Yaupon’s Stradale captures second straight graded stakes in Gallant Bob S. (G2)

Stradale’s powerful stretch run carried the 3-year-old Yaupon colt to victory in Saturday’s $400,000 Gallant Bob S. (G2), just a month after the bay speedster took the Mahony S. (G3) over the Saratoga turf.

Stradale is one of six graded winners and a dozen overall stakes winners this year for his sire, who leads the 2026 Second-Crop sire list by a wide margin.

Stradale, a $1.3 million OBS April 2025 grad for owner Kaleem Shah and trainer Steve Asmussen, was the post time favorite in the six-furlong dash. After a swift start, he backed out of a four-way battle for the lead, content to sit slightly off a rapid first quarter of :21.78. After commencing his run with three furlongs to go, Stradale came four-wide around horses turning for home. Racing very wide in the stretch, he mowed down the competition and won going away by 1 ¼-lengths in 1:09.83.

“Steve always thought very highly of this horse, and I guess really the distance is the key. For him, it’s 5 1/2 to 6 furlongs. That’s the reason why Steve ran him in those shorter turf races. But he’s really meant to be a good dirt horse. Hopefully he’ll be one of the very good sprinters,” Shah said.

Stradale is now 4-2-2 in 11 starts and has earned $610,300. He was bred in Kentucky by Richard Bremer and Cheryl Sprick.