Winter storm blasts, polar vortices and subzero temperatures have wiped out racing through the central and eastern part of the United States this weekend, leaving tracks such as Aqueduct and Oaklawn Park to re-schedule three-year-old stakes races. Oaklawn’s Southwest Stakes (G3), featuring two promising colts from the barn of Woodbine’s leading trainer MARK CASSE, was moved from Saturday to next Friday, Feb. 6 and it offers a huge $1 million purse. The Withers Stakes at Aqueduct will be rescheduled as that track remains closed due to weather.
There is still racing in Florida and California; however, the forecast high temperature in south Florida on Sunday is expected to be in the single digits.
Gulfstream has the $275,000 HOLY BULL STAKES (G3) on Saturday, a stepping-stone to the track’s big Kentucky Derby prep, the Florida Derby (GI) which is on March 28. And, with the Champion two-year-old colt of 2025 and early Derby favourite TED NOFFEY now off the Derby trail due to bone bruising, there is more room for a Derby contender to rise to the top.
There are just seven horses set to start in the Holy Bull with the early scratching of BUETANE (he will be at Oaklawn) and expected scratching of GAME FOR IT, but there are a few hotshots looking to take the next step in the field.
Pin Oak Stud LLC’s INCREDIBOLT (Bolt d’Oro – Sapphire Spitfire by Awesome Again) won the Street Sense Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs on Oct. 26 for trainer Riley Mott and that is the same race won by 2025 Derby winner Sovereignty, trained by Mott’s father Bill.
Incredibolt, who raced evenly to finish fourth following a wide trip in his six-furlong career debut at Ellis Park Aug. 22, graduated in his second start a month later in a one-turn mile at Churchill Downs, where he closely stalked the pace before drawing off by two lengths. He went on to win his stakes debut in the Street Sense in his next start to conclude his juvenile campaign.
“He’s done very well this winter, wintering down here in Florida. He had a pretty productive two-year-old year, breaking his maiden and winning the Street Sense Stakes,” Mott said. “We gave him a planned vacation at Pin Oak Stud, and they kept him ticking over for us until the beginning of December, at which point he came down here. He hasn’t missed a beat.”
Incredibolt, rated third at 9-2 on the morning line, has produced a strong series of six workouts at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.
Jaime Torres, who rode Incredibolt in all three of his starts, has the return call for the Holy Bull, in which they will break from the rail post position.
Centennial Farms’ Nearly (Not This Time – Ib Prospecting, by Mineshaft), the 9-5 morning-line favourite, will make his first start around two turns in the Holy Bull winning two recent sprints at Gulfstream in dominating fashion.
“Everything to us indicates that [two turns] should be to his advantage,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He’s always trained like a horse that wanted more distance and he’s got the pedigree to do it, so we’re excited about stretching him out.”
The son of Not This Time finished a disappointing sixth and last in his Oct. 26 career debut at Aqueduct, but has blossomed since shipping south. He defeated fellow Florida-breds by 9 ¼ lengths at six furlongs Nov. 22 at Gulfstream, where he returned Jan. 2 to defeat open company at seven furlongs by five going-away lengths.
“He’s been doing great. His two runs at Gulfstream have been what we were hoping for,” Pletcher said. “We were perplexed with his debut where he was very green and didn’t run as well as we thought he would. But he’s backed that up with two impressive performances and I like the way he’s been training coming into this.”
Pletcher, who saddled Audible for victories in the Holy Bull and Florida Derby in 2018, has awarded the return mount aboard Nearly to Hall of Famer John Velazquez.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who saddled hard-knocking Skippylongstocking and White Abarrio for a thrilling one-two finish in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream last Saturday, will be represented by up-and-coming Bravaro (Upstart – Opera Star by Tamarkuz) in the Holy Bull. The colt is owned by Albert Ciuffetelli, Stephanie Brennan, Shining Stable LLC, BAG Racing Stables and Paul Braverman (who has won this race twice, with Harvey Wallbanger and Cairo Prince), is undefeated in two starts, both achieved against fellow New York-breds at Aqueduct.
Bravaro won his six-furlong debut Sept. 26 by a length before capturing the one-turn mile Sleepy Hollow Stakes by 2 ½ lengths Oct. 25. He rallied from well off the pace in both victories. Tyler Gaffalione, who rode Skippylongstocking to victory in the Pegasus World Cup, is slated to ride Bravaro for the first time.
St. Elias Stable and Stonestreet Stables LLC’s Cannoneer (Into Mischief – Catch the Moon by Malibu Moon) will make his 2026 debut in the Holy Bull while trying two turns for the first time.
The $1.75 million yearling purchase, who debuted with a disappointing third-place finish as the odds-on favourite last June at Churchill, returned from a six-month layoff to break his maiden by 7 ¼ lengths Nov. 29 going seven furlongs at the Louisville, KY track.
Irad Ortiz Jr. has the return mount aboard the Brad Cox trainee, who is rated second at 2-1 on the morning line.
Albaugh Family Stables LLC’s Project Ace (War of Will – Plenty o’Toole by Tiznow) will enter the Holy Bull off a pair of strong efforts at 1 1/16 miles that followed a third-place finish at seven furlongs in his Sept. 18 debut at Churchill Downs. Stretching out around two turns for the first time, the colt rallied from far back to miss by a nose in a Keeneland maiden race a month later. The Dale Romans trainee graduated in his next outing at Churchill Nov. 15 with a late-rallying score by a head. Corey Lanerie has the return mount on Project Ace.
Smith Ranch Stables’ Roger That Dana, who finished second in the one-turn mile Mucho Macho Man Jan. 3 at Gulfstream, and Special Aviators LLC’s Global Aviator, who is coming off a rallying victory in his six-furlong debut at Gulfstream, round out the field of expected starters.
The last horse to win the Holy Bull and later win the Kentucky Derby was Barbaro in 2006.
-with files from Gulfstream Park media
More News
