A field of six line up at Gulfstream Park in the $350,000 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park. (Photo: Gulfstream Park)
The Kiaran McLaughlin trained Mohaymen takes on five foes on Saturday afternoon in the $350,000 Holy Bull (G3), and the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby (G1) looks as if he is going to be very tough to beat.
The colt is the current betting favorite at most online racebooks for the Run for the Roses, currently at +900 at BetOnline. The undefeated colt is the 6-5 morning line favorite for the Holy Bull.
Last year’s Holy Bull produced four horses that went on to run in the Kentucky Derby including Upstart, who won the race and ended up 18th in the Run for the Roses. The other three that went on to race under the Twin Spires were Frosted (4th), Keen Ice (7th), and Frammento (11th).
Mohaymen has 10 points toward entry into this year’s Derby, and the Holy Bull will offer up 10-4-2-1 points to the top four finishers as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby points series.
Second choice on the morning line is Greenpointcrusader, who has been taking some betting action in early Derby wagering after his win last October in the Champagne (G1) at Belmont Park. The colt was seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) as the betting favorite in his last start of his juvenile season.
He picks up a new rider in John Velazquez and will break from the five post for trainer Dominic Schettino.
Completing the field are Perfect Saint (20-1), Fellowship (20-1), Conquest Big E (7-2) and Frontier Ranger (15-1).
The Holy Bull will highlight a program with five stakes including the $200,000 Forward Gal (G2), $150,000 Swale (G3), $100,000 Sweetest Chant (G3) and $100,000 Kitten’s Joy. My Best Plays Report for Saturday will include all of the stakes action.
Let’s head out to Gulfstream Park for Saturday’s featured race of the day:
Gulfstream Park Race 11 The Holy Bull (G3) Post time 5:05 ET
2 Mohaymen 6-5
4 Conquest Big E 7-2
5 Greenpointcrusader 8-5
3 Fellowship 20-1
Mohaymen is perfect in three starts, all in New York, taking the Nashua (G2) and Remsen (G2) in his last two starts. The runner up in the Remsen was Flexibility, who came back to win the Jerome (G3) in his next outing on Jan. 2 while sixth place finisher Ravenheart came back to win the Maryland Juvenile Futurity against state breds in his next outing on Dec. 26 at Laurel Park. Our top pick was a $2.2 million Keeneland purchase and he still appears to have a ton of upside.
He is by Tapit out of the stakes winner Justwhistledixie ($449,427) who has dropped two other winners including stakes winner New Year’s Day ($1.1 million). The distance is an issue and he has put in four works at Palm Meadows. The only real knock is going to be the puny price.
Conquest Big E was eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), beaten 4 ¾ lengths for the top spot. He returned a month later to beat Alw-1 optional claimers in a good looking effort in the slop at Churchill Downs. There is not much early speed in here and the Mark Casse trainee may inherit the early lead.
He has been working sharply at Palm Meadows for a barn that is 18% winners with runners coming back off a 61`-180-day layoff. He is a half to stakes winner Aquapazza ($131,571).
Greenpointcrusader was the beaten favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in his last start. He was off near the back, raced very wide and checked in seventh. He was an impressive winner of the Champagne (G1) two back at Belmont Park in the slop in his stakes debut. He returns here for the Dominic Schettino barn that is 10% winners with runners coming back off a 61-180-day layoff.
The $575,000 Keeneland purchase has a nice pedigree, by Bernardini out of a Cryptoclearance mare that has dropped five other stakes winners led by Justin Phillip ($1.29 million). The 8-5 morning line seems light and this guy might be one to look at second off the bench.
Wagering:
WIN: #2 to win at 6-5 or better.
EXACTA: 2,4 / 2,4,5
TRIFECTA: No play
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