'Jack' Favored in Upgraded 'Bob'

Michael Stinson's 'TDN Rising Star' King Jack (Jimmy Creed) may be short on experience, but he's proven to be long on talent, and the chestnut figures to be a significant favorite in Saturday's GII Gallant Bob S. at Parx, upgraded from a Grade III for this year's renewal.

Debuting June 1 at Santa Anita, the $100,000 Keeneland September grad scored a sharp 3 1/4-length success and legitimized that effort with an allowance victory July 17 at Del Mar for which he earned a co-field best 99 Beyer. He repeated that figure when second to likely GI Pennsylvania Derby chalk Improbable (City Zip) going two turns for the first time in the Shared Belief S. Aug. 25 at the seaside oval. The Jerry Hollendorfer pupil shows three sharp interim drills, including a five-furlong spin in :58 3/5 (2/19) Sept. 10 at Los Alamitos.

Breeders' cup champion Bulletin (City Zip) tries the main track for the first time in his sixth career start. A dominant winner of the Hollywood Beach S. on debut last September at Gulfstream, the $250,000 KEESEP buy repeated in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and picked up right where he left off when annexing the Palisades Turf Sprint S. in his 3-year-old bow Apr. 4 at Keeneland. Then came a shocking fourth at 1-10 in the William Walker S. Apr. 27 at Churchill though, followed up by a third in his first route attempt in the Better Talk Now S. Aug. 25 at Saratoga. Bulletin is bred to handle this surface switch, being a half-brother to dirt GISW Tiz Miz Sue (Tiznow) out of main-track GSW Sue's Good News (Woodman).

Landeskog (Munnings) graduated powerfully at first asking Mar. 31 at Oaklawn and was a good second in that track's Bachelor S. after dictating a sizzling pace Apr. 27. Fading to be ninth in the GI Woody Stephens S. two back June 8 at Belmont, the gelding matched King Jack's 99 Beyer with a powerful allowance tally Aug. 4 at Del Mar. Trophy Chaser (Twirling Candy) looms a threat second off the bench. Breaking his maiden by an eye-popping 15 3/4 lengths last summer at Gulfstream, he was off the board in the GI Champagne S. before running second in both the Street Sense S. and Mucho Macho Man S. Sidlined for nearly eight months after the latter try, the dark bay resurfaced with a sharp allowance conquest Aug. 30 at Gulfstream.