First Down Maturing in Advance of Holy Bull

Godolphin Racing’s Frosted is expected to vie for favoritism for Saturday’s $400,000 Lambholm South Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream Park, having made a most positive impression while finishing a close second in the Remsen (G2) against a strong rail bias at Aqueduct Nov. 29.

Godolphin Racing’s First Down, who is also set to compete in the Holy Bull in an uncoupled entry with Frosted, is rated at 12-1 in the morning line for the important prep for the $1 million Besilu Stables Florida Derby (G1; March 28).

The interest of longshot bettors may well be piqued by First Down’s first past performance line in Gulfstream’s track program. The Tom Albertrani-trained colt registered a three-quarter of a length debut victory over the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Frosted in a 6 ½-furlong maiden race at Belmont Park on Sept. 20. The two Godolphin colts raced as a 7-2 coupled entry that day, when bettors were likely expecting Frosted to graduate, having previously gained race experience with a fast-closing second in his debut at Saratoga on Aug. 23.

First Down provided a pleasant surprise for the bettors, who still got to cash their win tickets, and his trainer.

“He was never a flashy work horse in the morning. I was actually quite surprised the way he ran in his first race,” Albertrani said. “It was very impressive to see him win first time out.”

Frosted, who is rated second at 5-2 behind 2-1 favorite Upstart for the Holy Bull, went on to graduate by more than five lengths before finishing just a half-length behind Leave the Light On in the Remsen. First Down followed up his debut victory with a fourth-place finish in the Nashua (G2) at Aqueduct on Nov. 2. The son of Street Sense experienced light bumping at the start and raced three wide around the turn into the homestretch before flattening out over a muddy track.

“We were hoping to see him take a step forward (in the Nashua), but he caught a bad track and he had a little traffic,” Albertrani said. “He got more of an education in that race than in his first race. That being said, I think this horse can take another step forward,”

Albertrani said First Down has been training forwardly at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

“It does look like he’s a little bit more mature. He’s working more aggressively. He seems to be more focused,” he said.

Rajiv Maragh has been named to ride First Down in the 1 1/16-mile stakes.

Source: Gulfstream Park