If heavy favorite Classic Empire somehow stubs his toe in the Holy Bull Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, Irish War Cry or Gunnevera could be there to pull an upset in the 1 1/16-mile race.
The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, closed Sunday as the 5-2 favorite over divisional champion Classic Empire (5-1) in Pool 2 of the 2017 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
Bourbon Empire on Friday was announced as an early nominee to the Triple Crown, bringing to 419 the number of nominees at this stage of the process.
Trainer Todd Pletcher is expected to send out a trio of runners against Jerome Stakes winner El Areeb in next Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct. Pletcher's horses Bonus Points and Win With Pride, who finished second and fourth, respectively, in the Jerome, will try El Areeb again. They will be joined by Fillet of Sole, a colt coming off maiden victory at Parx in November.
With reigning divisional champion Classic Empire heading the prospective lineup, a field of seven or eight is forming for the first major 3-year-old event of the Gulfstream championship meet, the Grade 2, $350,000 Holy Bull Stakes on Saturday.
Guest Suite began his 3-year-old campaign with this victory, and though his Beyer Figure was on the low side compared with what some of his brethren have accomplished already, it was his career best, continuing a pattern that has seen him improve in every start.
Reigning leading sire Tapit, who sired his second American classic winner last year, leads all stallions by early nominations to the 2017 Triple Crown series.
Master Plan definitely didn’t run according to plan in the $100,000 males’ division of the OBS Championship Stakes on Tuesday, but his talent allowed him to overcome a speed-favoring track bias and rally for a 2 1/2-length victory under jockey John Velazquez.
Classic Empire won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, was named the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male of 2016, and on Tuesday headed a robust list of 418 3-year-olds who were announced as early nominees to this year’s Triple Crown.
