G3 Holy Bull Possible for Friday Feature Winner Nearly

Pegasus World Cup Day Invitees Post Friday Workouts
Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $325,000

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Centennial Farms’ promising 3-year-old colt Nearly may have punched his ticket to the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) later this month, putting away favored Confessional in mid-stretch and pulling clear to a five-length victory in Friday’s feature at Gulfstream Park.

A $350,000 son of Not This Time, Nearly ($4.60) covered seven furlongs over a fast main track under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in 1:22.88 to register his second straight victory at Gulfstream following a dominant 9 ¼-length triumph over fellow Florida-breds sprinting six furlongs Nov. 22.

Standing side-by-side with Confessional in the starting gate, Nearly overcame a bump at the break with that rival to settle in the clear four wide in fourth as Blame Yasself led through a quarter-mile in 22.82 seconds pressed to his outside by Confessional. Nearly moved up alongside Confessional after a half in 46.59 and they straightened for home together, briefly engaging before Nearly edged away.

“Kind of a messy start but he was able to kind of settle after that and get in a good rhythm, made a good run and finished up well,” winning Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He’s always trained [well].

“We were shocked he didn’t run better in his debut than he did. He just reacted very negatively to the kickback. I’m glad to have him regroup and show what he’s capable of,” he added. “It seems like he’s a little more professional each start. I liked the way he finished and we look forward to stretching him out.”

Following Confessional under the wire were Timeless Victory and Blame Yasself. Mob, the 9-5 program favorite that won his lone start Nov. 23; Vost, third in the Sept. 13 Iroquois (G3), and maiden winners Into the Beast and Prost were scratched.

Sixth in an open maiden special weight going six furlongs Oct. 26 at Aqueduct, Nearly could return to Gulfstream in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull, the second of three local prep races on the road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 28, followed by the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2), also at 1 1/16 miles, Feb. 28.

“We know there’s options almost every weekend all spring, so we’ll talk to the Centennial guys and come up with a plan. He’s 2-for-2 here at Gulfstream so you have to think about the Holy Bull,” Pletcher said. “If he needs a little more time, there’s other options as well.”

Pegasus World Cup Day Invitees Post Friday Workouts

Three-time defending Championship Meet leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. sent out four of his Pegasus World Cup Day invitees for workouts Friday at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

Skippylongstocking (39 seconds), In Our Time (36.80), Movin’ On Up (37.15) and Ramsey Pond (38.75) all breezed three furlongs over the main track. Daniel Alonso’s Skippylongstocking is among 20 horses on the initial invitation list for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1), the headliner on a program featuring 10 stakes, seven graded, worth $5.55 million in purses. The 7-year-old winner of 12 races and nearly $3.8 million in purses has run in the past three Pegasus races, his best finish being a third last January.

In Our Time, Movin’ On Up and Ramsey Pond are all invitees to the $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G2), the latter two as reserves. In Our Time finished third in the 1 1/16-mile Filly & Mare Turf last January behind stablemate Be Your Best and was most recently third in the Nov. 30 Matriarch (G1). Movin’ On Up was second by a head in Gulfstream’s Dec. 20 Suwannee River, the local Pegasus prep, while Ramsey Pond exits a third in the Dec. 13 Tropical Park Oaks.

At Palm Beach Downs, Grade 1-placed Captain Cook and multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Major Dude breezed for possible Pegasus assignments. St. Elias Stable’s 4-year-old colt Captain Cook worked four furlongs in 48.60 seconds, the fastest of 15 horses, while Spendthrift Farm’s 6-year-old Major Dude went the same distance in 50.36, ranking 11th. Both are trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.

“I thought both of them went well,” Pletcher said. “Right now we’re pointing both of them to the Pegasus.”

Invited to the Pegasus, Captain Cook won the 2025 Withers and has finished second in his two starts since joining Pletcher last summer. He was beaten a nose in the H. Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga and 8 ¼ lengths as the favorite in the Perryville (G3) Oct. 18 at Keeneland, both sprinting seven furlongs.

Major Dude is on the invitation list to the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1), a 1 1/8-mile race where he finished sixth, beaten three lengths, last January. Winner of the one-mile Artie Schiller Oct. 11 at Aqueduct, he was scratched from making a title defense in Gulfstream’s Fort Lauderdale (G3) Dec. 20.

Pletcher won the Pegasus World Cup with Life Is Good in 2022 and the Pegasus Turf with Colonel Liam in 2021 and 2022.

At Payson Park, trainer Brad Cox had Juddmonte’s undefeated 4-year-old homebred Disco Time out for a five-furlong breeze in 1:01. Disco Time, 5-0 lifetime including stakes wins in the Lecomte (G3), St. Louis Derby and Dwyer, is invited to the Pegasus, a race Cox won in 2021 with Knicks Go.

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $325,000

The estimated pool for Saturday’s 20-cent Rainbow 6 – a sequence that includes the $175,000 Mucho Macho Man for 3-year-olds at a mile on the main track and the $175,000 Ginger Brew for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on the turf – is expected to be $325,000.

The sequence consists of three turf races and three races on the main track. First race post is 12:20 ET. The Rainbow 6 begins with Race 6 at approximately 2:48 ET.

Race 6: $175,000 Ginger Brew, 3-year-old fillies, one mile turf

Spirit Doll (2-1), from the barn of leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., ran away to a 6 ½ length win in October in her lone turf start. She broke her maiden over the summer at Saratoga. Edgard Zayas is named to ride. Trainer Brian Lynch, who’s having an incredible start to the Championship Meet, saddles two in Storm’s Wake (10-1), a winner of turf races at Churchill Downs and Ellis Park over the summer and fall, and Sister Troienne (8-5), who goes for her fourth consecutive victory and third on turf.

Race 7: Maiden special weight, 4-year-olds and up, seven furlongs

A field of eight with Playing Tricks (2-1) coming off a second in his debut back in April at Aqueduct for trainer Chad Brown. Mizzou (7-2) draws the rail for George Weaver and jockey John Velazquez while Noble Sky (6-1) comes into the race off three seconds and a third in four starts for trainer Ron Spatz.

Race 8: Allowance optional claimer, 4-year-olds and up, 1 1/16-mile turf

Ten are entered in this competitive field with a tepid favorite in New York-bred George Briggs (4-1), another Brown trainee who was third in the Colonel Liam at Gulfstream in March. Won a division of the New York Stallion Series at Saratoga over a sloppy track and was fourth, beaten less than a length, in the restricted Mohawk. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount. Our Souper Hero (5-1) enters off two consecutive turf victories here in October and Dec. 5 for trainer Mark Casse. McRavin (6-1) arrives from Maryland where he won his debut on the turf and finished second last time out against allowance company. A wide open race.

Race 9: Allowance optional claimer, 3-year-old fillies, 6 ½ furlongs

Slay the Day (8-5), trained by Lynch, finished fourth in his debut at Keeneland in the fall before breaking her maiden Nov. 16 at Churchill Downs. Velazquez is named to ride. Kadabra (5-2) draws the rail for trainer Todd Pletcher and Ortiz. After finishing second in the slop at Keeneland in her debut in April, she broke her maiden at Aqueduct in May. Pletcher is 23 percent with 180-plus day layoffs. Canton (7-2), trained by Joseph, could be the one to catch.

Race 10: $175,000 Mucho Macho Man, 3-year-olds, one mile

One of several races during the Championship Meet considered a prep for the Florida Derby (G1) and spring classics. Commandment (7-5) gets the rail for trainer Brad Cox and Ortiz. A $500,000 son of Into Mischief, Commandment finished fourth in his debut as the favorite at Keeneland in October before winning his second start by 5 ¼ lengths at Churchill Downs Nov. 1. Been working regularly at Payson Park. Epic Summer (7-2) won his only start in October at Aqueduct for trainer Weaver. Tyler Gaffalione rides. Thunder Chuck (6-1) won in the mud at Monmouth before finishing fourth in the Saratoga Special (G2) and second at Gulfstream Nov. 22 in the Juvenile Sprint. David Egan rides.

Race 11: Allowance optional claimer, 4-year-olds and up, 1 1/16-mile turf

Another competitive turf race with another tepid favorite in Concord Green, second last time out at Tampa for trainer Shug McGaughey. Ortiz rides. White Palomino is another from the Brown stable who hasn’t run since the summer. Was second in the Belmont Derby (G1) in 2024. Gaffalione rides. Brown is 26 percent with 180-plus day layoffs. Discreet Dancer’s (15-1) last three have been against stakes company and gets some class relief here. Walking in Memphis (6-1) gets the rail for Casse and Velazquez.

Who’s Hot: Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. rode two winners Friday, U Know When U Know ($4.60) in Race 3 and Uncle Gold ($4.60) in Race 7 … Jockey Katie Davis walked off the track and was uninjured after being unseated at the top of the stretch during Friday’s finale.