Ferocious heads seven-horse Holy Bull; 11 vie for Oaks points in Forward Gal
Jan 27, 2025
Ferocious breaking his maiden in a romp at Saratoga (Photo by Coglianese Photos)
The form of last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) will be under the microscope on two fronts Saturday. Before Juvenile winner and champion two-year-old Citizen Bull makes his season debut in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita, Juvenile fifth-place finisher Ferocious headlines a field of seven in the $265,000 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
Ferocious did not have the cleanest of runs in the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar. Shuffled back to last on the far turn, Ferocious was able to regain some of the position he lost by the finish, though he was still 6 1/2 lengths adrift of Citizen Bull in a race where speed dominated. However, the form has not been enhanced by runner-up Gaming, who finished far back in both the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) and Southwest (G3) in his next two starts.
Ferocious, however, could prove different. His pre-Breeders' Cup form was solid, as he finished second in both the Hopeful (G1) and Breeders' Futurity (G1) to the classy colts Chancer McPatrick and East Avenue, respectively.
🐂 Citizen Bull wins the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile!
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) November 2, 2024
If Ferocious gets help pace-wise, it's likely to come from Guns Loaded, who wired the one-mile Mucho Macho Man S. on New Year's Day, and Tappan Street, who captured his debut three days before that. A Brad Cox-trained son of Into Mischief, Tappan Street was a $1 million Saratoga yearling purchase.
He's Not Joking captured the Grey (G3) at Woodbine in early November but flopped in his dirt debut in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) later that month. Exiting maiden wins of varying quality are Burnham Square, Burning Glory, and Kinetic Control.
The Holy Bull has a scheduled post time of 5:13 p.m. ET. It is a Road to the Kentucky Derby series race with points of 20-10-6-4-2 allocated to the respective top five finishers.
The 12-race card at Gulfstream on Saturday ends with the $165,000 Forward Gal (G3), a seven-furlong Road to the Kentucky Oaks series prep for three-year-old fillies. The field of 11 includes Tempted S. winner Stunner, who drew the far outside post and will attempt to rebound from her stunning, odds-on loss to My Denysse in the My Dear Girl S. in late November.
Cox trains Stunner as well as Godolphin homebred Eclatant, who was a distant third to stablemate Good Cheer when last seen in the Golden Rod (G2). The streaking Saffie Joseph Jr. barn is represented by 16 1/4-length maiden winner Roja Rita, while Justinqueso also enters off a fast maiden win, albeit one awarded to her in the stewards' room. The Queens M G showed precocity last summer, taking the Schuylerville S. and Adirondack (G3) at Saratoga.
The Forward Gal, which offers Oaks points of 20-10-6-4-2 to its top five finishers, has a scheduled post of 5:45 p.m. Both it and the Holy Bull can be watched and wagered on at TwinSpires.com.
Kentucky Derby week, spring meet tickets go on sale Thursday (Jan 30, 2025) at noon!
2025 Kentucky Derby week special events:
- Opening Night: The Great Gatsby, A Louisville Legacy | Saturday, April 26
- Dawn at the Downs Dining | Sunday, April 27 and Monday, April 28
- 502’sDay: Celebrating Ali, Louisville’s Greatest | Wednesday, April 30
- Thurby / Taste of Derby | Thursday, May 1
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