Holy Bull Draws 11

HOLY BULL DRAWS 11
The South Florida Triple Crown trail season will begin Saturday with the GII Holy Bull S. where a stacked group of promising sophomores will vie for the 17 Derby. Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile) and Wicked Strong (Hard Spun), who finished second and third, respectively, in Aqueduct's GII Remsen S., will make their seasonal debuts. Jimmy Jerkens, conditioner of Wicked Strong, believes his charge will fair better with an anticipated fast pace. “People still don't know how to gauge [the Remsen] because it was so slow–the pace was so slow,” trainer James Jerkens said. “It was incredibly slow and they sprinted home. He was going faster than all of them.” Cairo Prince's trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is also quite confident in his colt's chances. “When you get on the Derby Trail, they're all going to be tough,” McLaughlin offered. “I think we have a really nice horse and I wouldn't trade places with anybody.” 
Fox Hill Farm's Coup De Grace (Tapit) will step up to graded company off a debut win over subsequent  “TDN Rising Star” Unknown Road (Bernardini) at the Big A Nov. 9 and an optional-claiming win at Gulfstream Dec. 15. The chestnut breezed a half-mile in :47.40, the fastest of 52 at Palm Meadows Sunday, with pilot John Velazquez, who will take over for Javier Castellano Saturday, in the irons. “He worked good. It was cold out, and he was a little sharp,” said trainer Chad Brown. “Johnny seemed to get along with the horse well, and he said he learned a couple things about him in the morning, and that was really the reason for putting him on. All systems are go for the Holy Bull.”
    “It's going to be a tough race,” Brown continued. “[Coup de Grace is] unproven around two turns, and it's a real test for him. I think it's that time of year to try him around two turns and then we can figure out how to campaign him the rest of the year.” 
    Phipps homebred Mr Speaker (Pulpit), who ended his juvenile campaign with a win in the GIII Dania Beach S. Dec. 21, will make his dirt debut. “He's trained good on the dirt,” said conditioner Shug McGaughey. “I thought somewhere along the line I was going to give him this kind of opportunity. I didn't know it was going to be now, but this is something I did have on my mind to give him the opportunity.” Click here to share this story.