Two days after Ted Noffey, the undefeated two-year-old Eclipse Award champion of 2025, was officially taken off the Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1), Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher gained a prime three-year-old prospect when Centennial Farms’ NEARLY (Florida-bred, Not This Time) scored a dominating 5 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s $175,000 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
“You have ups and downs in this game, that’s just the way it is. [Ted Noffey] won’t be the only defection on the way to the Derby. We were fortunate he had a magnificent two-year-old campaign, and it just wasn’t meant to be in the early spring for this year. We’re happy the prognosis is good for a healthy comeback, and we look forward to getting him back at Saratoga,” Pletcher said. “I don’t really look at it like this one replaces that one. This horse has been doing well on his own and we have high hopes for him. We’re happy to have him.”
The Holy Bull, a 1 1/16-mile prep for the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 28 at Gulfstream, headlined a 12-race program featuring five stakes for three-year-olds.
The two Holy Bull favourites, Cannoneer, an impressive maiden winner for trainer Brad Cox, and Nearly, battled in a duel soon after the first turn of the race. The fractions were fierce – 22.82 and 45.96 – and watching the pair go fast up front was Bravaro (Upstart), co-owned by Paul Braverman.
John Velazquez rode Nearly and was surprised his colt was on the pace.
“I thought it was going to be a two-horse race, but I didn’t think my horse would be that close. He got a little aggressive today. He was never like that,” Velazquez said. “Normally, it takes him a little while to get his legs under him, but today he was there right away.”
Nearly put away Cannoneer, who faded to fourth.
Nearly, who disappointed with a sixth-place finish in his Oct. 26 debut at Aqueduct, graduated with an authoritative off-the-pace 9 1/2 length maiden score at Gulfstream Nov. 22. He came right back Jan. 2 to capture an off-the pace five-length victory in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance. On Saturday, he made his first start around two turns.
“This race he elevated to a different level,” Velazquez said. “I didn’t expect him to be that aggressive, but that’s what good horses do.”
Nearly ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.52 for a 97 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form. Bravaro was second and Project Ace, who was very far back early in the Holy Bull, flew late for third.
NEARLY is the 36th graded stakes winner for Not This Time (Giant’s Causeway) who had his 35th graded winner when On Time Girl won the Forward Gal Stakes (G3) earlier on the card. Nearly’s dam IB PROSPECTING (Mineshaft) passed away recently and she has a two-year-old filly by Authentic and a yearling colt by Taiba. Ib Prospecting is from the long line of Florida ‘Frolic’ horses. Her third dam, Cherokee Frolic (Cherokee Fellow) won 14 stakes races including the Test Stakes (G2). She produced 11 winners including Grade 3 winner Lindsay Frolic and Grade 3 winner Fabulous Frolic. Lindsay Frolic had 12 named foals including millionaire Super Frolic and four-time stakes winner Stormy Frolic, who in turn produced $346,000 stakes winner Frolic’s Revenge (whose stakes wins included the Lindsay Frolic Stakes!) and Ib Prospecting.
The breeders of Nearly are Harold and Kris Gibbons’ Wind Hill Farm in Morriston, Florida.
Additional quotes:
Centennial Farms owner Don Little (Nearly, 1st): “It’s terrific. The partnership group we have loves this game, loves the sport, they’re patient as we always are and Todd’s team has been great. We have a long way to go but taking the first step to go is the first step and we succeeded there.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher (Nearly, 1st): “We wanted to get to the first turn forwardly, not necessarily on the lead, but in a good stalking position. He kind of broke inward a little bit and recovered. Those two went to the first turn and they were clicking right along. It looked like he got into a good rhythm. At that point I was a little worried about who might be closing from behind because they went pretty fast together early, but it looked like he turned for home and had a lot of horse under him. It was an impressive race. We always felt like he would handle the stretch-out, but it’s always good to see.
“The horse has been training super and we felt good coming into this but, yeah, that was everything we hoped it would be.
“We kind of talked about [his next race]. This was his third race pretty close together and we felt like we’d get the two-turn race under his belt and see where we stood. I think after seeing that today, I’ll talk to Don Little and the Centennial [Farm] guys and we’ll come up with a plan. But the horse is three-for-three at Gulfstream and there’s plenty of time to the Florida Derby. It probably makes sense to take a close look at staying home.”
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