Expert Pick of the Week: 2024 Holy Bull Stakes

Jan 30, 2024 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

A total of eight sophomores will go 1 1/16 miles on the Gulfstream Park dirt surface in Saturday’s $250,000 Holy Bull S. (G3). The 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series will reward the top five finishers with qualifying points towards the Run for the Roses on a 20-10-6-4-2 structure.

Champion colt #7 Fierceness began his career in the summer at Saratoga, and turned heads when powering clear to an 11-length victory in a six-furlong maiden special weight event. He finished near the back of the pack in the subsequent Champagne S. (G1) as the 1-2 favorite, but he more than made up for that showing in his juvenile finale.

The City of Light homebred forced a quick pace and impressively drew off in the lane when eclipsing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) by 6 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita. He earned a whopping 112 Brisnet Speed figure for that romp, and the Repole color bearer has trained in very good fashion in the interim. John Velazquez will be in the silks once again and will have the favorite forcing the tempo from the opening bell in his local bow.

Christophe Clement’s #3 Otello is 2-for-2 to commence his career, led by a tally in the Mucho Macho Man S. on the course last time out. By Curlin, the well-bred colt most recently gamely split horses in the lane en route to victory, and he comes in with a pair of one-mile races to his credit to this stage of his development. The chestnut posted a pair of nice morning drills leading up to his graded debut, led by a bullet five-eighths on Jan. 26, and he will be doing his best work late with Luis Saez in the stirrups.

#8 Sea Streak, placing third in the Mucho Macho, has performed well in each of his tries at the meeting and merits respect for conditioner Eddie Owens. The New Jersey-bred gelding has proven to be capable of running from close to the pace, or from well off of it, and his trio of morning drills in the interim indicate that he will fire his best shot on Saturday, despite drawing widest of all in the cast. Luca Panici has the call.

Expert Pick

An exacta with #7 Fierceness on top of #3 Otello and  #8 Sea Streak in the 2024 Holy Bull S. is the Expert Pick of the Week.