West Paces Racing LLC and Stonestreet Stables LLC's Dubyuhnell, who captured the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct in his final juvenile start, heads a list of 30 nominees for the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3), scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 4 at Gulfstream Park.
The Holy Bull, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds on the Gulfstream's Road to the Triple Crown, will headline a program with four other graded stakes for 3-year-olds – The $175,000 Kitten's Joy (G3), $175,000 Sweetest Chant (G3), $125,000 Claiborne Swale (G3) and $125,000 Forward Gal (G3).
Trained by Danny Gargan, Dubyuhnell pressed the pace in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen before edging away to a half-length victory. The son of Good Magic, who debuted with a fourth-place finish in a seven-furlong sprint at Saratoga Sept. 3, rallied from off the pace to graduate Oct. 2 at a mile at Aqueduct before capturing the Remsen.
The first three finishes in the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man, the first stakes on the road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1), are nominated to the Holy Bull. Daniel Walters, Dennis G. Smith, Anthony Smith and trainer Rohan Crichton's Legacy Isle, Aldana Gonzalez Racing LLC and Lisa and Steve Ballou's Dreaming of Kona and Vegso Racing Stable's Lord Miles finished 1-2-3 in the one-turn mile Mucho Macho Man. Legacy Isle, who had easily won his first two career starts, was disqualified for drifting out in the stretch and placed second. Aldana Speith-trained Dreaming of Kona was placed first.
The Holy Bull has been a target for Albaugh Family Stables LLC and Castleton Lyons' Cyclone Mischief since the son of Into Mischief's dazzling 5 ¾-length optional claiming allowance win Jan. 6 at Gulfstream. The Dale Romans trainee broke his maiden in his second career start by 5 ¼ lengths at Keeneland before setting the pace into the stretch run of Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs before weakening late.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is represented on the Holy Bull nominations list by Whisper Hill Farm LLC's Classic Catch and Tapit Twice, Three Diamonds Farm's Dude N Colorado, Spendthrift Farm LLC's Kingsbarns and Major Dude, Centennial Farm's Litigate, and Robert LaPenta's Shesterkin.
Classic Catch, Tapit Twice, Dune N Colorado, Kingsbarns, Litigate and Shesterkin are all promising maiden winners, while Major Dude captured the Pilgrim (G2) on turf and most recently finished second in the Dania Beach on turf at Gulfstream.
Gary Barber's Classic Car Wash has been nominated to the Holy Bull following back-to-back wins at Gulfstream. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the son of Noble Bird broke his maiden at seven furlongs in his second career start before stretching out around two turns on Tapeta to score an impressive 2 ½-length optional claiming allowance.
Courtlandt Farms' General Jim, who finished fourth as the favorite in the Mucho Macho Man following back-to-back wins and a third-place stakes finish in New York; Imaginary Stables' Howgreatisnate, who is undefeated in four starts in the Mid-Atlantic; and the Bill Mott-trained trio, Bruce Lunsford's Classic Legacy, Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc's Rocket Can and Peachtree Stable's Shadow Dragon; are also prominent on the Holy Bull nominations list.
The Kitten's Joy, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes, attracted 22 nominations, including Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson's Bluebirds Over, an undefeated son of English Channel who captured the Grey (G3) at Woodbine last time out; John Oxley and Breeze Easy LLC's Bobby O, who captured the With Anticipation (G3) at Saratoga; Spendthrift Farm LLC's Major Dude, who won the Pilgrim (G2) at Aqueduct; and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Ari Gold, who captured the Pulpit over Gulfstream Park's turf last time out.
The Sweetest Chant, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for fillies, also drew 22 nominations, including Repole Stable and Town and Country LLC's Cairo Consort, who captured the Ginger Brew at Gulfstream Jan. 7 after winning the Catch a Glimpse Stakes and finishing second in the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine during her juvenile season; and Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, Seventh Sense Stable and E5 Racing Thoroughbreds LLC's Anna Karenine, a stakes winner in France who has yet to make her U.S. debut.
The Claiborne Swale, a seven-furlong sprint, attracted 17 nominations, Lea Farms LLC's Super Chow, who finished third in the Saratoga Special (G2) at Saratoga before winning four straight races (three stakes); AM Racing USA's New York Thunder, who has won his first two career starts with authority at Gulfstream; Spendthrift Farm LLC's Major Dude, a graded-stakes winner on turf who broke his maiden at first asking over Saratoga's main track; .and K and R Racing Stable and Town Branch Racing's Two of a Kind, the Tremont winner at Belmont before coming off a six-month layoff to finish third behind Super Chow in the Limehouse.
The Forward Gal, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies, attracted 19 nominations, including Stonestreet Stables LLC's Julia Shining, who captured the Demoiselle (G2) after breaking her maiden at first asking; Ashbrook Farm and Upland Flats Racing's Red Carpet Ready, who is unchallenged in two career starts; and Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Undervalued Asset, a sharp 8 ¼-length debut winner at Aqueduct.
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