Looking Ahead: Kentucky Derby hopefuls Ferocious and Burnham Square

Jan 30, 2025 Sara Dacus/TwinSpires.com

The Florida Road to the Kentucky Derby begins Saturday with the Holy Bull S. (G3), the first of three qualifying races held at Gulfstream Park. Kentucky Derby winners Go for Gin (1994), Funny Cide (2003), and Barbaro (2006) used it as a stepping stone to the first Saturday in May. Nine other horses who finished in the Derby trifecta also prepped in the Holy Bull.

This year’s strong field of seven includes five last-out winners, among them Gulfstream’s Mucho Macho Man S. victor Guns Loaded and He’s Not Joking, a Grade 3 winner around two turns on Woodbine’s synthetic surface.

At 9-5 odds on the morning line, Ferocious is the favorite. As a two-year-old in training, he was purchased for $1.3 million. He aced his career debut, winning a maiden special weight at Saratoga by 7 3/4 lengths. Next, he solidified his reputation by placing second in a pair of Grade 1 contests: the Hopeful S. and the Breeders’ Futurity. He did not fire as well in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), his final race as a two-year-old. The dark bay got into traffic and finished fifth.

These top-tier races give him the most experience in the Holy Bull field, which is his first race as a sophomore. He is trained by Gustavo Delgado and ridden by Javier Castellano, who teamed up to win the 2023 Kentucky Derby with Mage.

Ferocious stretches out in Breeders’ Futurity, Brightwork faces older foes in Thoroughbred Club of America. 🤩 @J_Keelerman https://t.co/AB5ADdm5TW

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) October 2, 2024

Ferocious faces several fellow sophomores with momentum. Burnham Square is a colt on the rise offering more value at 5-1 odds. In his first two starts, the gelding finished a close second and third, both times less than one length away from the winner. He broke through in a big way in his third race. Running the 1 1/16 mile distance of the Holy Bull on the Gulfstream track, he pulled away to a nine-length victory. The Holy Bull marks a formidable step up in class for him, and it is also his first start as a three-year-old.

Burnham Square is from the barn of trainer Ian Wilkes, who is from Australia. In his first job in American racing, he worked for trainer Carl Nafzger. As an exercise rider for the Hall of Famer, he galloped Unbridled, the 1990 Kentucky Derby winner. As an assistant to Nafzger, Wilkes worked with 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense.

The undercard includes four other stakes races, including the Forward Gal (G3) for fillies, a points race for the Kentucky Oaks.