Bethlehem Road blossoming

The $75,000 Parx Spring Derby on Tuesday has drawn a field of six, five of whom will be making their two-turn debut in the mile and 70-yard race.

Bethlehem Road, who is untested in two front-running wins, is a top contender for trainer Dee Curry even though he will be stretching out from a 3 1/4-length victory going 5 1/2 furlongs a month ago. Bethlehem Road won his debut by 4 1/4 lengths at seven furlongs April 1.

He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81 first time out and improved to an 86 in his next start. The only other horse who has broken the 80 barrier in the field is Thiscatcanjump, who is trained by Scott Lake. He was assigned an 82 for winning an open first-level optional claimer at six furlongs in February and an 88 for taking a first-level Pennsylvania-bred allowance at seven furlongs March 30.

Bethlehem Road was bred and is owned by Curry’s longtime owner Jeff Bowen and his partners Dom Ameche III and Randy Reed. He was a work in progress when he came to Curry last fall but has developed into a nice prospect.

“He’s come a long way,” Curry said. “I’ve been very patient with him. He was kind of an ugly duckling who had a lot of growing to do when he came to me, and now he’s a swan.”

Curry said the plan following Bethlehem Road’s sevenfurlong debut win was to go in a mile race, but it didn’t fill. Since he was ready to run, she cut him back to 5 1/2 furlongs when that race came along.

“I think he wants to go long and don’t want to turn him into a sprinter,” Curry said. “Tuesday’s race will help us figure out if he can go two turns, whether he will rate and be able to carry his speed. I feel pretty good about the race.”

Curry has 16 horses at Parx. If Bethlehem Road wins the Parx Derby, he will be her first stakes winner since 2016, when she won the Jostle and Parx Oaks with the Bowen homebred Eighth Wonder, who won her first five starts and earned $250,000.

Luis Rodriguez Castro, who is fourth in the Parx jockey standings, keeps the mount on Bethlehem Road.

Thiscatcanjump is 3 for 7 for Lake and owner-breeder Richard Malouf. He didn’t fare well against older rivals in the seven-furlong Lyman Handicap last time out but is certain to make his presence felt Tuesday. The son of Jump Start has speed but may not be as quick as Bethlehem Road and could end up in a stalking position.

Angel Rodriguez, third in the Parx standings, has the mount.

Whistling Birds will be making his third start around two turns for trainer Louis Linder Jr. He may benefit from that experience if he settles better than his chief opponents. He has finished second to the talented runner Spun to Run in both of his two-turn efforts.

Mychel Sanchez, who leads the Parx standings, will ride.