Mohaymen wins as he pleases in Holy Bull

Jan 30, 2016 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Class told in Saturday's $350,000 Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream Park as 3-10 favorite Mohaymen asserted his superiority in the final half-mile of the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Derby (G1) prep.

Third early, the gray son of Tapit split rivals down the backside and assumed control approaching the three-quarter marker. Edging farther ahead of second choice Greenpointcrusader passing the quarter pole, Shadwell Stable's colt opened up under minimal rousing by Junior Alvarado in the short stretch and won geared down by 3 1/2 lengths in a time of 1:42.07. Mohaymen paid $2.60.

Adding to his win in November's Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct, Mohaymen now has 20 qualifying points in the Road to the Kentucky Derby Series. Holy Bull runner-up Greenpointcrusader, who had captured the Champagne (G1) at Belmont in October, added four points to the 10 he earned for that win. Fellowship and Conquest Big E, a distant third and fourth, respectively, in the Holy Bull, earned two points and one point.

A $2.2 million yearling purchase by Shadwell, Mohaymen is a half-brother to 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner New Year's Day and remained perfect in four starts with this victory. Following a half-length score in his September 19 debut at Belmont Park going six furlongs, Mohaymen successfully stretched out to a mile to take the Nashua (G2) at Aqueduct in his next start. He concluded his juvenile campaign with a 1 1/2-length victory in the Remsen over 1 1/8 miles.

The connections of the budding star, including trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, were non-committal about Mohaymen's next start. The next two preps at Gulfstream Park are the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2), a 1 1/16-mile race on February 27, and the $1 million Florida Derby (G1), at 1 1/8 miles, on April 2.

(Lauren King/Adam Coglianese Photography)