The first major test for Kentucky Derby (G1) and Triple
Crown hopefuls of the South Florida winter season will be the $150,000 Holy
Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream
Park on Sat., Jan. 23,
and Robert LaPenta’s Jackson Bend and Louis Lazzannaro and partners’ Homeboykris
are prominent among the nominations. Both are reportedly being targeted towards
the one mile test.
Jackson Bend will be making his first start for LaPenta and
trainer Nick Zito since a majority interest was purchased privately from
owner-breeder Jacks or Better Farm after the Florida-bred completed a sweep of
the three open divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes series at Calder Race
Course in the $400,000 In Reality finale on Oct. 17.
Jackson Bend is a chestnut colt by Jacks or Better’s freshman
stallion Hear No Evil, a son of Carson
City that won middle distance
stakes. Jackson Bend won all five of his starts last year after a runner-up
debut at Calder on May 9. He has posted a steady string of solid works at Palm
Meadows ahead of his return, most recently a ‘bullet’ five-eighths in 1:00 flat
last Saturday.
Homeboykris posted a ‘bullet’ workout of his own Tuesday
morning at Gulfstream, drilling six furlongs in 1:12 3/5 for trainer Rick
Dutrow. The Roman Ruler gelding also was developed at Calder early last season
and purchased privately by current connections after breaking his maiden by 3 ¼
lengths there on July 11.
In two starts since, Homeboykris was very impressive
winning the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on Oct. 10 by 1 ½ lengths over
Discreetly Mine and finished fifth as the 8-to-5 second choice behind Buddy’s
Saint in the Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct on Nov. 28.
Kingfield Stables’ Buddy’s Saint is nominated to the Holy
Bull, but trainer Bruce Levine has indicated the son of Saint Liam’s 3-year-old
debut will most likely come in the $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of
Youth Stakes (G2) to be run here at 1 1/8 miles on Sat., Feb. 20. Buddy’s Saint
also hit the Gulfstream work tab Tuesday morning with a half-mile in 48 flat.
Trainer Todd Pletcher has seven 3-year-olds from his
arsenal nominated to the Holy Bull with Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite among the
most accomplished and working regularly at Palm Meadows, most recently breezing
six furlongs in 1:16 3/5 on Monday morning.
A $225,000 OBS February 2-year-old purchase by Yes It’s
True, Aikenite finished a game fifth last out in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
(G1) at Santa Anita on Nov. 7, beaten only 2 ½ lengths for it all. In three
previous starts, Aikenite won his debut at Saratoga,
finished third in the Hopeful (G1) at the Spa and a close-up second in the
Breeders’ Futurity (G2) at Keeneland.
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