Holy Bull

The Keeneland Library's spring-summer programs will kick off with a handicapping event with racing analyst Tom Leach on Apr. 29 to discuss contenders for the Kentucky Derby and that weekend's supporting races. The event precedes the Library Lecture Series which will spotlight legendary racing announcer Tom Durkin; champion racehorses A.P. Indy, Cody's Wish and Holy Bull; and a memorable journey on a retired racehorse by an acclaimed author. "We are really excited about Keeneland Library's lineup of upcoming events and being able to feature expert handicapper Tom Leach and master...

Two turns, zero problems. With racing action largely limited to the far south across the rest of the country, Nearly (Not This Time) gave the frozen East Coast something to cheer about and passed his stretch-out test with authority Saturday, capturing the GIII Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park and picking up 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. A Florida-bred and Virginia-certified son of Not This Time, Nearly built on a lackluster Aqueduct debut in October, coming back less than a month later to destroy fellow Florida-breds...

Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC's Burnham Square (Liam's Map), who last captured the GIII Holy Bull Stakes Feb. 1, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.05 (2/13) Saturday morning at Palm Meadows in preparation for next Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. The Ian Wilkes-trained colt finished the workout at Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County on even terms with stablemate Into Champagne (Into Mischief), who finished second in the GII Davona Dale Stakes and third in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks last year, before galloping out with energy....

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides his analysis for Saturday's quartet of GI Kentucky Derby prep races. GIII Holy Bull S. - Last year's jaw-dropping GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) finds a perfect landing spot to launch his sophomore season versus seven overmatched rivals. Not worth trying to beat him here, even if he's closer to 1-9 than his 3-5 morning-line quote. I can't see him defeating the recently crowned 2023 champion 2-year-old, but how about Domestic Product (Practical Joke) to...

Saturday's graded stakes races stretch out from coast to coast and feature significant GI Kentucky Derby implications, but not entirely for the reasons we've come to expect. In South Florida, it is business as usual for the Derby preps while on the West Coast all things Kentucky Derby took an unprecedented turn. On the heels of a very successful GI Pegasus World Cup weekend, Gulfstream Park offers a tremendous card with five graded races, including the 34th running of the GIII Holy Bull S. named for the Hall of Famer...

Led by last term's hard-fought GII Remsen S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), a deep field of nine will line up for Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Park. Owned by Donegal Racing and trained by Todd Pletcher, Mo Donegal outslugged Zandon (Upstart) by a nose after a roughly run stretch drive while making his stakes debut in that aforementioned 1 1/8-mile affair at Aqueduct last time Dec. 4. "We decided that the Holy Bull was the right starting point," Pletcher said. "It gives us plenty of options. If...

   Gray horses have been in a GI Kentucky Derby rut the past 15 years. No fewer than 31 consecutive grays (or roans) have gone to post without winning on the first Saturday in May (or September) since Giacomo roared home in front at 50-1 in 2005. That's the longest Derby drought for grays in terms of consecutive starts since 1930, when Churchill Downs began compiling detailed records related to horse colors. There's an asterisk as to whether it's the longest stretch in terms of years. There was a 17-year...

Courtlandt Farm homebred Greatest Honour (Tapit) still hasn't quite figured things out completely, but the immaculately bred bay maintained his upward mobility and made the most of his raw ability to post a handy victory in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Park, earning 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in the process. Recent California transfer Tarantino (Pioneerof the Nile) attended the pace and stuck on for second ahead of 'TDN Rising Star' Prime Factor (Quality Road). Greatest Honour made a pair of starts over seven...

Mutasaabeq (Into Mischief), a stakes winner on both dirt and turf, will miss an expected start in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream and is off the GI Kentucky Derby trail, according to a report by Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch. The Shadwell Stable colorbearer and 'TDN Rising Star' annexed the Mucho Macho Man S. in Hallandale last out and also captured the GIII Bourbon S. on the Keeneland turf in October. "The versatile Mutasaabeq, impressive winner of the Mucho Macho Man, who was pointing for Saturday's Holy Bull...

As a Hall of Fame jockey and two-time winning rider of the GI Kentucky Derby, Mike Smith knows his way around Churchill Downs. After having his morning-line favored mount Omaha Beach (War Front) scratched the week of the race last year, Smith is back aboard a major contender in Saturday's Run for the Roses. Wednesday, the 55-year-old rider who's still at the top of his game joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland. Calling in via Zoom from Louisville as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Smith talked...

Tiz the Law (Constitution), an impressive return winner of the GIII Holy Bull S. last Saturday, will remain in Florida leading up to the GI Kentucky Derby and will next contest the GI Florida Derby at Gulfstream Mar. 28, owner Sackatoga Stable announced Friday. The Barclay Tagg trainee, who won last year's GI Champagne S. before finishing a close third in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., was also being considered for the GII Louisiana Derby. "There really are a number of factors, starting with how well he ran in...

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - GIII Holy Bull S. - What a way to kick off the Brisnet Triple Crown Throwdown: three races coast to coast with at least a pair of vulnerable favorites. I'm all for taking another shot against...