GIII Holy Bull Stakes

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is in the process of making plans for a trio of stable stars which includes the Florida-based River Thames (Maclean's Music), Gate to Wire (Munnings) and Locked (Gun Runner). WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s undefeated 3-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames bounced out of his Feb. 1 optional claiming allowance victory in good order and will have plenty of options moving forward said Pletcher. The New York-bred bay romped by 6 1/2 lengths as the favorite going one mile in 1:36.34 on...

Trainer Ian Wilkes joins the TDN Writers' Room to discuss his stable star Burnham Square, who is now on the Derby trail after winning the GIII Holy Bull. Randy Moss and Bill Finley also review the rest of last weekend's Derby prep races and discuss Baffert's domination of the California stakes races.

The first Saturdays in February, March and April are stacked with points-awarding prep races for the GI Kentucky Derby. It's unusual, though, for all of the coast-to-coast stakes on any one of those weekends to yield three emphatic or impactful performances. But the trio of preps on Feb. 1 produced three intriguing winners who all figure to be "horses of interest" moving forward. The victories Saturday by Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita, 'TDN Rising Star' Captain Cook (Practical Joke) in the...

Whitham Thoroughbreds' Burnham Square (Liam's Map), winner of Saturday's GIII Holy Bull Stakes, exited the Triple Crown prep 'bright and alert' and could return in Gulfstream's GII Fountain of Youth Stakes in four weeks. According to trainer Ian Wilkes Sunday, Burnham Square "came out fine and jogged good this morning" at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. The gelding earned 20 GI Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his 1 3/4-length triumph. Second in Gulfstream's series of dirt races for 3-year-olds on the road to the $1-million...

Trainer Ian Wilkes has spent enough time in this business to know that not every animal is straight-forward. More times than not, a cagey veteran such as Wilkes finds the key to unlock his runners' true ability, and that seems to be the case with Whitham Thoroughbreds' Burnham Square (Liam's Map), who won his second straight since the addition of a set of blinkers and joined the Triple Crown fray in earnest in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. "The key is the blinkers. I had to put...

Last year's recently crowned 2-year-old champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) will kick off his 2025 season in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita, one of three GI Kentucky Derby preps on tap Saturday. The 2024 GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner will take on just four rivals, including a pair of Bob Baffert-trained stablemates and last-out maiden winners--'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) and the rail-drawn Madaket Road (Quality Road). Rodriguez romped in his two-turn debut at second asking at Santa Anita Jan. 4, good for a field-best...

After securing a narrow, front-running victory in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes Jan. 4, 'TDN Rising Star' Guns Loaded (Gun Runner) will be the one to catch while making his two-turn debut in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull attracted a talented field of seven, including 9-5 morning-line favorite 'Rising Star' Ferocious (Flatter), a last-out fifth with trouble in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile; and the Brad Cox-trained Tappan Street (Into Mischief), a promising debut winner going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Dec. 28....

The formal kick to the Florida series saw Guns Loaded (Gun Runner) hit his mark in the nick of time to take home the 14th rendition of the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. As a juvenile, the colt debuted as the runner-up last August at Saratoga, but he donned cap and gown 2 1/2 months later with an eye-catching performance under the Twin Spires. For his efforts, he was administered the oath as the latest 'TDN Rising Star' in town. Sent to trainer Jose D'Angelo's southern...

Two years removed from the last time he won a stakes race, and at the same track no less, Rocket Can (Into Mischief) turned his fortunes around with a game victory in the GII Harlan's Holiday Stakes. The three-quarter-length victor of the GIII Holy Bull Stakes in 2023, his connections took a shot at the Derby trail and the race itself, but ultimately had to go on the sidelines after finishing ninth on the big day. Gone until March of this year, when he made a successful return to the...