The $265,000 Holy Bull Stakes on Feb. 1 is the primary of three prep races for the 2025 Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve scheduled at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. The 1 1/16-mile dust race gives qualifying factors for the 151st Kentucky Derby to the highest 5 finishers, distributed on a 20-10-6-4-2 foundation. It is going to be adopted in Gulfstream’s prep sequence by the Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 1 and the Curlin Florida Derby on March 29.
This race has been an vital prep via the years, not solely in producing Kentucky Derby winners together with Go for Gin in 1994, Humorous Cide in 2003, and Barbaro in 2006, however different stars of the game akin to White Abarrio, the 2022 victor who gained final weekend’s Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes.
The Holy Bull Stakes will probably be proven stay on FanDuel TV and has a publish time of 5:13 p.m. ET. Learn on for details about every contender and insights into betting the race.
1. Kinetic Management
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Coach: Dale Romans
Proprietor: Albaugh Household Steady
Profession file: 4 begins – 1 win – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $107,761
High Equibase Velocity Determine: 87
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 0
Pedigree: Not This Time – Devious d’Oro, by Medaglia d’Oro
Colour: Darkish bay or brown
Operating model: Press the tempo
Evaluation: This colt is an intriguing prospect as he makes his first begin in a Kentucky Derby prep race after 4 prior appearances. In his first three races, Kinetic Management encountered bother every time – he broke slowly out of the gate in his first two races, and needed to regular between horses in his third begin. Nonetheless, he rallied to complete second in his debut again in August after which once more in his second begin in September earlier than ending sixth in his third race because the odds-on favourite. In his closing begin of 2024, Kinetic Management broke nicely and led from begin to end in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Churchill Downs, profitable by 1 ½ lengths. He has been coaching at Gulfstream in current weeks and seems prepared for his 3-year-old debut. Search for him to go straight to the lead underneath first-time jockey Junior Alvarado if he has begin.
New to racing? Allow us to clarify…
Odds-on favorites are horses which might be guess at odds lower than even cash by the point the wagering swimming pools closed. Because of this for those who had been to guess $2 on a horse that goes off at 4-5 odds, you’d obtain $3.60 again – four-fifths of every greenback wagered plus your $2 funding.
2. Ferocious
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Coach: Gustavo Delgado
House owners: OGMA Investments, JR Ranch, Excessive Step Racing, and Marquee Bloodstock
Profession file: 4 begins – 1 win – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $287,500
High Equibase Velocity Determine: 102
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 8
Pedigree: Flatter – Napier, by Midnight Lute
Colour: Darkish bay or brown
Operating model: Stalker
Evaluation: Not like the six different Holy Bull starters, Ferocious has expertise working in top-level races, and he’ll be one of many most important storylines in Saturday’s race as he returns for his 3-year-old debut. After being bought for $1.3 million as a 2-year-old coaching, he gained his first begin impressively final summer time in a dash race, after which completed an in depth second within the Hopeful Stakes at seven furlongs and second once more within the 1 1/16-mile Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity. He accomplished his 2024 season with a fifth-place end within the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Offered by TAA, additionally held at 1 1/16 miles. Fierceness has but to run a very unhealthy race, but one wonders if he’s already maximized his expertise and if one or two different Holy Bull contenders with much less expertise truly has a better ceiling. Little question about it, although: he’s in good and affected person arms with coach Gustavo Delgado and jockey Javier Castellano, who teamed as much as win the 2023 Kentucky Derby with Mage. Ferocious will probably be a giant menace to win the Holy Bull if he can decide up the place he left off final yr, and it’s value noting that he’ll put on blinkers for the primary time Saturday.
New to racing? Allow us to clarify…
Blinkers are cups which might be positioned on the surface of every eye on a horse previous to a race. They are often minimize to completely different lengths and are used to limit the horse’s visual view, which ideally will allow him/her to carry out higher via improved deal with what’s in entrance of him quite than what’s behind.
3. Tappan Road
Jockey: Luis Saez
Coach: Brad Cox
House owners: WinStar Farm, CHC Inc., and Chilly Press Racing
Profession file: 1 begin – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $24,000
High Equibase Velocity Determine: 91
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 0
Pedigree: Into Mischief – Virginia Key, by Distorted Humor
Colour: Bay
Operating model: Stalker
Evaluation: This son of main sire Into Mischief, who was purchased for $1 million as a yearling, takes a giant class leap in solely his second profession begin to contest a Kentucky Derby prep. He debuted on the finish of December at Gulfstream Park and gained a seven-furlong maiden race by 1 ¾ lengths underneath jockey Luis Saez, who retains the mount Saturday. In that race, Tappan Road raced off the tempo in third via the backstretch and into the far flip, and seemed to be leveling off till the sector straightened out for the homestretch. He responded when given his cue by Saez, nonetheless, closing nicely and looking out like a horse that may enhance with added distance. He’ll get simply that within the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull and, though he concedes expertise to every of his opponents, Tappan Road can definitely be a serious participant on this race if he takes one other step in improvement.
New to racing? Allow us to clarify…
Backstretch vs. homestretch: The backstretch in a race is the straight part of a selected race farthest from the end line and between the turns in an oval observe. The homestretch is the straight part main as much as the end line. Relying on the size of a race, horses could start racing on the backstretch and solely go round one flip earlier than reaching the homestretch, as Tappan Road did in his first begin, or start within the homestretch and navigate two turns, as he’ll on Saturday.
4. Weapons Loaded
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Coach: Jose D’Angelo
House owners: Morplay Racing, Joey Platts, and Woman Sheila Steady
Profession file: 3 begins – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $180,140
High Equibase Velocity Determine: 100
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 0
Pedigree: Gun Runner – Sky My Sky, by Bernardini
Colour: Darkish bay or brown
Operating model: Pacesetter
Evaluation: Weapons Loaded comes into the Holy Bull off of a front-running win within the Mucho Macho Man Stakes, a one-mile, one-turn race held on this observe Jan. 4. He opened up a three-length lead on six opponents in early stretch however noticed that lead dwindle nearing the end line, and he was all out to carry off a problem from Treaty of Rome to prevail by a neck. Previous to the Mucho Macho Man, Weapons Loaded completed second after which first in dash races and earned a powerful 100 Equibase Velocity Determine in his victory going seven furlongs, which additionally got here in pacesetting vogue. His pace determine dropped significantly to a 72 within the Mucho Macho Man, however this runner’s true skill in all probability lies someplace in between, and as such he should be revered as a win menace within the Holy Bull with Gulfstream Park’s main jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. within the saddle. Search for him to compete for the early lead together with Kinetic Management and Burnham Sq., probably creating a quick early tempo.
New to racing? Allow us to clarify…
Entrance-runners or pacesetters are horses that desire to race on the lead and are normally despatched out to ascertain that place instantly after the race begins. If a horse can accomplish that and is ready to set a reasonable tempo with out a lot strain, will probably be capable of reserve vitality that it might use later within the race to fend off challengers if and after they come. If two or extra horses compete for the lead, nonetheless, the early tempo may very well be so swift that the pacesetters expend their vitality and tire out within the late levels, establishing a super situation for come-from-behind horses.
5. He’s Not Joking
Jockey: John Velazquez
Coach: Josie Carroll
Proprietor: Di Scola Boys Steady
Profession file: 5 begins – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Profession earnings: $113,891
High Equibase Velocity Determine: 95
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 0
Pedigree: Sensible Joke – Collegeville Woman, by Central Banker
Colour: Bay
Operating model: Nearer
Evaluation: This contender made his first begin on a mud observe final November within the Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes held at Churchill Downs after racing completely on the all-weather observe at Woodbine, and it turned out to be an inconclusive debut as he broke slowly and was bothered by a rival quickly after that and by no means threatened, ending eighth of 9. Previous to that at his dwelling observe in Canada, He’s Not Joking ran very nicely final summer time and fall, by no means ending worse than third in 4 begins and profitable the 1 1/16-mile bet365 Gray Stakes previous to his journey to Louisville. He’s definitely deserving of one other try at becoming a member of the Kentucky Derby path and can get the companies of Corridor of Fame jockey John Velazquez for the primary time Saturday. No joke – he’s an intriguing longshot who may benefit if the early tempo is quick within the Holy Bull.
New to racing? Allow us to clarify…
Horses race on three surfaces in North America – dust, turf, and all-weather. All-weather tracks got here into vogue about 20 years in the past, and presently the factitious floor manufactured by Tapeta Footings is utilized in lieu of dust at a handful of venues, together with Woodbine in Canada (Gulfstream Park additionally has a Tapeta observe along with dust and turf). The Tapeta Footings combination has been refined from a number of earlier variations and receives excessive marks from most horsemen for its skill to deal with water, its consistency, and its security, and plenty of (however not all) horses that compete totally on all-weather tracks are capable of switch that skill to dust tracks as nicely.
6. Burning Glory
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Coach: Invoice Mott
Proprietor: Juddmonte
Profession file: 3 begins – 1 win – 1 second – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $96,600
High Equibase Velocity Determine: 93
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 0
Pedigree: Into Mischief – Hail, by Tapit
Colour: Bay
Operating model: Nearer
Evaluation: This Juddmonte homebred is one other rising prospect within the Holy Bull with an opportunity at profitable if he continues to progress. He’s improved in every of his three begins, ending fifth again in his September debut, second in his subsequent begin and first round two turns, after which first in his closing 2024 look, which got here in a one-mile, one-turn maiden race Dec. 1 at Churchill Downs. In that begin, Burning Glory raced off the lead early, moved into rivalry swiftly on the flip, and engaged a longshot opponent in a stretch duel that he gained by a neck — the highest pair had been greater than 11 lengths away from 10 different horses. He nonetheless confirmed some inexperience through the closing levels of his win however improved his Equibase Velocity Determine 10 factors to a career-best 93, and now he’s been given two months off to mature by Corridor of Fame coach Invoice Mott. This colt has pedigree to deal with 1 1/16 miles and distances even longer than that sooner or later. Search for him to be rallying into rivalry when the sector turns for dwelling within the Holy Bull underneath red-hot jockey Tyler Gaffalione.
New to racing? Allow us to clarify…
A homebred is a horse that’s owned and bred by the identical entity. On this case, the worldwide racing and bloodstock operation Juddmonte bred Burning Glory and didn’t provide him in a public public sale. If he does exceptionally nicely on the observe, he’ll be thought of to hitch Juddmonte’s stallion roster, which is likely one of the most prestigious on the planet.
7. Burnham Sq.
Jockey: Edgard Zayas
Coach: Ian Wilkes
Proprietor: Whitham Thoroughbreds
Profession file: 3 begins – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third
Profession earnings: $50,430
High Equibase Velocity Determine: 92
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 0
Pedigree: Liam’s Map – Linda, by Scat Daddy
Colour: Bay
Operating model: Press the tempo/stalker
Evaluation: After ending second after which third in his first two begins final fall utilizing a come-from-behind working model, Burnham Sq. shipped to Gulfstream Park and adjusted ways underneath new jockey Edgard Zayas in his closing 2024 race on Dec. 28. He broke from the within publish in that 1 1/16-mile maiden occasion and tracked in third via the primary flip and halfway via the backstretch, earlier than Zayas nudged him to maneuver ahead and take the lead. He did so easily after which drew away from the sector on the far flip en path to profitable by 9 lengths. Zayas is again aboard within the Holy Bull and will try an identical pace-pressing journey, though this time Burnham Sq. will probably be breaking from the far exterior publish place and should should expend some vitality quickly after the race begins to get away from his opponents after which angle in to avoid wasting floor. This gelding ought to be a part of the early tempo within the Holy Bull together with Weapons Loaded and Kinetic Management, and stands an opportunity at pulling the upset if he can enhance off of his December win.
New to racing? Allow us to clarify…
A gelding is a male horse that has had each testicles eliminated. Since geldings gained’t transfer on to potential second careers as stallions, a lot of them have longer tenures on the observe, and a number of the sport’s easiest racehorses in historical past had been geldings. 9 geldings have gained the Kentucky Derby, together with Humorous Cide (2003) and Mine That Hen (2009) this century.
