Whitham Thoroughbreds’ homebred Burham Square angled out for the stretch drive and drove to a sharp win in Saturday’s $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park, establishing himself as a serious Kentucky Derby (G1) contender with a 1 3/4-length decision. Edgard Zayas was up for Ian Wilkes on the gelded son of Liam’s Map, and Burnham Square traveled 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.60.
After a pair of close placings to open his racing career, Burnham Square added blinkers and romped by nine lengths in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Gulfstream on Dec. 28. He was off as the 4.30-1 third choice among seven runners in his stakes debut, and the Kentucky-bred appears to be progressing rapidly.
“The key is the blinkers,” Wilkes said. “I had to put the blinkers on because he wasn’t helping me at all. I had to help him. He wouldn’t help the jockey. He wouldn’t start running in the race. He’d run away from horses, wouldn’t run into the dirt. He did everything wrong.
“This horse doesn’t get tired, and that’s an asset you saw today. He overcame a lot of adversity today and still won.”
The Holy Bull awarded 42 qualifying points (20-10-6-4-2 scale to top five finishers) as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series.
Tappan Street, the 1.70-1 favorite following a smart debut maiden win in late December, launched a strong bid to seize the lead nearing the conclusion of the far turn and entered the stretch with a clear advantage, but he proved no match in the final sixteenth of a mile for the fast-closing Burnham Square, who overcame a rough trip after being bumped on the first and far turn.
Burnham Square was away slowly from his outside post but was guided inside and saved ground while racing a couple lengths back of Kinetic Control and Guns Loaded, who dueled on the front end through opening splits in :23.42 and :47.60. He bumped with He’s Not Joking while swinging wide into the stretch and quickly reeled in Tappan Street, winning going away under the wire.
“Last time he broke a little sharp, so I really thought he’d break a little sharp and be close to the pace, but I feel like he was a little worked up before the race, a little nervous, so he broke out of there a little slow and I had to go to Plan B,” Zayas said. “I dropped to the rail and let him do his thing. He’s a horse that doesn’t get tired, has a really good stride, steady. Once I was closing in on the quarter pole, I knew I had a really good shot of winning.”
Tappan Street was nearly 10 lengths clear of late-running Burning Glory in third. Multiple Grade 1-placed juvenile Ferocious, the 2.30-1 second choice, raced forwardly before weakening in the final furlongs, finishing about another length back in fourth. It was another gap back to He’s Not Joking in fifth, and Kinetic Control and Guns Loaded rounded out the order.
Burnham Square is the first stakes winner out of the Grade 2 turf scorer Linda, a daughter of Scat Daddy who recorded all her wins at two turns, and Burnham Square counts 1983 Kentucky Derby winner Sunny’s Halo and 1973 Triple Crown hero Secretariat as his second and third maternal broodmare sires. His female family is geared toward longer distances.
Wilkes was asked about the $415,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream March 1 for Burnham Sqauare’s next start.
“That’s a strong possibility (but) first, I’m going to enjoy the night,” Wilkes said. “I’ll talk to Mrs. (Janis) Whitham and (her son and racing manager) Clay after this.”
One race after the Holy Bull, Stonestreet’s homebred Eclatant closed determinedly on the far outside to win the Forward Gal (G3), prevailing by 1 1/4 lengths in the Road to the Kentucky Oaks Challenge series event. Eclatant outfinished Stunner, heading a 1-2 finish for trainer Brad Cox, and Luis Saez picked up the assignment.
A winner in her first two starts sprinting, Eclatant cut back to seven furlongs following a third-place effort in the 1 1/16-mile Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs in late November. She picked up 20 points toward a berth in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1), with second-through-fifth place worth 10-6-4-2, and the 4-1 third choice was timed in 1:23.61.
Stunner, winner of November’s Tempted S. at Aqueduct at a one-turn mile two starts previously, rallied from just off the pace to the lead in upper stretch, but she was overhauled late by Eclatant, who was bumped at the start and seventh after the opening quarter mile. It was another length to The Queens M G in third, and Unchained Melody and Frida completed the top five.
Rojo Rita, who wheeled through opening splits in :22.04 and :44.76 as the 2.10-1 favorite after ducking in and impeding multiple rivals shortly after the break, gave way to finish sixth but was disqualified and placed last by the stewards. My Denysse, Costa Amalfitana, Justinqueso, Volatiled, and Beyond Belief were next under the wire.
Eclatant is out of the Scat Daddy mare Downside Scenario and counts Grade 2 turf winner Mutasaabeq as a full-brother. This is the immediate female family of 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner and $6.6 million earner White Abarrio, who returned to form with a convincing win in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) last weekend.
