Cairo Prince passed the first major test for 3-year-olds on the Kentucky Derby trail and did so with flying colors, drawing away to an impressive 5 3/4-length victory over Conquest Titan in Saturday’s Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Top Billing gave every indication that he will be a major player on the road to the Kentucky Derby this season when he rallied from last to a very impressive 2 3/4-length victory over the well-regarded Surfing U S A in Saturday’s fourth race at Gulfstream Park.
Classic Giacnroll, the runner-up in the Jerome Stakes here Jan. 4, worked a half-mile in 50.86 seconds Saturday over the Aqueduct inner track in preparation for next Saturday’s $250,000 Withers Stakes. It was the third-fastest of 15 works at the distance.
Shared Belief, the champion 2-year-old male of 2013, is unlikely to start in the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 8 because of ongoing concern over a grabbed quarter.
Four years ago, trainer Butch Reid won the Grade 3 Withers Stakes with 24-1 shot Afleet Again. Next Saturday, Reid will try to win it again with Honorable Judge, a full brother to Afleet Again.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin will attempt to walk the fine line of winning a Grade 2 stakes while leaving something in the tank for more important goals when he sends out his top Kentucky Derby prospect, Cairo Prince, on Saturday against 10 rivals in a stellar renewal of the $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes.
Financial Mogul will launch his 3-year-old campaign here Saturday in the Grade 2 Holy Bull while stablemate Samraat is scheduled to board a van for New York early next week to run the following Saturday at Aqueduct in the Withers.
The unbeaten 3-year-old stakes winners Midnight Hawk and Indianapolis are being pointed to graded stakes at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert said Wednesday.
Exit Stage Left made it three stakes victories in three career starts with a half-length win in the 1 1/16-mile California Derby last Saturday and has shown continued improvement. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and jockey Russell Baze stressed the gameness and competitiveness of the Noonmark colt.
Tanzanite Cat, Walt, and Coastline, who finished 1-2-3 in the $150,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park on Monday, are all being pointed to the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest on Feb. 17.
