Race of the Week: Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park

by Patricia Woo | Jan 18 2010

Horse racing at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., continues with the first significant test for 2010 Kentucky Derby hopefuls on Saturday, Jan. 23: the $150,000 Gr. 3 Holy Bull Stakes. This 1-mile test for 3-year-olds will feature up-and-comers Jackson Bend, Homeboykris and Aikenite, among others.

Jackson Bend is a Florida-bred Hear No Evil colt trained by Nick Zito, Jr. As a 2-year-old, Jackson Bend was beaten just once in his six-race campaign; after winning his maiden second time out at Calder Race Course, he went on to win four straight in the Florida Stallion Stakes series at Calder, culminating in the $400,000 In Reality Stakes on Oct. 17. He completed the year with a 6-5-1-0 record and $477,820 in earnings. The Holy Bull Stakes will be a step up in competition for Jackson Bend, but all indications are that he is more than ready. He has been training at Palm Meadows in anticipation of his 2010 debut and recently posted a bullet workout – 5/8ths in 1:00.00.

Expectations are high for Homeboykris, a Richard Dutrow, Jr., trainee, to overcome a disappointing fifth-place finish in the $200,000 Gr. 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 28. He was a resounding winner of the $400,000 Gr. 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park in October (beating fellow Holy Bull Stakes nominee Discreetly Mine), a promising start to his stakes-racing career after breaking his maiden in July at Calder Race Course. Homeboykris is a Maryland-bred son of Roman Ruler and finished 2009 with a 4-2-0-0 record and $260,550 in earnings.

Aikenite is Todd Pletcher's choice for the Holy Bull Stakes on Saturday. Aside from a strong maiden-breaking performance at Saratoga in August, Aikenite has not found the winner's circle at the graded-stakes level of racing yet. He was third in the $300,000 Gr. 1 Hopeful Stakes in September and a close runner-up in the $500,000 Gr. 1 Breeders' Futurity Stakes in October. But this Yes It's True colt  faltered in the $2M Gr. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, finishing fifth by 2 ½ lengths. Aikenite's 2009 campaign ended with a 4-1-1-1 record and $223,000 in earnings

Other scheduled to line up for Saturday's race include Winslow Homer and Piscitelli. Winslow Homer is a son of Unbridled's Song and recent allowance race winner trained by Anthony Dutrow; Piscitelli is a Victory Gallop colt trained by Gregory Sacco and recent fourth-place finisher in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November.

Saratoga Sinner took the Holy Bull title last year in a winning time of 1:51.45. Who will win this year's edition? Bet on horse racing at Gulfstream Park with the Bodog Racebook!