Road to the Kentucky Derby > Holy Bull Stakes
Holy Bull Stakes Race Facts
- Location: Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, FL
- Inaugural Race: 1990
- Current Distance: 1 1/16 miles
- Track Type: Left-Handed Dirt
- Age Qualifications: Three-year-olds
- Status: Grade 3
- 2023 Purse: $250,000
- 2023 Race Date: Saturday, February 4th
The Gulfstream Park stakes race, the Holy Bull, provides a warm weather race where much of the North American racing world runs during the winter. The Road to the Kentucky Derby prep-race awards a point split of 20-8-6-4-2 to the top five finishing contenders.
2023 Holy Bull Stakes Race Results
| POST | HORSE | JOCKEY / TRAINER | WIN / PLACE / SHOW |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Rocket Can | Junior Alvarado / William I. Mott | $7.20 / $4.20 / $3.60 |
| 3 | Shadow Dragon | Jose L. Ortiz / William I. Mott | $22.00 / $10.00 |
| 2 | West Coast Cowboy | Edgard J. Zayas / Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. | $14.00 |
| 6 | Legacy Isle | Luis Saez / Rohan Crichton | |
| 7 | Il Miracolo | Leonel Reyes / Antonio Sano | |
| 1 | Lord Miles | Irad Ortiz, Jr. / Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. | |
| 4 | Cyclone Mischief | Tyler Gaffalione / Dale L. Romans | |
| 5 | Mr Bob | Joel Rosario / Robert N. Falcone, Jr. |
Exotic Payoffs:
- $1 Exacta (8-3) Paid: $74.70
- $0.50 Trifecta (8-3-2) Paid: $411.80
- $0.10 Superfecta (8-3-2-6) Paid: $680.60
Watch the 2023 Holy Bull Stakes
The History of the Holy Bull Stakes
The Holy Bull Stakes is held annually in late-January or early-February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The race is for three-year-olds and is run on a dirt surface, left-handed track at a distance of 1 1/16 miles (or 8.5 furlongs). From 2007 to 2012 it was contested at different lengths, ranging from 1 mile to 1 3/16 miles.
It was previously named the Preview Stakes and was created to replace the Flamingo Stakes. It was renamed after Hall of Fame racehorse Holy Bull in 1996, and it was named the Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes in 2015.
From 1991 to 2004, the race was contested without a graded stakes designation. In 1993, the American Graded Stakes Committee upgraded it to a Grade III race, and it was then upgraded again to a Grade II level race in 2014 before being downgraded back to Grade III in 2020. The race is included in the prep race circuit for the Kentucky Derby, and awards twenty qualifying points to the winner. Two horses have won the Kentucky Derby and the Holy Bull in the same year: Go for Gin (1994) and Barbaro (2006). Closing Argument finished second in the Kentucky Derby the year he won the Holy Bull Stakes (2005).
Holy Bull Stakes Records
The biggest margin of victory at the race is eight lengths. The record for fastest time at its current length (1 1/6-mile distance) is 1:41.62, set by Go for Gin in 1994. At the 1 1/8 distance, Barbaro set the record of 1:49.31 in 2006. The fastest time overall is 1:35.19, which was set by Dialed In at a distance of 1 mile in 2011.
The record for most wins by a jockey is five, held by Jerry Bailey (1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998). The record for most wins by a trainer is three, jointly held by Nick Zito (1998, 1995, 2011) and Kiaran McLaughlin (2005, 2014, 2016). William J. Condren (1994, 1995) and Paul Braverman (2014, 2019) are tied for the tied for most wins by an owner with two each.
Many notable horses have a Holy Bull Stakes victory on their resume. A few of the more noteworthy and recognizable names include Go for Gin (1994 Kentucky Derby winner), Offlee Wild (2005 Breeders’ Cup Handicap winner), Barbaro (2006 Kentucky Derby winner) and Tiz the Law (2020 Belmont Stakes winner).
Holy Bull Stakes Past Winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey / Trainer | Distance / Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Rocket Can | Junior Alvarado / William I. Mott | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:44.97 |
| 2022 | White Abarrio | Tyler Gaffalione / Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:42.80 |
| 2021 | Greatest Honour | Jose L. Ortiz / Claude R. McGaughey III | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:43.19 |
| 2020 | Tiz the Law | Manuel Franco / Barclay Tagg | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:42.04 |
| 2019 | Harvey Wallbanger | Brian Hernandez Jr. / Kenneth G. McPeek | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:43.69 |
| 2018 | Audible | Javier Castellano / Todd A. Pletcher | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1.41.92 |
| 2017 | Irish War Cry | Joel Rosario / H. Graham Motion | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:42.52 |
| 2016 | Mohaymen | Junior Alvarado / Kiaran P. McLaughlin | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:42.07 |
| 2015 | Upstart | Jose L. Ortiz / Richard A. Violette Jr. | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:43.61 |
| 2014 | Cairo Prince | Luis Saez / Kiaran P. McLaughlin | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:42.16 |
| 2013 | Itsmyluckyday | Elvis Trujillo / Edward Plesa Jr. | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:41.81 |
| 2012 | Algorithms | Javier Castellano / Todd A. Pletcher | 1 mile / 1:36.17 |
| 2011 | Dialed In | Julien R. Leparoux / Nicholas P. Zito | 1 mile / 1:35.19 |
| 2010 | Winslow Homer | Ramon A. Dominguez / Anthony W. Dutrow | 1 mile / 1:35.97 |
| 2009 | Saratoga Sinner | Julien R. Leparoux / Eddie Kenneally | 1 1⁄8 miles / 1:51.45 |
| 2008 | Hey Byrn | Charles C. Lopez / Edward Plesa Jr. | 1 3⁄16 miles / 1:58.14 |
| 2007 | Nobiz Like Shobiz | Cornelio Velasquez / Barclay Tagg | 1 mile / 1:35.47 |
| 2006 | Barbaro | Edgar S. Prado / Michael R. Matz | 1 1⁄8 miles / 1:49.31 |
| 2005 | Closing Argument | Cornelio Velasquez / Kiaran P. McLaughlin | 1 1⁄8 miles / 1:50.14 |
| 2004 | Second of June | Cornelio Velasquez / William J. Cesare | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:43.00 |
| 2003 | Offlee Wild | Mark Guidry / Thomas Victor Smith | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:43.00 |
| 2002 | Booklet | Eibar Coa / John T. Ward Jr. | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:46.16 |
| 2001 | Radical Riley | Eduardo O. Nunez / James Hatchett | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:46.06 |
| 2000 | Hal's Hope | Roger I. Velez / Harold J. Rose | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:44.52 |
| 1999 | Grits'n Hard Toast | Robbie Davis / Thomas Victor Smith | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:45.32 |
| 1998 | Cape Town | Jerry D. Bailey / D. Wayne Lukas | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:44.15 |
| 1997 | Arthur L. | John R. Velazquez / Luis Olivares | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:42.93 |
| 1996 | Cobra King | Chris McCarron / Mike Puype | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:43.42 |
| 1995 | Royal Mitch | Robbie Davis / Dennis W. Ebert | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:44.03 |
| 1995 | Suave Prospect | Jerry D. Bailey / Nicholas P. Zito | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:44.03 |
| 1994 | Go for Gin | Jerry D. Bailey / Nicholas P. Zito | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:41.62 |
| 1993 | Pride of Burkaan | Jerry D. Bailey / Leo Azpurua Jr. | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:44.74 |
| 1992 | Waki Warrior | Earlie Fires / William G. Huffman | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:44.32 |
| 1991 | Shoot to Kill | Wigberto S. Ramos / Linda L. Rice | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:43.54 |
| 1990 | Home At Last | Jerry D. Bailey / Carl A. Nafzger | 1 1⁄8 miles / 1:53.20 |