After breaking his maiden in March, Ryvit went on a tear, winning five in a row, including his maiden. But he's come back down to earth since with consecutive fifth-place finishes.
His chance to get back in form comes in the $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes (G2) at Parx Racing Sept. 23.
At the height of his powers this year was his win in the Chick Lang Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course. That was the race in which Havnameltdown suffered a catastrophic injury and was euthanized.
That tragedy aside, Ryvit went on to win the seven-furlong Maxfield Overnight Stakes at Ellis Park before a literal and figurative stumble in the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course.
For breeder Curt Leake, the Chick Lang was only his second career graded stakes win.
"Once in a blue moon, or as some of the people in Louisiana say, 'When a blind hog finds an acorn.' You never know. You never know where they're coming from, but it means the world to me," Leake told BloodHorse in May.
Ryvit, who is out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare She is Bedazzling, is fond of the six-furlong distance that the Gallant Bob presents. Half of his 10 career starts have come at this distance with a 4-0-0 mark in those efforts.
It should be noted that those two fifth-place finishes in his most recent starts were of greater distance. While he's won at seven furlongs (see the Maxfield), it isn't Ryvit's wheelhouse. Trainer Steve Asmussen is bringing the son of Competitive Edge back to what he knows best.
The Gallant Bob won't have an unfamiliar field to Ryvit. His primary challenger appears to be Damon's Mound.
The Florida-bred son of Girvin was in the field for the Maxfield but never really challenged Ryvit, who led nearly the entire race. Despite not being able to keep up with the leaders, Damon's Mound has been rounding into form as the year has progressed.
The Maxfield was bookended by a second in an allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs and the Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.
If there is one area of concern with Damon's Mound it is he's struggled against graded company in two of the three graded stakes he's run. They are also the most recent: sixth in last year's Iroquois Stakes and ninth in this year's Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2).
WHO TO WATCH
*The Oklahoma-bred Nautical Star. The 3-year-old colt has raced four times including a ninth-place finish in the Florida Derby (G1). After a four-month layoff, he returned to win an allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park. Parx Racing, Saturday, September 23, 2023, Race 11
*Gordian Knot. Bred in Pennsylvania, the son of Social Inclusion has won three straight with the 6 1/2-furlong Salvatore M. DeBrunda Sprint Stakes at Parx his most recent result.
*Malibu Moon son Freedom Road has the second-longest odds but this is his first start as a gelding.
Entries: Gallant Bob S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Ninetyprcentmaddie (PA) Paco Lopez 120 Robert E. Reid, Jr. 10/1 2 2Dreaming of Kona (KY) Scott Spieth 122 Aldana Spieth 10/1 3 3Freedom Road (KY) Florent Geroux 120 Gregory D. Sacco 12/1 4 4Damon's Mound (FL) Junior Alvarado 122 Michelle Lovell 4/1 5 5Nautical Star (OK) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 9/2 6 6Praetorian Guard (KY) Dexter Haddock 120 Louis C. Linder, Jr. 10/1 7 7Sir Lancelot (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Michael Stidham 6/1 8 8Depoli (KY) Joseph Trejos 120 Tina Cole-Davis 20/1 9 9Ryvit (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 124 Steven M. Asmussen 5/2 10 10Gordian Knot (PA) Mychel J. Sanchez 122 Guadalupe Preciado 5/1
