2024 Holy Bull Stakes Betting Odds and Contenders Preview

In recent history, few spurs of the Kentucky Derby trail have been as important as Gulfstream Park’s. And, the South Florida sophomore features get underway Saturday, February 3, with the $250,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3)! The 1 1/16-mile dirt race drew a field of eight up-and-coming stars, including two-year-old champion and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Fierceness, who makes his three-year-old debut.

The Holy Bull Stakes, instituted as the Preview Stakes in 1990 and renamed for Holy Bull in 1996, is the first race in a three-race series of points preps at the Hallandale Beach, Florida track. It offers 20-10-6-4-2 Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points to its top five finishers: not enough to guarantee a runner a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate, but enough to get them going in the right direction toward the Run for the Roses. The series continues with the 50-point Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) on March 2, and concludes with the Florida Derby (G1) on March 30.

Even though the Holy Bull has not produced a Kentucky Derby winner since Barbaro in 2006, many of its winners since then have gone on to be important. 2020 winner Tiz the Law proved to be one of the best of his class: he won the Florida Derby, Belmont Stakes (G1), and the Travers Stakes (G1), and also finished second behind Authentic in the Kentucky Derby. White Abarrio, the 2022 winner, won the Florida Derby as well, then came back in 2023 to win the Whitney (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

Keep reading to learn more about the contenders in the 2024 Holy Bull Stakes!

Holy Bull Stakes 2024 Information

• Race Date: Saturday, February 3, 2024
• Track: Gulfstream Park
• Post Time: 5:48 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
• Distance: 1 1/16 miles
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV
• Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

Holy Bull Stakes Odds

These are the entrants for the 2024 Holy Bull Stakes. They are presented in order of post positions, including trainers, jockeys, and official morning-line odds from Gulfstream Park. Although they are not a guarantee of race-day odds, they can indicate the horses that bettors are feeling warm or cold toward on race day.

Holy Bull Stakes Prep Results

Four of the eight horses in the Holy Bull are coming out of the Mucho Macho Man, a one-turn mile stakes race at Gulfstream that serves as a local prep, though it does not offer any Road to the Kentucky Derby points. Otello ran to his favoritism, winning by half a length. Though the second-place finisher does not turn up in the Holy Bull, third-place Sea Streak does, and he finished just three-quarters of a length behind the winner. Inveigled finished a close fourth, while No More Time was a few lengths back in fifth.

Three runners come out of graded races. The classiest of the last-out races was the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which Fierceness won with enough authority to clinch an Eclipse Award. Two others come into the Holy Bull attempting to redeem themselves after off-the-board finishes in late-season Grade 2 stakes for juveniles. Dancing Groom finished sixth behind Honor Marie in the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill, while Domestic Product was last seen finishing seventh in the Remsen at Aqueduct.

Only one of the eight runners makes his stakes debut in the Holy Bull. Hades romped against Florida-breds in a first-level allowance at Gulfstream; he beat open company in his maiden win, though he faces open-company winners for the first time in this race.

Holy Bull Stakes Contenders

These are the contenders in the 2024 Holy Bull Stakes, organized by post position:

Hades: He impressed with an eight-length victory over the Gulfstream dirt last out, but that came against Florida-breds. He handled the rail well enough that time, a positive since he has the rail for this. It is also a positive that he keeps Paco Lopez in the irons. However, he not only has to battle inside of classier and faster speed this time than last, but trainer Orseno tends to falter when sending horses out first-time route, and also tends to underperform in graded races.

Inveigled: He ran a credible enough fourth in the Mucho Macho Man last out, chasing on and falling 1 ½ lengths short behind Otello in that spot. He makes his first start at two turns, something that might suit him, especially with some distance on the underside of his pedigree. However, he’ll have to run on or near the lead with some faster horses, and his late pace leaves something to be desired against his competition.

Otello: Undefeated in two starts, he won by a hard-fought neck on debut at Aqueduct and then won by half a length in the Mucho Macho Man, his stakes debut. He tries two turns for the first time but is bred impeccably for the stretch out: he is by Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin out of graded-quality turf router Isabella Sings. With true tactical speed, Gulfstream form, and high-percentage rider Luis Saez, his chances of hitting the board are good, though he needs a major step forward to threaten Fierceness if that one returns on form.

Dancing Groom: Though he comes in off of a disappointing sixth in the Kentucky Jockey Club, he has some long-shot appeal in his sophomore debut. His maiden win came at a mile at Saratoga: not a full two turns, but more than one turn, with a mile chute there that sends horses into the first turn. New blinkers can not only keep him a little bit closer to the pace, but first-time blinkers is also an excellent move for trainer Antonio Sano.

No More Time: He stalked, pounced, and drew away impressively in a one-mile maiden win at Gulfstream in October of last year, though he came up flat in the Mucho Macho Man over the same course and distance, weakening to fifth behind Otello in that outing. He has some upside second off the lay, and the stretch to a route might suit this son of Not This Time, especially since he is trained by solid route trainer Jose D’Angelo.

Domestic Product: Trained by Chad Brown, whose charges tend to find their best going long, this son of Practical Joke is already fitting that mold. He debuted in a sprint at Saratoga, but broke his maiden at nine furlongs at Aqueduct, the only horse in this race who has won at longer than the Holy Bull distance. Though he faltered in the Remsen next out, that was in the mud, and the track for the Holy Bull should be dry. With tactical speed for a strong layoff trainer, he has the best chance to show up if Fierceness falters.

Fierceness: The juvenile champion comes in as the one to beat. He is not only a winner at the Holy Bull distance, but that came in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in fast enough fashion to mean that if he comes back in form anywhere close to that, he will be hard to beat. The biggest question is that head-scratcher in the Champagne Stakes (G1) two back, but that came in the mud after a bad start. His near-outside gate gives him a solid chance to avoid trouble, work an outside pressing trip, and kick away in the lane for excellent layoff trainer Todd Pletcher.

Sea Streak: This New Jersey-bred was well enough regarded to debut in an open stakes last year, where he finished second behind Book’em Danno, who has continued to impress. In four starts, he has yet to finish off the board, including a close third behind Otelo in the Mucho Macho Man last out. However, he has yet to try two turns, and it is a question how he will handle it. Furthermore, trainer Eddie Owens tends to disappoint in both routes and graded races.

Holy Bull Stakes Past Winners Past Performances

Over the last ten years, Holy Bull winners have come from a variety of places. The tightest trend is that they have been hitting the board in their most recent races: over the last ten years, five Holy Bull winners won their last race, two were second, and three were third.

The races to supply the most winners across that ten-year span have been the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) and the Remsen (G2). Tiz the Law (2020) and White Abarrio (2022) both came out of third-place runs in the Remsen, while Cairo Prince (2014) and Mohaymen (2016) came out of second- and first-place finishes in the Remsen, respectively.

The only other stakes to produce a Holy Bull winner in the last ten years was the Marylander at Laurel, which Irish War Cry (2017) won before winning the Holy Bull. The last time a horse who came out of a stakes at Gulfstream won the Holy Bull was just outside the ten-year window: in 2013, Itsmyluckyday came into the Holy Bull off a win in the Gulfstream Park Derby, the race now run as the Mucho Macho Man.

Four of the last ten Holy Bull winners scored in their stakes debut—in fact, it’s a recent enough trend that all of those winners happened in the last six years. Audible (2018) came out of an allowance win at Aqueduct, Harvey Wallbanger (2019) and Greatest Honour (2021) came out of maiden special weights at Aqueduct and Gulfstream, and Rocket Can (2023) came out of a second-place run in an allowance at Churchill Downs.

Holy Bull Stakes Undercard

The Holy Bull Stakes is the last of 12 races on the card. The last five races are all stakes races, all of which feature sophomores from different divisions. This means the card will prove important on the Kentucky Derby trail, Kentucky Oaks trail, and even in the sprint and turf divisions. In addition to the Holy Bull, the card also includes the Sweetest Chant (G3) for turf route fillies, the Swale for sprinters, the Forward Gal (G3) for Kentucky Oaks prospects, and the Kitten’s Joy (G3) for turf routers. With such classy racing all day long, it’s a perfect day to tune in on FanDuel TV and place your bets through FanDuel and TVG!

Gulfstream Park

Gulfstream Park is the historic racetrack that hosts the Florida Derby each year. It is the only American racetrack that offers all three racing surfaces: conventional dirt, turf, and a synthetic Tapeta surface. The outer track is a dirt course measuring 1 1/8 miles around, complete with a chute that allows for classic one-turn dirt mile races. The next track inward is a one-mile and seventy-yard Tapeta track that opened in 2021. The inner course is a seven-furlong turf track.

Gulfstream Park has hosted many major races over the years, including the Breeders’ Cup in 1989, 1992, and 1999. In 2017, the race ran the rich Pegasus World Cup Turf for the first time, which was at one time the world’s richest horse race. But the Florida Derby, run along the road to the Kentucky Derby, remains Gulfstream Park’s most established and famous race.

Holy Bull Stakes FAQ

Q: When is the Holy Bull Stakes?

A: The 2024 Holy Bull Stakes will be run on Saturday, February 3, at Gulfstream Park. It is carded as the 12th and final race.

Q: Where is the Holy Bull Stakes?

A: It takes place at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Holy Bull Stakes?

A: Two trainers are tied for the most victories in the Holy Bull, with three: Nick Zito and Kiaran McLaughlin. Zito, whose first two wins came while it was still called the Preview Stakes, is still training but does not have an entrant in the Holy Bull this year; McLaughlin is now the agent for Luis Saez, rider of Otello. Among trainers entered in the 2024 Holy Bull, Todd Pletcher leads with two. He won this race with Algorithms (2012) and Audible (2018), and will attempt to win his third with Fierceness.

Q: Who is the favorite for the 2024 Holy Bull Stakes?

A: Fierceness is the 3-5 morning-line favorite for the Holy Bull, and he should hold strong favoritism throughout betting. He is the reigning juvenile champion, the only horse with a win at the Holy Bull distance, and he has shown the fastest and classiest form of anyone in the race.

Q: Who is the best Holy Bull Stakes jockey?

A: Jerry Bailey rode five Holy Bull and Preview Stakes winners between 1990 and 1998 but has since retired. Among jockeys taking calls in the 2024 Holy Bull, Jose Ortiz and Junior Alvarado lead with two wins each. Ortiz won with both Upstart (2015) and Greatest Honour (2021), while Alvarado guided Mohaymen (2016) and Rocket Can (2023) to victories.

Q: Who won the 2023 Holy Bull Stakes?

A: Rocket Can, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, won the 2023 Holy Bull Stakes. Mott does not have an entrant this year, though Alvarado returns to ride Dancing Groom for Antonio Sano.

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