By Frank Angst
Favorite Tale dueled with 3-5 favorite Fast Anna through a blazing opening quarter-mile and still had plenty left to deliver a 2 1/2-length victory in the $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes (gr. III) Saturday, Sept. 20 at Parx Racing (VIDEO).
Breaking from the rail with rider John Bisono, PJG Stable’s Favorite Tale blitzed through a quarter-mile just behind Fast Anna in :21.33. Favorite Tale inched away from the 3-5 favorite through a half-mile in :43.38 before opening a clear advantage in the stretch. Favorite Tale, who came off the rail in early stretch, completed the six-furlong test for 3-year-olds in 1:08.16 to secure the first graded stakes win of his career.
The final time is :0.65 seconds off the track record.
With the win, Favorite Tale stayed undefeated in four starts at the suburban Philadelphia track. The Tale of the Cat gelding opened his career with three straight wins at Parx last season for trainer Guadalupe Preciado. On May 4, he won the Gold Fever Stakes sprinting at Belmont Park.
The win gives Bisono the first continental U.S. graded stakes win of his career. Bisono, who also secured his most lucrative victory Saturday, started his career in Puerto Rico, where he won many of the top races on that circuit.
Favorite Tale returned $9 to win, $3.20 to place, and $2.80 to show. Frank Calabrese’s Fast Anna held second, earning his second straight graded stakes placing, and returned $2.40 and $2.10. Longshot Bump Start, racing for TK Stable, earned his first graded stakes placing and returned $4.80 to show.
Bred in Pennsylvania by Paul Conaway, Favorite Tale is the first stakes winner for his stakes-placed Grindstone mare Tricky Elaine, who has produced four other winners.