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Upstart faces nine in Holy Bull

Upstart looks for his first graded stakes win in the Holy Bull (Adam Mooshian/Adam Coglianese Photography) Upstart (Flatter), the New York-bred ridgling who held his own against some of the leading juveniles in the country last fall, might go off a slight favorite when he returns to the track Saturday for the $400,000 Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream Park. The 1 1/16-mile Holy Bill, a prep for the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Florida Derby (G1) later in the meet, anchors an 11-race program that includes four other stakes. After proving his worth against fellow state-breds at Saratoga last summer, where he won twice including the $196,000 Funny Cide, Upstart moved on to face open company in the Champagne (G1), where he finished 2 1/2 lengths second to Daredevil. Shipped west for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), the son of Flatter endured a troubled trip but managed to finish a distant third to Texas Red, but only a nose behind runner-up Carpe Diem.

Frosted finished second in his first two outings before a 5 1/4-length maiden breaking performance at Aqueduct on October 30. Saddled with post 13 in the nine-furlong Remsen (G2) the following month, the Godolphin homebred raced wide and missed by a half-length as the 9-5 favorite. The gray Tapit colt has drawn post 1 for the Holy Bull.

First Down (Street Sense), who also races for Godolphin, beat Frosted by three parts of a length in a September 20 maiden at Belmont in which they raced as a coupled entry, but probably bled when a distant fourth in the Nashua (G2) in his next start. First Down adds Lasix for the Holy Bull and will race uncoupled from Frosted.

Bluegrass Singer (Bluegrass Cat) stretches out after a pair of wire-to-wire wins over Gulfstream's one-turn mile, including the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man on January 3. The Marcus Vitali trainee was cross-entered to the seven-furlong Hutcheson (G3) earlier in the card.

Bluegrass Singer has been entered in both the Holy Bull and Hutcheson (Leslie Martin/Adam Coglianese Photography) Also cross-entered to the Hutcheson is Dom the Bomb (Bring the Heat), who made a mockery of Illinois-bred rivals in two stakes at Hawthorne last fall, but who finished unplaced in his only other attempt against open company. The Holy Bull has also attracted Keen Ice (Curlin), a distant third in the Remsen last time; Coronation Futurity winner Decision Day (Macho Uno); the stakes-placed Juan and Bina (Indian Charlie) and High Noon Rider (Distorted Humor); and Frammento (Midshipman). The winner of the Holy Bull will receive 10 qualifying points as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series.

Eleven three-year-old fillies will travel seven furlongs in the $200,000 Forward Gal (G2), a prelude for the Davona Dale (G2) and Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2).

By the Moon (Indian Charlie), who landed the Frizette (G1) in the Belmont slop last fall, will be looking to rebound from a modest effort in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), where she raced wide from post 12. However, the Michelle Nevin trainee was done no favors by drawing post 10 here.

Seduire (Elusive Quality) invades from California where she recently won the Santa Ynez (G2) at the same trip. The gray speedball, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, previously won stakes at Golden Gate Fields and Santa Rosa as a two-year-old.

Frizette winner By the Moon will have to overcome a wide draw in the Forward Gal (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Ekat's Phaeton (Tale of Ekati) will attempt to make it two-for-two this year after landing the January 3 Old Hat (G3) by a half-length. Also expected to attract support is Enchantress (Malibu Moon), who has comfortably won twice for Pletcher but ran below par in the Tempted (G3) in her only other stakes attempt, and Skipalute (Midnight Lute), the Matron (G2) and Delta Downs Princess (G3) runner-up. The winner of the Forward Gal will earn 10 qualifying points in the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series. The $150,000 Hutcheson, previously alluded to, also features Barbados (Speightstown), impressive three-length winner of the $100,000 Spectacular Bid on January 3 in his debut for trainer Mike Tomlinson. In addition to possible starters Bluegrass Singer and Dom the Bomb, the race also includes Pasco runner-up X Y Jet (Kantharos), local allowance winner Richard the Great (Distorted Humor), and the Todd Pletcher-trained Stanford (Malibu Moon).

Sophomores will also be featured on turf in the $100,000 Sweetest Chant (G3), for fillies, and the $100,000 Kitten's Joy, both at a mile.

The Sweetest Chant features Consumer Credit, heroine of the $75,000 Wait a While at Gulfstream Park West; Jimmy Durante (G3) winner Ol' Fashion Gal (Sky Mesa); and Arlington-Washington Lassie winner and Jessamine (G3) runner-up Quality Rocks (Rock Hard Ten). An intriguing stakes newcomer is Miss Temple City (Temple City), a Laurel graduate who won a Gulfstream allowance last month by three lengths.

Chief Kitten (Kitten's Joy) and Croninthebarbarian (Stroll), separated by a nose in the $76,000 Pulpit in late November, renew rivalry in the Kitten's Joy. Chief Kitten has not raced in the interim, though Croninthebarbarian exits a third in the January 3 Dania Beach (G3).

European import Dr No (Aussie Rules) endured a troubled trip in his U.S. debut, won in a tie by returning rival Dubai Sky (Candy Ride), and is sure to be given the benefit of the doubt by bettors. Another former European mainstay is Stefochop (Muhaymin), a maiden winner at Maisons-Laffitte last May.

Also expected to garner some support are Eh Cumpari (Elusive Quality), a sharp debut winner on dirt at Aqueduct in November, and the front runners Courtier (Pioneerof the Nile) and Bravo Charlie (Exchange Rate).

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