Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes comes our way this Saturday, January 26 from beautiful Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida. Three year olds will be featured as they ramp up for the Kentucky Derby in May in this 1 1/16 mile dirt race. A nice purse of $400,000 is on the line in what should be a most interesting race.
A field of 10 potential Kentucky Derby contenders will line up in the Holy Bull Stakes - race 10 on Gulfstream's Saturday schedule. Post time is 5:05 PM. Lets' take a brief glance into the past performances of all 10 entries and what brought them to this Grade 3 race. Shanghai Bobby returns to action and some of the top trainers in the world will send out some of their top prospects in order to squash the confidence of the early Kentucky Derby favorite.
2013 Holy Bull Stakes Race Favorites
Shanghai Bobby - Newly minted Eclipse Award winner for two year old males, Todd Pletcher's Shanghai Bobby looks to remain perfect in his career - he has five starts and five impressive wins including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last time out and a pair of stakes - the Grade 1 Foxwoods Champaign in October and the Grade 2 Three Chimney's Hopeful. Shanghai Bobby currently sits in second place n the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" points standings and will be looking to build a lead in that race Saturday. He is unquestionably the one everyone will be gunning for Saturday.
Frac Daddy - Kenneth McPeek trained colt has three career starts with a win in a Maiden Special Weight by 9 3/4 lengths at Churchill Downs in November and two second place finishes - a MSW in his debut in October and a very close second last time out to Uncaptured in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes November 24. Frac Daddy is one of many expected to challenge in the Holy Bull.
Holy Bull Stakes 2013 | Remaining Field Entries
Dewey Square - Eclipse Award winning trainer Dale Romans sends out Dewey Square who won a MSW and an Allowance Optional Claiming race to start his career and was third last time out in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs November 24 behind Uncaptured and Frac Daddy. He missed by 1 1/4 lengths in that race and will be looking to better that result Saturday.
Bern Identity - is trained by Kelly Breen and after a second place finish in his first race, he won by a stunning 13 3/4 lengths in wire-to-wire fashion on June 1. He followed that up with a win in the Grade 2 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga on July 22, an OK third to Shanghai Bobby and Fortify in the Grade 2 Three Chimneys, a win in the minor Jean Lafitte Stakes October 20 by three lengths, and he was a very nice second to current Derby Points leader Goldencents last time out in the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot. He has been in the money in all six career starts and is certainly a threat in the Holy Bull.
Itsmyluckyday - has three stakes wins in eight career starts for trainer Edward Plesa including the minor Gulfstream Park Derby here on January 1. Before that was a fourth in the Dania Beach Stakes December 15 and a sixth in the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot in November. He had some success at Calder in the summer - wins in the minor Foolish Pleasure Stakes and the Tipton Turf Dash Stakes. Itsmyluckyday has placed in just one of his last three starts - that being a win last time out in the Gulfstream Park Derby.
Holy Bull Stakes betting at Gulfstream Park with OffTrackBetting.com
Clearly Now - ships in from Woodbine after three career starts there resulted in two wins to start his career and a third last time out in the minor Display Stakes December 1.
Tulira Castle - will make his stakes debut Saturday after two wins and two seconds in four career starts. He is coming off a win over Fredricksburg and will have blinkers added for the Holy Bull.
Fredricksburg - Michael Matz trained colt has a win, a second and a third place finish in five career starts. He has placed in his last two races - a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out here and a third in the Incurable Optimist Stakes at Belmont Park October 28. His only graded stakes action saw Fredricksburg finish a respectable third in the Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes three back at Keeneland.
Sr. Quisqueyano - had three wins to start his career and has reeled off four straight runner-up finishes ahead of the Holy Bull including the Gulfstream Park Derby last time out, the Jack Price Juvenile two back, the Birdonthewire Stakes three back and the Foolish Pleasure Stakes before that.
Joshua's Comprise - has 15 career starts under his belt already with a win, three seconds and three third place finishes but has placed in just one of his last five starts - an Allowance score at Calder September 30. Last time out was a fourth in the Gulfstream Park Derby to follow a pair of ninth place finishes.
