By Stefanie Grimm
Two turns, zero problems.
With racing action largely limited to the far south across the rest of the country, Nearly (Not This Time) gave the frozen East Coast something to cheer about and passed his stretch-out test with authority Saturday, capturing the GIII Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park and picking up 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
A Florida-bred and Virginia-certified son of Not This Time, Nearly built on a lackluster Aqueduct debut in October, coming back less than a month later to destroy fellow Florida-breds at Gulfstream by 9 1/4 lengths. Going seven furlongs against winners in his 3-year-old debut, the Todd Pletcher runner put up a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in a five-length winning performance Jan. 2. And if that failed to catch the eye, Nearly entered Saturday's Holy Bull off a best-of-25 work going four furlongs at Palm Beach Downs in :48 2/5 on Jan. 24.
The second choice at 8-5 behind favored 'TDN Rising Star' Cannoneer (Into Mischief) just to his inside, Nearly hooked his rival right from the jump and the pair sped off on the short run into the first turn on this 1 1/16-mile journey. The slightly speedier Cannoneer held a heads-length advantage into the backstretch with Nearly content to sit just off his flank through fractions of :22.82 and :45.96.
New York-bred Bravaro (Upstart) sat in that pair's wake a length back and Global Aviator (Global Campaign) was the only other runner left in the shot as the dueling leaders continued to duke it out around the far turn.
With just over a quarter-mile left to run, Nearly stepped on the gas and Cannoneer failed to respond to the move, falling back as his rival hit a new gear down the lane. Bravaro did well to run a strong second but there was no doubting the winner as Nearly cruised home under a hands and heels ride from John Velazquez. 40-1 longshot Project Ace (War of Will) out-finished Cannoneer to fill out the trifecta.
“I thought it was going to be a two-horse race, but I didn't think my horse would be that close,” said Velazquez. “He got a little aggressive today. He was never like that. Normally, it takes him a little while to get his legs under him, but today he was there right away. This race he elevated to a different level. I didn't expect him to be that aggressive, but that's what good horses do.”
Now with 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Nearly sits officially tied for second with GIII Lecomte Stakes winner Golden Tempo (Curlin). The leader however, Nearly's 'TDN Rising Star' stablemate Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), was recently pulled off the Derby trail with bone bruising. Bravaro earned 10 points for his runner-up finish and now sits 15th on the leaderboard for Saffie Joseph Jr. while Project Ace added 6 points and sits 20th for Albaugh Family Stables whose On Time Girl won the earlier GIII Forward Gal.
“We wanted to get to the first turn forwardly, not necessarily on the lead but in a good stalking position,” added Pletcher. “He kind of broke inward a little bit and recovered. Those two went to the first turn and they were clicking right along. It looked like he got into a good rhythm. At that point I was a little worried about who might be closing from behind because they went pretty fast together early, but it looked like he turned for home and had a lot of horse under him. It was an impressive race.”
“We always felt like he would handle the stretchout but it's always good to see. The horse has been training super and we felt good coming into this but, yeah, that was everything we hoped it would be.”
“You have ups and downs in this game, that's just the way it is. [Ted Noffey] won't be the only defection on the way to the Derby. We were fortunate he had a magnificent 2-year-old campaign, and it just wasn't meant to be in the early spring for this year. We're happy the prognosis is good for a healthy comeback and we look forward to getting him back at Saratoga. I don't really look at it like this one replaces that one. This horse has been doing well on his own and we have high hopes for him. We're happy to have him.”
Pletcher indicated that Nearly would likely stay at Gulfstream Park to compete in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, the track's final leg on Road to the Kentucky Derby.
“We kind of talked about it,” Pletcher said. “This was his third race pretty close together and we felt like we'd get the two-turn race under his belt and see where we stood. I think after seeing that today, I'll talk to Don Little and the Centennial [Farm] guys and we'll come up with a plan. But the horse is three-for-three at Gulfstream and there's plenty of time to the Florida Derby. It probably makes sense to take a close look at staying home.”
NEARLY ($5.40) pushed the fast fractions and still pulled away under @ljlmvel in the $275,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at @GulfstreamPark. @PletcherRacing trains the son of @TMStallions' Not This Time for owners @Centennial_Farm. Nearly gets 20 @KentuckyDerby points! pic.twitter.com/E9s18lsnFf
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 31, 2026
Pedigree Note:
Not This Time, who just added his 35th graded stakes winner in the GIII Forward Gal two races prior on the same card, now has his 36th. Nearly's winning Mineshaft first dam is a half to MSW Frolic's Revenge (Vindication), herself the mother of GSW/GISP Drew's Gold (Violence) and stakes winner American Frolic (Blame).
While Ib Prospecting sadly passed last year, she still has a 2-year-old Authentic filly named Milkweed and a yearling Taiba colt left to represent her on the track.
Saturday, Gulfstream Park
HOLY BULL S.-GIII, $267,500, Gulfstream, 1-31, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.52, ft.
1–NEARLY, 120, c, 3, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Ib Prospecting, by Mineshaft
2nd Dam: Stormy Frolic, by Summer Squall
3rd Dam: Lindsay Frolic, by Mt. Livermore
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($350,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Centennial Farms; B-Wind Hill Farm (FL); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $170,950. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $249,900. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Bravaro, 120, c, 3, Upstart–Opera Star, by Tamarkuz.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($57,000 RNA Ylg '24 SARAUG; $95,000 RNA 2yo '25 EASMAY). O-Ciuffetelli, Albert, Brennan, Stephanie S., Shining Stables LLC, BAG Racing Stables and Braverman, Paul; B-Stepanie Baltzan (NY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.. $49,500.
3–Project Ace, 118, c, 3, War of Will–Plenty O'Toole, by Tiznow.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($40,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family Stables, LLC; B-Spruce Lane Farm (KY); T-Dale L. Romans. $24,750.
Margins: 5 3/4, 2 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.70, 5.90, 40.20.
Also Ran: Cannoneer, Global Aviator, Incredibolt. Scratched: Buetane, Game for It, Roger That Dana.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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