In 1994, Holy Bull finished sixth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and 12th as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Those were his only bad days in a year when he swept five Grade 1 races – Florida Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, Met Mile, Haskell Stakes, Travers Stakes -- and was voted Horse of the Year and 3-year-old champion.
Holy Bull went 8-for-10 that season for trainer Jimmy Croll and finished his career 13-for-16, which guaranteed his 2001 election to the Hall of Fame. Gulfstream Park named a Triple Crown prep in his honor, and on Saturday the $300,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) will offer Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a sliding scale (20-10-6-4-2) to the first five finishers.
In recent years, two Holy Bull winners went on to outstanding careers. White Abarrio took the 2023 Whitney Stakes (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) along with the 2025 Pegasus World Cup (G1). Tiz the Law dominated the 2020 Belmont Stakes (G1) and was champion 3-year-old male. Last year Burnham Square hit the Holy Bull-Blue Grass double.
\One of the Holy Bull’s leading contenders, Incredibolt (9-2), completed his 2-year-old season impressively for trainer Riley Mott. In late October he won the 1 1/16-mile Street Sense Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs, the same race Mott’s father, Bill, won with future Derby-Belmont-Travers hero Sovereignty, the 2025 Horse of the Year.
“Everything with Incredibolt has gone according to plan, which has been nice,” Riley Mott said. “The horse seems to be coming around the right way for us. Hopefully, he keeps improving all the time.”
As for comparisons with his dad’s superstar, Riley said: “We’ve got a ways to go to match that horse … but we’re excited to see how Incredibolt runs on Saturday.”
Buetane, who would have been among the favorites, will miss the Holy Bull because his flight from California was canceled. The Bob Baffert colt was second in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) and San Vicente (G2). Game for It was scratched to await the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs.
Three-year-old sprinters will race in the ungraded, 7-furlong Swale Stakes. Solitude Dude, 2-for-2 by a total of 15 1/2 lengths for Saffie Joseph Jr., is the horse to beat.
Holy Bull Stakes (race 12, post time: 5:45 pm ET)
Four in the field of eight just broke their maiden, so Roger That Dana, Project Ace, Global Aviator and Cannoneer appear to be up against it. That leaves two leading contenders – Incredibolt (9-2) and Nearly (9-5).
Incredibolt has good early- and late-pace figures. He’s also versatile, having broken his maiden while stalking before going last to first in the Street Sense. Besides longshot Project Ace, he’s the only one with a win at 1 1/16 miles.
Nearly tries two turns and stakes company for the first time after crushing two sprints (total margin 14¼ lengths) at Gulfstream. Closed well at 7 furlongs and should be in the mix for Todd Pletcher.
Bravaro is 2-for-2 for Joseph, scoring at 6 furlongs and a mile at Aqueduct. It’s the first time in open company for the New York-bred, so can he overcome the class rise?
The picks: 1 Incredibolt 2 Nearly 3 Bravaro
1 Incredibolt (Jaime Torres, Riley Mott), 9-2
2 Roger That Dana (Renzo Rojas, Luis Ramirez), 20-1
3 Project Ace (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans), 20-1
4 Global Aviator (Joe Bravo, Rohan Crichton), 5-1
5 Cannoneer (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Brad Cox), 2-1
6 Buetane (Joel Rosario, Bob Baffert) SCRATCHED
7 Nearly (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher), 9-5
8 Bravaro (Tyler Gaffalione, Saffie Joseph, Jr.), 8-1
9 Game for It (Junior Alvarado, Chad Summers) SCRATCHED
Ed McNamara is an award-winning racing writer who has covered the sport since 1981 for The Bergen (N.J.) Record, Newsday, ESPN, Thorocap, and USRacing. He is the author of Cajun Racing: From the Bush Tracks to the Triple Crown and Racing Around the World, and a contributor to The Most Glorious Crown and The Racetracks of America. He has also written for racing publications in France and Italy.
