Yesterday's GII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream was billed by many as a competitive and wide-open affair, but Namcook Stables, Paul Braverman, Harvey Clarke and Craig Robertson III's 2-1 favorite Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile)–out of a daughter of the race's namesake–turned it into a one-horse show with a 5 3/4-length stalk and pounce romp. Conquest Titan (Birdstone) ran on from out of the clouds to complete the exacta, while Intense Holiday (Harlan's Holiday) took third.
“I love for the horse to make the statement, but it's hard not to get excited when you have these kind,” said winning conditioner Kiaran McLaughlin. “He just had a beautiful trip and when [rider Luis Saez] asked him, he responded. He won carrying 122 [pounds], giving a lot of weight away. Obviously, we'll look at the [Feb. 22] Fountain of Youth S. or we could wait until the [Mar. 29 GI] Florida Derby. We'll see how it goes. I hope he stays as good as he is today. He'll have one or two more [races before the GI Kentucky Derby].”
Saturday, Gulfstream Park
HOLY BULL S.-GII, $400,000, GPX, 1-25, 3yo,
1 1/16m, 1:42, ft.
1–CAIRO PRINCE, 122, c, 3, by Pioneerof the Nile
1st Dam: Holy Bubbette (SW & GSP, $240,995), by Holy Bull
2nd Dam: Juliac, by Accipiter
3rd Dam: Juliet, by Nearctic
($200,000 yrl '12 KEEJAN; $250,000 yrl '12
KEESEP). O-Namcook Stables, Paul Braverman,
Harvey A Clarke & W Craig Robertson III; B-Richard L
& Katherine H Elam (KY); T-Kiaran P McLaughlin;
J-Luis Saez. $240,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0,
$512,000. *3/4 to Nonna Mia (Empire Maker), GISP,
$127,150; and Holdin Bullets (Ghostzapper), SP.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk
Nick Rating: D+.
2–Conquest Titan, 116, c, 3, Birdstone–Miner's Secret,
by Mineshaft. ($75,000 yrl '12 KEESEP; $475,000
2yo '13 OBSMAR). O-Conquest Stables LLC;
B-Michael Edward Connelly (KY); T-Mark E Casse.
$80,000.
3–Intense Holiday, 117, c, 3, Harlan's Holiday–
Intensify, by Unbridled's Song. ($380,000 yrl '12
KEESEP). O-Starlight Racing; B-Machmer Hall &
Haymarket Farm (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $40,000.
Margins: 5 3/4, HF, 3/4. Odds: 2.10, 11.10, 16.80.
Also Ran: Almost Famous, Best Plan Yet, Financial Mogul, Mr Speaker, Our Caravan, Wicked Strong, Coup de Grace, Big Bazinga. Click for the brisnet.com chart or the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
Cairo Prince bested the well-regarded Harpoon (Tapit) by 2 3/4 lengths sprinting on debut at Belmont Oct. 6, and handled the stretch-out to a mile with aplomb to defeat Financial Mogul (Street Boss), next-out
GII Jerome S. winner Noble Moon (Malibu Moon) and Intense Holiday by daylight in the Big A's GII Nashua S. Nov. 3. Tasked with taking on imposing J “TDN Rising Star” J Honor Code (A.P. Indy) in the GII Remsen S. in Ozone Park Nov. 30, the grey was kept wide and surprisingly off a glacial early pace, but still looked like a winner until his main competition nipped him on the wire. Shipped down to Florida thereafter, the colt appeared to be adjusting well to his surroundings, and sported a pair of bullet five-furlong drills leading up to this.
Breaking from the seven post, Cairo Prince was hung some four or five wide into the first turn as Saez appeared unconcerned with saving ground. He settled into an easy beat behind an opening quarter in :23.63, and inched up a spot or two from the three path through a half in :46.75. Four deep and in third as pacesetter Coup de Grace (Tapit) began to back up, the chalk looked like he had Almost Famous (Unbridled's Song) and Mr Speaker (Pulpit) whenever he wanted them–and he did. Sweeping up to lead while still in hand at the quarter pole, Cairo Prince proved not for catching from there as he strode to the wire with the help of a few left-handed reminders from his passenger.
“He broke so well and the whole race I kept him in the clear,” explained Saez, who piloted last year's champion 3-year-old Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song) during the second half of last season. “When we got to the half-mile pole, I knew I had a lot of horse. When we got to the three-eighths pole, I knew I could win the race, so when we came into the stretch I asked him and he responded. He just took off. I had so much horse. He's a nice horse.” Saez added, “He's very special. He's one of the best horses I've ridden in my life. I have to say thanks for Kiaran McLaughlin and the owners for the chance to ride him.”
These same connections campaigned Soldat (War Front), who emerged as the leading Florida-based Kentucky Derby contender in 2011 after a victory in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Co-owner Harvey Clarke also bred 2012 Derby winner I'll Have Another (Flower Alley). Cairo Prince is out of a half-sister to a past Forward Gal winner in Sum Runner (Summing).
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