Bea Oxenberg’s 3-year-old Hey Byrn drove to a 2¼-length victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park to remain a longhshot possibility for a berth in the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1).

Hey Byrn stalked a slow pace in the 1 3/16-mile Holy Bull, the longest Derby prep on the national calendar, and drove between horses on the far turn before going on to score. He was ridden by Chuck Lopez for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr.

Herb and Ione Elkins’ Dream Maestro finished second in the field of seven 3-year-olds. Patriot Stable’s pacesetter Famous Patriot finished another three-quarters of a length back in third.

A Florida-bred son of Put It Back, Hey Byrn finished fourth last out behind Derby favorite Big Brown in the Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream on Mar. 29 after a pair of impressive allowance victories earlier in the meet. The question remains whether his graded-stakes earnings of $140,000 will prove enough to get him into the maximum field of 20 allowed to start in the Derby.

Hey Byrn paid $4 as the favorite and ran the 1 3/16 miles over a fast track in 1:58:18.

Winning Jockey Quotes

Chuck Lopez:

“I’ve been lucky enough to do a good bit of business with Eddlie Plesa in the past, most notably with Gottcha Gold (a Plesa-trained horse with whom Lopez won the Grade 3 Skip Away Handicap here on Mar. 29). I hadn’t planned on being so close so early, but they were walking. I asked my mount to move near the turn where I knew I had (Famous Patriot) measured, but that horse on the outside (Dream Maestro) surprised me. Once I put the first one away, here came another. But I had good position and, although it got a little sticky in the lane, with a little persuasion, we got through.”

Winning Trainer Quote

Eddie Plesa Jr.:  

“He had some trouble at the start of the Florida Derby. Not enough to have been a threat to the winner by any means, but enough to possibly cost him a place or two. They were walking up front early today and Chuck (Lopez) had him laid up closer than he might have been normally. He did what he had to do today, winning a graded stakes, but now it’s out of our hands (whether he gets into Derby).” 

Fractions:   

25:27, 50:38, 1:14:99, 1:38:93, 1:58:18