Holy Bull Starts Florida's Triple Crown Trail : The withdrawal of Boys At Tosconova leaves a wide open field of nine sophomores to contest the $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 30, the first major step toward the Florida Derby (gr. I) this spring.
The race, a one-turn mile, is the 10th on the Gulfstream card with a 5:26 p.m. EST starting time. It is part of a program that includes the $200,000 Forward Gal Stakes (gr. II) for 3-year-old fillies, part of a big stakes weekend at the south Florida track.
Boys at Tosconova, expected to be the favorite in the the Holy Bull, was withdrawn a day before the Jan. 27 draw due to trainer Rick Dutrow Jr.'s concerns about the colt's readiness. But what remains is a solid field that includes stakes-tested colts such as Mucho Macho Man, Gourmet Dinner, and Major Gain, as well as some highly anticipated newcomers, led by Dialed In and the fast-improving Black N Beauty.
Of those mentioned, only Ahmed Zayat's Black N Beauty, an Ontario-bred son of Devil His Due that cost just $2,500 as a 2009 Keeneland September yearling, has raced during the young Gulfstream meet.
Black N Beauty won impressively Jan. 7 in a first-level allowance at one mile by 2 1/2 lengths while leading all the way under Kent Desormeaux for his second straight win. The smallish dark bay/brown colt broke his maiden as a heavy favorite at Churchill Downs last November, which was his third start.
"He’s a nice looking little colt," said trainer Dale Romans. "He was late in the sale, and it wasn’t a popular sire--and there was no reserve. Sometimes you get lucky.”
Romans knows that Black N Beauty, who drew post 4 and is ridden once more by Desormeaux, is facing a tough group in the Holy Bull. “You’ve got Gourmet Dinner and Kathy Ritvo’s horse (Mucho Macho Man) -- they’re pretty nice horses, and they’re pretty even after that,” he said.
“We’ll see how he progresses against the best, and then we’ll leave it up to Mr. Zayat.”
