Holy Bull: Arnold looks for Spin Wheel to show development
The Grade 3, $250,000 Holy Bull, set to go off Saturday at Gulfstream, features several horses looking to cement themselves as serious Kentucky Derby prospects, including Giant Game, Mo Donegal and Tiz The Bomb. The field poses a challenge for Spin Wheel, running for veteran trainer Rusty Arnold.
Arnold was not intimidated by the competition, saying he felt the Hard Spun colt had come a long way since his most recent race, when he broke his maiden on third asking.
“He’s bigger and he’s stronger,” Arnold told Horse Racing Nation. “He’s turned into a 3-year-old and he’s mentally going the right way. I think he’s got a bright future.”
When he last raced at Churchill Downs in November, going 1 1/8 miles on the main track, Spin Wheel sat dead last three-quarters of a mile in. Under jockey Julien Leparoux, who has the ride again on Saturday, the Hard Spun colt got to the rail and shot to the front, winning at the wire by a nose.
Arnold said he expected a similar trip on Saturday, praising the colt’s distance capabilities.
“There appears to be a ton of fast horses in there,” Arnold said. “I think he’s a true two-turn horse, mile-and-a-quarter horse. He’s got his work cut out for him Saturday.”
Spin Wheel was a $100,000 purchase at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale. He is owned by BBN Racing.
He finished sixth in his debut race at Saratoga in August, before crossing the wire fourth at Keeneland in September. That race was moved off the turf.
Arnold said the colt has matured significantly since those first efforts.
“He’s mentally developed a lot,” Arnold said. “He was kind of a shy 2-year-old and a little bit of a baby actor and he’s growing into a man now.”
Saturday’s race will determine what the future looks like for Spin Wheel. If he runs well, Arnold said he will continue to keep him on the Derby trail.
If not, the colt could drop to allowance company.
“It’s a terrible cliche, but we’re going to take it one race at a time,” Arnold said.
The Holy Bull drew a field of nine on Wednesday. Spin Wheel will start from Post 7 for the 1 1/16 mile race.
Derby points will be allocated on a 10-4-2-1 basis to the top four finishers. Post time is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. EST and is carded as the 11th out of 12 races.