Romans may enter four in Holy Bull

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It will only be the first Saturday in February, but Dale Romans will already have the first Saturday in May in mind when the Holy Bull Stakes is run at Gulfstream Park for the 29th time.

Romans said Monday he intends to enter as many as four horses in the Grade 2, $350,000 Holy Bull. Entries for a big Saturday card were to be drawn here Wednesday.

“We’ll definitely run Tiz Mischief and Bandito. I’ll also probably enter Free Drop Billy and Hollywood Star, but most likely just one of them will run. The other one I’ll wait a week and send over to Tampa,” said Romans, referring to the Feb. 10 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

The 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull is one of the final handful of 17-point races toward eligibility for the May 5 Kentucky Derby, with 10 points awarded to the winner. Probably the top hope for Romans is Tiz Mischief, owned by Frank Jones.

“He’s really come along the way you’d like to see,” said Romans, the Louisville native and resident whose perennial focus is to develop Derby runners. “He hasn’t missed a beat since his last race,” a runner-up finish behind Enticed in the Nov. 25 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Enticed, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, barely held off a late surge by Tiz Mischief in the Kentucky Jockey Club, so their rematch is an early treat for fans monitoring the Derby trail.

“Our horse is coming into this the right way,” McLaughlin said after Enticed had his final pre-race breeze Friday at the Palm Meadows training center. “We’re excited about getting his 3-year-old campaign under way.”

Others likely for the Holy Bull include the Todd Pletcher duo of Audible and Bal Harbour, with perhaps a few more from a nominations list of 26.

The Holy Bull anchors a Saturday card that will include four other Grade 3 stakes, all for 3-year-olds. They are the $200,000 Forward Gal and $200,000 Swale, both at seven furlongs, and the $100,000 Dania Beach and $100,000 Sweetest Chant, both at a mile on turf.

Miss Mo Mentum and Take Charge Paula, both ungraded stakes winners, are among the fillies likely for the Forward Gal, while Piven, a four-length winner of the restricted Limehouse here Jan. 6, is set to return in the Swale after two sharp works in the interim for Kevin Attard.

Untamed Domain, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in November, looms a heavy favorite when making his seasonal debut for West Point Thoroughbreds in the Dania Beach.

Meanwhile, Romans said he is considering a variety of upcoming races for three other 3-year-old colts – Dak Attack, Promises Fulfilled, and Seven Trumpets. As for J Boys Echo, perhaps his top older horse, “he could go in the Razorback,” a $500,000 race on Feb. 19 at Oaklawn Park.