Upstart Tells Violette He’s Ready for Holy Bull

Ralph M. Evans’s Upstart (Flatter) showed trainer Rick Violette he was ready for a start in Saturday’s GII Holy Bull S. with a sharp six-furlong drill at Palm Meadows Sunday in 1:12.30. “We needed to do something a little quick,” Violette said of the work. “They need to be ready, even if they’re not ready to have one of the best races of their lives, but they’ve got to be fit enough so they don’t go out there and get exhausted and take 10 steps backward instead of 10 steps forward. We let him roll a little bit. It looked like he was still in an open gallop. He cooled out good. He was good this morning, so it’s all systems go.” 

Upstart, who will break from post eight in the 10-horse field Saturday, will be making his first start since running third in the Nov. 1 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He was also second after a wide trip in the Oct. 4 GI Champagne S. 

“He ran a really good second and was kind of up against it in the Champagne,” Violette recalled. “He confirmed his quality and he just got nailed for second in the Breeders’ Cup despite not having a whole lot in his favor. He’s underlining that he’s a significantly good horse. Certainly, he belongs in the elite of the 3-year-olds this year, as long as he proves it. He’s more than just a nice New York-bred; he’s a nice horse.” 

Violette said Upstart has matured over the winter. 

“He’s filled out,” the trainer noted. “He was a little bit leggy as a 2-year-old. I don’t think he’s gotten any taller, but there’s a little more muscle to him; he’s a little bit squarer. He looks more like an older horse than a baby now. He’s pretty sharp and confident, without being mean. He has a really nice eye. He’s pretty correct. He’s a pretty clever horse.” 

Godolphin’s Frosted (Tapit), who overcome a speed-biased track to run a gallant second behind Leave the Light On (Horse Greeley) in the Nov. 29 GII Remsen S. breaks from the rail in Saturday’s Holy Bull. 

“He ran huge,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said of his colt’s effort in the Remsen. “He had the 13 hole, the track was a conveyor belt, and he was unlucky to lose. He’s a very nice horse.” 
McLaughlin added, “He’s been training great. He’s doing great.”