Holy Bull S.

All eyes were on Eclipse Award and runaway GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Fierceness (City of Light) making his seasonal debut in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Park. The tote read 1-5 on the champ, but the Repole homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' was out of gas when push came to shove, and, in a bit of an oddly run race, D J Stable and Robert Cotran's unbeaten Hades (Awesome Slew) controlled a moderate tempo, slipped away from Fierceness in the final furlong and held off Domestic Product...

Repole Stable's newly crowned Eclipse Award winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) is set to make a much-anticipated sophomore debut in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S., and--realistically--the homebred may not require his very best to make a victorious return to action. Brilliant as he was in breaking his maiden by better than 11 lengths at first asking in Uncle Mo-esque fashion over the summer at Saratoga, he was equally disappointing when beaten a long ways from home in the GI Champagne S. Those who quickly jumped ship...

Repole Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), who is expected to be named champion of his generation at Thursday's Eclipse Awards ceremonies, worked five furlongs in :59.48 Saturday morning at Palm Beach Downs, the fastest of 12 moves at the distance. It was the sixth timed workout for Fierceness since taking the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 3. The homebred is expected to make his sophomore debut in the GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Park Feb. 3. "Fierceness has trained super. He's such a terrific workhorse. He...

On a Saturday that included bi-coastal graded stakes for sophomores, the most emphatic performance on the GI Kentucky Derby trail was orchestrated in a first-level allowance race at Gulfstream Park by Tapit Trice (Tapit). It wasn't just the eight-length blowout margin of victory or the 92 Beyer Speed Figure that made the athletic gray's effort stand out. It's the fluid, three-race progression and unruffled demeanor that suggests Tapit Trice is ascending his developmental arc while honing an air of confident capability. A $1.3 million KEESEP yearling owned in partnership by...

When The Great Maybe (Upstart) left the blocks at Saratoga and strolled in eight lengths ahead of a lively-met field of fillies, she carried not only the silks of Lael Stables--whose name invokes great nostalgia and respect in the halls of the Thoroughbred community--but also the dreams of a small breeding operation an hour north of Lexington, run by Monica Egger. Now, that farm in Piner, Kentucky, has a 'TDN Rising Star' to add to their list of accomplishments. "I have really enjoyed my short foray into Thoroughbreds and have...

Saturday's 12-race program at Gulfstream Park, topped by Greatest Honour (Tapit)'s powerful victory in the GIII Holy Bull S., set a new record for handle for the program. Total handle on the afternoon was $21.87 million, eclipsing the previous record of $19.775 set in 2017 and surpassing last year's total handle by 20%. "It was a wonderful day of racing, and we want to thank the fans and the horsemen for supporting our program," said Aidan Butler, Chief Operating Officer of 1/ST Racing. "Congratulations to Greatest Honour and all of...

'TDN Rising Star' Prime Factor (Quality Road), a blowout maiden winner sprinting on debut at Gulfstream Dec. 12, heads straight to the big leagues in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. The WinStar Farm and CHC Inc. colorbearer, a $900,000 Keeneland September yearling, worked a bullet five furlongs in :59 4/5 (1/13) at Todd Pletcher's Palm Beach Downs base Jan. 23 in preparation of his two-turn debut. Prime Factor is out of a half-sister to fellow 'Rising Stars' Speightster (Speightstown) and West Coast Swing (Gone West) as well as SW Paiota...