# Holy Bull Stakes

The Holy Bull Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old horses run over the distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt, held annually in January at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event currently carries a purse of $250,000.

## History

The event was inaugurated on 7 April 1990 as the Preview Stakes over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles, and it was created as a replacement for the Flamingo Stakes that ceased to exist following the closure of Hialeah Park Race Track. The event was held three weeks after the Florida Derby and the winner Home At Last did not run in any of the Triple Crown Races.
In 1991 the distance was decreased to 1+1⁄16 miles and in 1992 the event was rescheduled to early February thus becoming a preparatory race for the Florida Derby.
In 1995 the Preview Stakes was upgraded to a Grade III. That same year Gulfstream Park scheduled an event in March in honor of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame horse Holy Bull who had won the Florida Derby in 1994.
The following year in 1996, Gulfstream Park replaced the Preview Stakes with the Holy Bull Stakes which assumed the classification of the event.
In 2008 the event was scheduled in April after the Florida Derby and run over a distance of 1+3⁄16 miles.
The event was upgraded to Grade II in 2014 and held this status until 2019. The event was degraded to Grade III for 2020.
The event has produced Classic winners. The 1994 winner Go for Gin won the Kentucky Derby. In 2006 Barbaro won the event for his fourth straight win continuing on to win the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby. In 2020 Tiz the Law also won the Florida Derby continuing on to win the Belmont Stakes when it was held in late June and was the first event in the Triple Crown series which was rescheduled to due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The event is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby with qualification points given to the first four placegetters.

## Records

Speed record:
* 1+1⁄16 miles – 1:41.62 Go for Gin (1994)
* 1 mile – 1:35.19 Dialed In (2011)
* 1+1⁄8 miles – 1:49.31 Barbaro (2006)
Margins:
* 8 lengths – Suave Prospect (1995)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 3 – Nick Zito (1994, 1995, 2011)
* 3 – Kiaran McLaughlin (2005, 2014, 2016)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 5 – Jerry D. Bailey (1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998)
Most wins by an owner:
* 2 – William J. Condren (1994, 1995)
* 2 – Paul Braverman (2014, 2019)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade |
| Holy Bull Stakes ||||||||||
| 2024 | Hades | Paco Lopez | Joseph Orseno | D. J. Stable & Robert Cotran | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.07 | $260,000 | III |
| 2023 | Rocket Can | Junior Alvarado | William I. Mott | Frank Fletcher Racing Operations | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.97 | $250,000 | III |
| 2022 | White Abarrio | Tyler Gaffalione | Saffie A. Joseph Jr. | C2 Racing Stable & La Milagrosa Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.80 | $250,000 | III |
| 2021 | Greatest Honour | Jose L. Ortiz | Claude R. McGaughey III | Courtlandt Farms | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.19 | $200,000 | III |
| 2020 | Tiz the Law | Manuel Franco | Barclay Tagg | Sackatoga Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.04 | $250,000 | III |
| 2019 | Harvey Wallbanger | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Kenneth G. McPeek | Harold Lerner, AWC Stables, Nehoc Stables, Scott Akman & Paul Braverman | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.69 | $350,000 | II |
| 2018 | Audible | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | WinStar Farm, China Horse Club & SF Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1.41.92 | $350,000 | II |
| 2017 | Irish War Cry | Joel Rosario | H. Graham Motion | Isabelle de Tomaso | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.52 | $350,000 | II |
| 2016 | Mohaymen | Junior Alvarado | Kiaran P. McLaughlin | Shadwell Stables | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.07 | $350,000 | II |
| 2015 | Upstart | Jose L. Ortiz | Richard A. Violette Jr. | Ralph M. Evans | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.61 | $400,000 | II |
| 2014 | Cairo Prince | Luis Saez | Kiaran P. McLaughlin | Namcook Stables, Paul Braverman, Harvey A. Clarke & Craig W. Robertson III | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.16 | $400,000 | II |
| 2013 | Itsmyluckyday | Elvis Trujillo | Edward Plesa Jr. | Trilogy Stable & Laurie Plesa | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.81 | $400,000 | III |
| 2012 | Algorithms | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | Starlight Racing | 1 mile | 1:36.17 | $400,000 | III |
| 2011 | Dialed In | Julien R. Leparoux | Nicholas P. Zito | Robert V. LaPenta | 1 mile | 1:35.19 | $400,000 | III |
| 2010 | Winslow Homer | Ramon A. Dominguez | Anthony W. Dutrow | Fox Hill Farms | 1 mile | 1:35.97 | $150,000 | III |
| 2009 | Saratoga Sinner | Julien R. Leparoux | Eddie Kenneally | Lally Stable | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.45 | $150,000 | III |
| 2008 | Hey Byrn | Charles C. Lopez | Edward Plesa Jr. | Beatrice Oxenberg | 1+3⁄16 miles | 1:58.14 | $150,000 | III |
| 2007 | Nobiz Like Shobiz | Cornelio Velasquez | Barclay Tagg | Elizabeth J. Valando | 1 mile | 1:35.47 | $150,000 | III |
| 2006 | Barbaro | Edgar S. Prado | Michael R. Matz | Lael Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.31 | $150,000 | III |
| 2005 | Closing Argument | Cornelio Velasquez | Kiaran P. McLaughlin | Philip & Marcia Cohen | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.14 | $150,000 | III |
| 2004 | Second of June | Cornelio Velasquez | William J. Cesare | Barbara Cesare | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.00 | $100,000 | III |
| 2003 | Offlee Wild | Mark Guidry | Thomas Victor Smith | Azalea Stables | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.00 | $100,000 | III |
| 2002 | Booklet | Eibar Coa | John T. Ward Jr. | John C. Oxley | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.16 | $100,000 | III |
| 2001 | Radical Riley | Eduardo O. Nunez | James Hatchett | Jacks or Better Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.06 | $100,000 | III |
| 2000 | Hal's Hope | Roger I. Velez | Harold J. Rose | Harold J. Rose Trust | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.52 | $100,000 | III |
| 1999 | Grits'n Hard Toast | Robbie Davis | Thomas Victor Smith | Thomas Victor Smith & Robert A. Anderson | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.32 | $100,000 | III |
| 1998 | Cape Town | Jerry D. Bailey | D. Wayne Lukas | Overbrook Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.15 | $100,000 | III |
| 1997 | Arthur L. | John R. Velazquez | Luis Olivares | Cobble View Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.93 | $100,000 | III |
| 1996 | Cobra King | Chris McCarron | Mike Puype | Betty Biszantz | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.42 | $75,000 | III |
| 1995 | Royal Mitch | Robbie Davis | Dennis W. Ebert | Crown Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.03 | $50,000 | |
| Preview Stakes ||||||||||
| 1995 | Suave Prospect | Jerry D. Bailey | Nicholas P. Zito | William J. Condren & Michael H. Sherman | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.03 | $75,000 | III |
| 1994 | Go for Gin | Jerry D. Bailey | Nicholas P. Zito | William J. Condren & Joseph Cornacchia | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.62 | $75,000 | Listed |
| 1993 | Pride of Burkaan | Jerry D. Bailey | Leo Azpurua Jr. | R. Johnson & G. Murchison | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.74 | $75,000 | Listed |
| 1992 | Waki Warrior | Earlie Fires | William G. Huffman | Stanley Lowenbraun | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.32 | $130,430 | Listed |
| 1991 | Shoot to Kill | Wigberto S. Ramos | Linda L. Rice | Clyde D. Rice | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.54 | $200,000 | Listed |
| 1990 | Home At Last | Jerry D. Bailey | Carl A. Nafzger | Russell L Reineman Stable | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:53.20 | $233,600 | |