Omaha Beach winning the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) at Oaklawn Park - Coady Photography As we head into the final round of Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races, now seems like a good time to look back at the 17 North American prep races already run this year and assign a rating to each one. My ratings—based on a scale of 1 to 5—attempt to blend the apparent strength of each race on paper with its potential [...]
Harvey Wallbanger winning the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. II) - Photo by Adam Coglianese Photography/Leslie Martin Harvey Wallbanger spent much of Saturday’s Fasig-Tipon Holy Bull Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park racing in last place, but the 29-1 shot made the last move and ultimately had the last laugh as he rallied to post a stunning upset victory. The early pace of the 8.5-furlong Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race wound up more contested than expected as Epic [...]
We're kicking off February by looking ahead to the weekend of stakes action including the Withers from Aqueduct, Holy Bull card from Gulfstream Park, and the Bob Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. Then the BARN Jury come in to give their picks for the big football game on Sunday.
Maximus Mischief winning the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) at Aqueduct - Photo by NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography/Chelsea Durand When ten horses line up to face the starter in Saturday’s $350,000 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park, all eyes will be on the heavy favorite #8 Maximus Mischief. On paper, this 8.5-furlong Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race should be a walk in the park for Maximus Mischief. The son of Into Mischief compiled a perfect 3-for-3 [...]
The grand finale on the 14-race Saturday afternoon card at Gulfstream Park is the $1.1 million dollar Grade 1 Florida Derby. The event for three-year-olds is conducted at a mile and an eighth and offers a total of 170 qualifying points (100 to the winner) on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” leaderboard. The Florida Derby marks the return of one of my top contenders for this year’s “Run for the Roses” in #8 Audible. The New York bred has [...]
Audible winning the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park - Photo by Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photography It’s not every week that my jaw drops in awe at a performance on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, but that was pretty much my reaction when the field turned for home in the February 3rd $350,000 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park. At that juncture in the 8.5-furlong race, the Grade 1-winning Free Drop Billy had just [...]
Enticed wins the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs (Coady Photo/Churchill Downs) The Pegasus World Cup may be in the rearview mirror, but Gulfstream Park has yet another strong card on tap for Saturday afternoon headlined by the Grade 2 Holy Bull. With five graded stakes events scattered over the 12-race slate, there are plenty of options for those that prefer gambling on the highest quality of thoroughbreds. However, my favorite wagers on the card outside of [...]
Enticed (blue silks) winning the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) - Coady Photography/Churchill Downs It’s an oft-stated fact that outside post positions are a disadvantage in 8.5-furlong and 9-furlong races at Gulfstream Park. With a very short run to the first turn, horses drawn outside are in danger of getting hung wide early in the race. That could certainly be the case in the $350,000 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. II) on Saturday, the first of Gulfstream’s three official [...]
This Saturday, on Jan. 30, dreams of roses invade the thoughts of horse racing trainers, owners, and jockeys alike in earnest. What most consider the first true Kentucky Derby prep of the year takes place when 3 year olds hit the Gulfstream Park dirt track for the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes. The first Holy Bull Stakes was run in 1990. It was called the Preview Stakes at the time. The name didn't change until 1996. The name was changed in [...]
