first time, Eibar Coa legging up on ZADA BELLE for the first time, and Ramon Dominguez jumping seats from PORTE BONNHEUR to the unbeaten upstart ELOPE. The only rider familiarity among the entire lineup is with Javier Castellano, who mounts SUGAR SWIRL for the sixth time in seven starts this year. In case you're wondering where John Velazquez, regular rider of both INDIAN BLESSING and ZADA BELLE, will be on Saturday, he's piloting likely 1-to-9 shot Commentator in the $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs.

On reputation, ZADA BELLE pilot Eibar Coa is the most aggressive early hustler of this group, while Nakatani, Castellano and Dominguez have earned monikers as fierce finishers. My guess would be that ZADA BELLE or ELOPE will get the jump early, posting field-best opening quarters of :22.28 and :22.09, respectively, in their most-recent starts. But we're splitting hairs and handicapping intentions of the riders, all of whom are equipped with horsepower to burn.

If we can't make heads or tails of how the early pace will be, this puzzling handicapping picture might come into clearer focus if we can figure out who will finish. Utilizing the Daily Racing Form's Formulator program, it appears that even such a task is indecipherable. How's this for consistency? In six-furlong sprints, the final two individual furlongs for INDIAN BLESSING (:11.89, :12.30), ZADA BELLE (:11.83, :12.29), PORT BONEHUR (:11.81, :12.36), SUGAR SWIRL (:11.89, :12.48) and ELOPE (:11.88, :12.30) are almost identical to the hundredth of a second. Mercy me!

So where are the separators? ELOPE gets in light at 113 pounds on the handicap scale, a six-pound break from SUGAR SWIRL and INDIAN BLESSING. The assignment also is light on PORTE BONHEUR at 114 pounds. But at just 6 1/2 furlongs, I'm not one to put much emphasis on weight. In a two-turn route, it's worthy banter.

The Bottom Line: With everyone likely to be finishing with the same gusto, I'll take my chances with the filly who could be on top, ZADA BELLE, and the aggressive nature of jockey Eibar Coa, who never saw a scrum he didn't want to mix it up in. As for the exacta -- are you nuts? My brain hurts just trying to come up with a winner in this baby. Maybe PORTE BONHEUR can pick up the pieces from last to second, but I'd focus on just trying to cash a win play in the $10 range.