Live Oak Plantation's High Fly, an impressive winner of his three starts to date, stretches out to two turns for the first time in Saturday's $150,000 Holy Bull (gr. III) for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park.
The Bill White-trained son of
Atticus won the Aventura – his first stakes appearance – by nine lengths at Gulfstream in his most recent effort. He captured his other two races by a combined margin of more than 12 lengths.
High Fly will take on seven rivals in the 1 1/8-mile Holy Bull. Included are the promising Dearest Mon and GP's Black Knight, who is owned in part by PGA Hall of Famer Gary Player.
Dearest Mon edged Devil at Sea by a half-length in a seven-furlong race on the same card with High Fly's win in the Aventura.
GP's Black Knight, a stakes-winning Florida-bred son of
Tiger Ridge, will be making his first start for trainer Nick Zito after turning in a second-place showing behind Better Than Bonds, in the 1 1/16-mile What a Pleasure Stakes on Dec. 4 at Calder.
Two others figure to get plenty of attention.
Kansas City Boy was third, beaten a neck, in the Lecomte (gr. III) at a mile at Fair Grounds Jan. 15.
Closing Argument, who was second to Texcess in the Delta Jackpot Stakes on Dec. 4 at Delta Downs after winning the NATC Futurity at Delaware Park three months earlier.
$150,000 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III), 3-year-olds, 1 1/8 milesPP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. G P's Black Knight (FL), 118, Edgar S. Prado
2. Closing Argument (FL), 120, Cornelio H. Velasquez
3. Kansas City Boy (KY), 118, Brice Blanc
4. Drum Major (KY), 118, Jose A. Santos
5. Criminal Mind (FL), 120, Eibar Coa
6. Dearest Mon (MD), 116, Jerry D. Bailey
7. Hostile Witness (NY), 116, Cecilio Penalba
8. High Fly (KY), 122, Eddie Castro
