With 11 horses entered the Holy Bull was expected to get an honest to fast pace and the race did not disappoint. The Gulfstream surface played fast all day with a maiden going 1:09 and 3 coming off the pace and defeating a 25/1 shot by 1 length.
Top Billing in an allowance race that Surfing USA was no better than a top 30 contender coming into the race setting 1:11 and 3 fractions and 1:36 for the mile. Top Billing closed from last into moderate pace and circled the field but Surfin USA held 2nd despite getting pressure for 3 calls from California invader Rockford.
The fractions for the Holy Bull were faster by 3/5 of a second at the six furlong pole and by 3/5 second at the mile fraction as the Allowance race with a final time faster as well. Almost Famous and Coup De Grace engaged in a speed duel for the entire first 4 furlongs with neither horse rating. Coup De Grace did not try to rate and Velasquez made the decision to send from the rail. Almost Famous is an Unbridled Song who can’t rant and has been head strong in all four of his races.
Cairo Prince as he showed in the Nashua out of the 12 hole and in the last race in the Remsen ran 4-wide and showed extreme patience and unusual calmness sitting 3 wide on the backstretch and waiting for the speed to ding-dong on the front end and give way on the turn.
Mr. Speaker impressed with an impressive 3 wide move and moved first going into the turn and attacked Almost Famous who put away Coup De Grace first. Mr. Speakers move was legitimate and he quickly moved to engaged Almost Famous, but Cairo was sitting in the catbird seat and moved in tandem 3-wide, this was impressive and he was not being asked. Fast recent works for Cairo Prince who has an impressive turn of foot, and duplicated his Nashua effort.
Conquest Titan ran wide and late and verified his Churchill Downs effort was for real. As a closer Conquest Titan is a legitimate top 25 contender. Intense Holiday ran evenly for third was closer to the rail than Conquest Titan in the lane.
Almost Famous set demanding fractions off the layoff and was pressured early by Coup De Grace, then survived the heat from Mr. Speaker and still finished 4th.
Moving forward Cairo is in shape, they just need to point and shoot will be interesting to see if they skip Fountain of Youth and go to Florida Derby or run both? Conquest Titan verified he is a closer and still have room for improvement. Almost Famous is legitimate speed and with less speed in Fountain of Youth may actually run better in next leg than in Holy Bull.
The speed figures are a moot point and the final time. Cairo Prince was already a proven 90 figure horse coming in and his maiden race and Nashua proved he had speed. The Remsen was a perfect race going 9 furlong as a 2 year old and did not have to battle with the 1:17 fractions.
The Top 4 are worth watching from this race. Coup De Grace could still improve and Mr. Speaker stopped badly after making mid race move, so maybe back to turf and possibly Bluegrass for him?