A speed-laden field has been entered for the 65th running of the $150,000 Salvator Mile Stakes (gr. III) for 3-year-olds and up to be held at Monmouth Park July 6.
The contenders are a well-matched field of eight colts and geldings and include Csaba and Discreet Dancer for the mile dirt test.
Winner of eight stakes races, including the one-turn mile Hal's Hope Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park, Csaba comes into the race off a May 25 win in the 1 1/16 mile Memorial Handicap at Calder Casino & Race Course. Philip A. Gleaves trains Bruce Hollander and Gary Shapoff's 4-year-old son of Kitten's Joy for his first start at the New Jersey oval. Jockey Joe Bravo has the mount; the pair will break from post 4.
Todd Pletcher trainee Discreet Dancer starts back from a disappointing ninth-place finish in the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont Park May 27. However, the Monmouth newcomer captured the one-mile Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II) in March by 5 1/4 lengths and has only been out of the money once in seven starts. E. Paul Robsham Stables' Discreet Cat gelding will break from the 6 hole with Joel Rosario up.
Bowman's Beast, JMC Stables' 4-year-old Bowman's Band gelding, can extend his winning streak to five in the Salvator. With four wins and one second from five starts, this will be the Cathal Lynch trainee's first stakes effort. Regular jockey Roberto Alvarado Jr. will ride the frontrunner as they break from post 5.
With a record of 13 wins and three seconds from his 16 starts, Lucy's Bob Boy comes into the July 6 contest off a five-race win streak. While many of his wins have come at 6 1/2 and 7 furlongs, the 4-year-old Flatter gelding stretched out victoriously in the $500,000 West Virginia Breeders Classic to win by eight lengths. Sandra A. Dono trains Lucy's Bob Boy, and Gustavo Larrosa, who has ridden him in all his starts, will ride from post 3.
Kasey K Racing and Brier Creek Farm send out Big Sur, a 5-year-old son of Malibu Moon trained in his last three starts by Ramon Moya. With Moya, the bay gelding recorded two gate-to-wire wins in as many months, the last being Monmouth's May 25 Majestic Light Stakes at 1 mile and 70 yards. Ramon F. Moya has the call for the fourth consecutive start; they will break from post 2.