Photo:
Scott Serio / Eclipse Sportswire
Twice Grade 1-placed Ferocious, one of the fastest 2-year-olds of 2024, will make his highly anticipated sophomore debut in Saturday’s Grade 3, $265,000 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park.
The 36th running of the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull is the next step on Gulfstream’s road to the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) on March 29.
Ferocious, purchased for $1.3 million as a 2-year-old in training last March, is favored at 9-5 on the morning line for the Holy Bull against a field that includes five last-out winners, among them Gulfstream’s Mucho Macho Man victor Guns Loaded and He’s Not Joking, a Grade 3 winner around two turns on synthetic.
“The horse has a lot of talent. If you take a look at the numbers, he’s one of the most qualified horses in the race,” assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. said. “My dad is of the opinion that the horse is still between 75, 80% ready for this race, but it’s a start. You don’t want them to peak at this moment. Of course, if everything goes right we’re thinking Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby, and we’re actually pointing to have the horse really ready and cranked up for that.”
Ferocious registered a 96 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form for his dazzling debut victory last summer at Saratoga, romping by 7 3/4 lengths going six furlongs on a muddy, sealed track. It is the third-fastest time given a 2-year-old in 2024, tied with champion Citizen Bull, and three points back of leader Rated By Merit, who swept Gulfstream’s three-race Florida Sire Stakes series.
After his debut Ferocious, was second to Eclipse Award finalist Chancer McPatrick, beaten a half-length, in the seven-furlong Hopeful (G1) and runner-up behind East Avenue in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. He finished ahead of both horses when he overcame a troubled trip to be fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
“It feels like the first round of a Grand Slam in tennis. I played tennis growing up, so I always equate things to sports, especially when you’re trying to get to the final,” co-owner Ramiro Restrepo said. “You’ve got to start somewhere, and this is the first round. He’s coming off 90 days since his last race, and Gustavo has liked the progress that the colt has made over the winter.
“We’re excited to get the season going,” he added. “There’s some quality individuals, several high-priced horses in there. It’s a quality field and you expect that when you’re at the championship meet at one of the top Derby launching pads. We’ve just got to kind of get the ball rolling.”
Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, up for both the maiden win and Breeders’ Cup, returns to ride from post 2 in a field of seven. Ferocious will be equipped with blinkers for the first time.
“That’s something that we were thinking before but now we decided to go ahead and use them and see how that goes. He’s been wearing them in the breezes and so far, so good,” Delgado said. “The last couple breezes Javier has been on him and he’s got a good opinion on everything that he’s seeing and feeling.”
Unlike Ferocious, making his third start around two turns, Guns Loaded will be trying it for the first time in the Holy Bull. The son of Hall of Famer Gun Runner has won his last two starts, a six-furlong maiden special weight in mid-November at Churchill Downs and the one-mile Mucho Macho Man on Jan. 4.
Guns Loaded went gate to wire in that race, taking a three-length lead into the stretch and hanging on to win by a neck under Luis Saez. Second choice on the morning line at 5-2, he will have Irad Ortiz Jr. up from post 4.
“A mile and a sixteenth is the next step. The jump from six furlongs to one mile was a big test for him and he responded well, with a nice gallop out. I think the two turns are going to help him carry his speed,” trainer Jose D’Angelo said. “He was a little green trying to go to the rail last time, but we were very happy with the results and the way that he’s been improving every week.”
Saez landed on Tappan Street, a million-dollar son of Into Mischief whom he rode to a 1 3/4-length debut victory sprinting seven furlongs Dec. 28 at Gulfstream. They are rated third choice on the morning line at 3-1.
“He’s a very talented colt. Obviously, he cost a good bit of money (and) he looks the part,” trainer Brad Cox said after his unveiling. “He’ll absolutely stretch out. I think he showed (that) day, the way he had to be kind of asked to do what he did, two turns is where he’s going to be best.”
He’s Not Joking is the 124-pound topweight, winner of the 1 1/16-mile Grey (G3) Nov. 3 over Woodbine’s all-weather surface. In his only try on conventional dirt, the Practical Joke colt broke slowly and found trouble while finishing eighth to highly regarded First Resort in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) on Nov. 30.
“This spot kind of made sense,” trainer Josie Carroll said. “Once we were down here and gave him a little breather, this is the spot we were really thinking of from the time we got back down.”
Hall of Famer John Velazquez rides He’s Not Joking (15-1) from Post 5.
Burnham Square (5-1), an eye-catching nine-length maiden special weight winner going 1 1/16 miles Dec. 28 at Gulfstream; Burning Glory (8-1), a neck maiden winner Dec. 1 at Churchill for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; and Kinetic Control (15-1), who graduated in front-running fashion Nov. 22 last time out, complete the field.
Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
Kinetic Control Not This Time |
6.11 | 15-1 | ||
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
2 |
|
Ferocious Flatter |
6.36 | 9-5 | ||
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
3 |
|
Tappan Street Into Mischief |
5.79 | 3-1 | ||
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
4 |
|
Guns Loaded Gun Runner |
6.31 | 5-2 | ||
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
5 |
|
He’s Not Joking Practical Joke |
6.27 | 15-1 | ||
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
6 |
|
Burning Glory Into Mischief |
5.59 |
1st, CD MSW (12/01/2024-R8) |
8-1 | |
Last Race Next Race |
1st, CD MSW (12/01/2024-R8) |
|||||
7 |
|
Burnham Square Liam’s Map |
5.79 | 5-1 | ||
Last Race Next Race |
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