Silver Wagon Hits Derby Trail in Holy Bull

Silver Wagon will hit the trail toward Churchill Downs when he takes the gate against at field of 10 runners in Saturday's $100,000 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park. The 15th running of the Holy Bull goes as the 10th event on an 11-race card with a first post time of 1 p.m.

Buckram Oak Farm's Silver Wagon could be considered a slight favorite after winning the Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga last summer. Jerry Bailey has the mount.

The Ralph Ziadie-trained colt tried two turns for the first time in the What a Pleasure Stakes at Calder on Dec. 13 and ran third after encountering trouble on the first turn.

The winner that day – by an impressive five lengths – was Barbara Cesare's Second of June, who had taken a previous allowance race by nearly five lengths. Bill Cesare trains the son of Louis Quatorze, who will have Cornelio Velasquez in the irons.

Both Silver Wagon and Second of June will have to keep an eye on Mary and Chester Broman Sr.'s Friends Lake, who is bidding to becoming this year's Funny Cide. Trained by John Kimmel, Friends Lake, like Funny Cide, is a New York-bred, and, like Funny Cide, won the Sleepy Hollow Stakes for state-breds at Belmont. Richard Migliore has the mount.

Nick Zito, who has several talented 3-year-olds in training at Palm Meadows, will saddle El Prado Rob for the Holy Bull. The El Prado colt, owned by Robert La Penta, won at Saratoga and Keeneland last year, but is still looking for his first stakes score. Edgar Prado, who was aboard in his maiden win, has the mount.

The best horse with a tough post this year is Franks Farms' Smoocher, who drew the outside Post 10. David Bell trains the son of Kissin Kris, who has done all his racing at Woodbine. The colt stamped himself one to watch with a victory in the Grey Breeders' Cup Stakes (Can-II) in October.

Jose Santos, the regular rider for Funny Cide last year, picks up the mount on Smoocher for the Holy Bull.

The field for Saturday's $100,000 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) includes:
1 -- Seneca Summer (Eibar Coa, 12-1)
2 -- El Prado Rob (Edgar Prado, 8-1)
3 -- Hopefortheroses (Rene Douglas, 12-1)
4 -- Silver Wagon (Jerry Bailey, 3-1)
5 -- Friends Lake (Richard Migliore, 5-1)
6 -- Second of June (Cornelio Velasquez, 5-2)
7 -- Tap Dancing Mauk (Craig Perret, 10-1)
8 -- Hitthegroundrunnin (Paul Toscano, 20-1)
9 -- Caimen (Gary Boulanger, 15-1)
10 -- Smoocher (Jose Santos, 6-1)