Holy Bull Stakes Picks —Betting Preview and Predictions (Jan 31)

The action on the Road to the Kentucky Derby steps up a gear this weekend, with major preps set for action in the U.S. A notable race comes in the form of the G3 Holy Bull Stakes, which covers a distance of 1 1/16 miles. Find the odds and our picks for the race here.

Odds

Holy Bull Stakes Recent Winners

Holy Bull Stakes: Event Information

Race Preview

Following the Pegasus World Cup, all eyes will now be on the important races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby between now and the start of May. The G3 Holy Bull has produced some recent greats, including White Abarrio and Tiz The Law.

I’m somewhat surprised to see Incredibolt at a bigger price this weekend. The Riley Mott runner is the only entry with points already on the board, having landed the Street Sense in impressive fashion at Churchill Downs. He looks open to further improvement, and should improve when stepped up in trip.

Roger That Dana and Project Ace are local challengers, but both lack the Equibase speed figures to play a leading role in this company. At best, both contenders could pick up points for fourth at the very best.

Cannoneer is the red-hot favorite, largely in part due to the connections of Brad Cox and Irad Ortiz. The three-year-old has won once from two career starts, and the son of Into Mischief was a big-money purchase for owners. After disappointing on debut, he did show an explosive turn of foot to win over seven furlongs last time.

Nearly is the other big runner in the race with untapped potential. The Todd Pletcher entry has won twice from three career starts, posting an impressive career-best Equibase speed figure of 92. The buzz is building surrounding his Derby credentials, and he won impressively on his last two starts over shorter trips.

Holy Bull Stakes Picks

Nearly and Cannoneer come into the weekend with progressive profiles, and both already have analysts buzzing surrounding their Derby prospects. However, bubbles could be burst at Gulfstream Park.

I’m very sweet on the chances of Incredibolt for Riley Mott, having already shown his ability over this distance after winning the Street Sense. Further improvement is likely, and this could be the weekend that he finally gets the respect that he deserves in the Derby picture.