Bob's Edge was Oaklawn Park's top older male sprinter during the 2021-2022 meeting – before the arrival of champion Jackie's Warrior.
Almost five months later, trainer Larry Jones said he hopes a change of scenery, and surface, will spark a form reversal for late-running Bob's Edge in the $1 million FanDuel Turf Sprint Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds and up Saturday at the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs.
Post positions for the 6-furlong FanDuel Turf Sprint, a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event for the $1 million Turf Sprint (G1) on Nov. 5 at Keeneland, were drawn Monday. The race closed Aug. 24 with 53 nominees, including 2019 winner Totally Boss for trainer Rusty Arnold and Big Invasion, winner of six straight for Christophe Clement.
Bob's Edge has started twice on turf, finishing fourth in the $60,000 Dade Park Dash Overnight Stakes for 3-year-olds at 5 ½ furlongs in July 2021 at Ellis Park and winning a restricted allowance race for 3-year-olds at 5 ½ furlongs last October at Keeneland.
“Closers usually do good on turf,” said Jones, a Hopkinsville, Ky., native who has made Henderson his home for years. “I know when he won at Keeneland, he came from way back there, when he started his coming-from-way-back run style that he's got. We'll see what happens. We're just hoping for the best. We know it's going to come up tough, these big-money races. We've just got to go out and see what we can do.”
Bob's Edge wintered at Oaklawn (it has no grass course) and started in a trio of six-furlong races for older horses. He won the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes on Jan. 29 and $200,000 Whitmore Stakes (G3) on March 19 before finishing fourth behind Jackie's Warrior in the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) on April 16.
Bob's Edge remained on dirt for his next two starts, finishing an even sixth in the $200,000 Aristides Stakes at six furlongs June 4 at Churchill Downs and sixth in the $160,000 Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs July 2 at Churchill Downs.
Distance, Jones said, may have contributed to the 4-year-old gelding's two subpar performances.
“I think it may have been a little bit farther than he likes, because even the six-furlong race at Churchill is almost 6 1/2, the way they set the gates up and stuff,” Jones said. “I think maybe the last time Gabriel (Saez) pushed him up a little too close. We liked where we were sitting watching it. But then when he didn't finish well, even Gabriel came back and said, 'I think I kept him too close.' So, I don't know. We'll see.”
A son of Competitive Edge, Bob's Edge has a 6-1-4 record from 16 lifetime starts and earnings of $544,945. The Kentucky-bred gelding races for Michael Frenny, Patricia Frenny and Jennifer Grayson Taylor.
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