Gulfstream: Nearly passes the test in the Holy Bull
Nearly scored a dominant 5 3/4-length victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $175,000 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park, giving Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher a prime 3-year-old prospect two days after Ted Noffey, the undefeated 2-year-old Eclipse Award champion of 2025, came off the road to the Kentucky Derby.
"You have ups and downs in this game, that's just the way it is. (Ted Noffey) won't be the only defection on the way to the Derby. We were fortunate he had a magnificent 2-year-old campaign, and it just wasn't meant to be in the early spring for this year. We're happy the prognosis is good for a healthy comeback, and we look forward to getting him back at Saratoga," Pletcher said.
"I don't really look at it like this one replaces that one. This horse has been doing well on his own and we have high hopes for him. We're happy to have him."
The Holy Bull, a 1 1/16-mile prep for the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) on March 29 at Gulfstream, headlined a 12-race program featuring five stakes for 3-year-olds.
Nearly, sent to post as the 8-5 second choice in a field of six, broke well to grab a stalking position outside Cannoneer, the 3-2 favorite who showed the way into the first turn on his way to setting fractions of 22.82 and 45.96 seconds for the opening half-mile. The 3-year-old son of Not This Time pulled alongside the pacesetter, who came off a maiden victory Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs, heading into the far turn and put his nose in front on the turn into the homestretch. When asked by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez turning for home, Nearly kicked away to win his stakes debut and third straight victory at Gulfstream.
"I thought it was going to be a two-horse race, but I didn't think my horse would be that close. He got a little aggressive today. He was never like that," Velazquez said. "Normally, it takes him a bit to get his legs under him, but today he was there right away."
Nearly, owned by Centennial Farms, disappointed with a sixth-place finish in his Oct. 26 debut at Aqueduct but graduated with an authoritative off-the-pace 9 3/4-length maiden score at Gulfstream on Nov. 22. He came right back Jan. 2 to capture an off-the-pace five-length victory in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance. Saturday marked his first start around two turns.
"This race he elevated to a different level," Velazquez said. "I didn't expect him to be that aggressive, but that's what good horses do."
Nearly ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.52.
"The horse has been training super, and we felt good coming into this but, yeah, that was everything we hoped it would be," Pletcher said.
A large group of Centennial Farms partners greeted Nearly in the winner's circle.
"The partnership group we have loves this game, loves the sport," Centennial Farms president Don Little Jr. said. "They're patient as we always are, and Todd's team has been great. We have a long way to go, but taking the first step is the first step and we succeeded there."
Pletcher, who saddled Audible (2018) and Algorithms (2012) for Holy Bull triumphs, likely will keep Nearly at Gulfstream.
"This was his third race pretty close together and we felt like we'd get the two-turn race under his belt and see where we stood," Pletcher said. "I think after seeing that today, I'll talk to Don Little and the Centennial guys and we'll come up with a plan. But the horse is three-for-three at Gulfstream and there's plenty of time to the Florida Derby. It probably makes sense to take a close look at staying home."
Bravaro, who raced closest to the pacesetters under Tyler Gaffalione, finished second, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of late-running Project Ace and jockey Corey Lanerie. Cannoneer faded to fourth.
"We got pressured by the winner. I didn't really see any excuse other than going into the far turn, it didn't look like he was going to be able to fend off that horse," Cannoneer's trainer Brad Cox said. "We may have found out just how far he wants to go."
The $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) Feb. 28 is the next stop on the road to the Florida Derby.