by James Scully
Sunday’s $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park marks the seasonal
debut for Hansen, who secured champion two-year-old male divisional honors and
remained unbeaten with a gutsy score in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The gray son
of Tapit tops a short field of six in the one-turn mile race.
The Grade 2, $200,000 Forward Gal Stakes for three-year-old fillies at seven
furlongs is also on tap, and Gulfstream will offer an interesting optional
claiming event for three-year-olds. Carded as the 7TH race, the 1 1/16-mile test
has attracted a nice field of nine that includes Kentucky Derby hopefuls Casual
Trick, El Padrino and Take Charge Indy.
Hansen utilized his speed while taking an unconventional route to the Eclipse
Award. He made his first two career starts over the Polytrack at Turfway Park,
easily running away from his rivals both times, including a 13 1/4-length tally
in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile, and stepped up to make his dirt debut in the
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The Mike Maker-trained colt once again led all the way
at Churchill Downs, but not before repulsing a stiff late bid from Grade 1
Champagne Stakes winner Union Rags, who is overwhelmingly regarded as the early
favorite for this year’s Kentucky Derby.
Jockey Ramon Dominguez, who picked up the mount on the front runner in the
Breeders’ Cup, retains the assignment and Hansen will face a couple of promising
rivals, Algorithms and Consortium, who are making their stakes debuts in the
Holy Bull.
Algorithms rolled to a 5 1/4-length score when making his first start in a
June 3 maiden special weight at Belmont Park, but wasn’t seen again under silks
until December 16, returning with a good-looking victory in a 6 1/2-furlong
optional claiming event at Gulfstream. Javier Castellano rides for Todd
Pletcher. Consortium easily won at first asking for Kiaran McLaughlin on
November 12, posting a 4 3/4-length decision at Aqueduct, and then finished
second as the favorite to Algorithms in the aforementioned optional claimer. He
will keep John Velazquez in the irons.
Algorithms and Consortium are both by Bernardini.
Rounding out the Holy Bull field is Fort Loudon, who swept the Florida
Stallion Stakes series before finishing seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile;
listed stakes victor My Adonis, who will be looking to rebound from a ninth in
the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot; and recent turf maiden winner Silver Max.
A contentious field of six is set for the Forward Gal, and the one-two
finishers from the Grade 3 Old Hat Stakes on New Year’s Day, Sacristy and Say a
Novena, are leading contenders. Sacristy has won two straight for Wayne
Catalano, breaking her maiden by a 6 3/4-length margin at Churchill Downs in her
2011 finale, and the dark bay filly will keep Kent Desormeaux up. Say a Novena
recorded stakes wins at Monmouth Park and Parx Racing before concluding last
year with a 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. The Ed Plesa Jr. pupil
will look to keep improving while stretching out another furlong upon her
late-running effort in the Old Hat, and Elvis Trujillo has the call.
Broadway’s Alibi will also attract support following her sharp local score
over optional claiming foes for Pletcher. The once-beaten daughter of
Vindication has captured her last two outings by a combined 12 lengths and will
be ridden by Velazquez. The remaining three contestants are all stakes winners.
Quick Flip opened this year with a front-running victory in the Sandpiper
Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, improving to three for three in the process, but
suffered her first career setback when fourth in the Old Hat. The Terri
Pompay-trained chestnut will be guided by Rajiv Maragh. Yara will make her first
start since taking the Joe O’Farrell Juvenile Fillies at Calder in November, and
Letellier Memorial Stakes heroine Good Deed invades from Fair Grounds with a
three-race win skein in tow.
The optional claiming event for three-year-old males could have a major
impact upon stakes races down the road.
Take Charge Indy is definitely on the Kentucky Derby trail, recording a
second in the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity and a fourth in the Grade 1
Breeders’ Futurity before concluding his juvenile campaign with a credible fifth
in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Out multiple Grade 1 winner Take Charge Lady, the
son of A.P. Indy has banked nearly $100,000 in graded earnings and will make his
second dirt start on Saturday. Trainer Pat Byrne will give a leg up to Calvin
Borel.
Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito has high hopes for Casual Trick, who exits a
half-length second in the Gulfstream Park Derby. A smart maiden winner at
Churchill Downs two back, the bay ridgling has recorded a couple of bullet works
at Palm Meadows this winter and Zito opted for this spot over the Holy Bull
because of the two-turn distance. Velazquez will stick with Casual Trick.
El Padrino rolled to a 12 3/4-length maiden win as the odds-on favorite at
Belmont Park two starts back and was beaten less than a length when third in the
Grade 2 Remsen Stakes last out. The Pletcher charge loses Velazquez, who had
been up for all three starts, and picks up Castellano.