Friday, February 2, 2018

Handicapper's Corner: Holy Bull Stakes (G2)

Calling An Audible in the 2018 Holy Bull Stakes

By Robert Marks, They're in the Gate (and on Twitter @theyreinthegate)


The Grade II Holy Bull Stakes, 1 1/16 miles on the dirt is this Saturday 02/03/18 held at Gulfstream Park in sunny Hallandale Florida. There will be points on line for the first 4 places (10-4-2-1) as these 3-year old’s attempt to accumulate points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby. The 20 horses with the most points will earn a spot in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May. We have a full field of 11 horses.



Here are the participants listed by Post Positions, Horse, Jockey, Trainer and odds:




Here is who we like:

Free Drop Billy - He comes off a disappointing 9th in the BC Juvenile at Delmar. I’m going to toss this race out, assuming he just didn’t like the surface at Delmar. His 4 races before that, over 3 different tracks, were too his liking with him finishing either 1st or 2nd. The start of this race is close too the first turn, so his post position is good, assuming he starts nicely out of the gate.  Arguably the class of the field.



Audible- -This horse will make his 2018 debut coming off of 2 wins in 3 starts as a 2-year-old. He had a high-speed figure in his last race, going 1 mile at Aqueduct. He had Javier Castellano on board for that one and he is here again. Javier has been hot since bringing his tack to Gulfstream for the winter.  


Hollywood Star- Always like to look for value and the morning line on this one is 12-1. Dale Romans saddles 4 horses for this race and why not this one. He has class in his breeding, with his sire Malibu Moon, who was by AP Indy. Last race he was 6th in the BC Juvenile but improved off of a tight start. I also love having Irad Ortiz Jr aboard.


We see this race as a fast one with Free Drop Billy and Audible setting the early pace with Hollywood Star passing horses late to pick up the show place. Enticed will be the odds on favorite but we think Free Drop Billy and Audible are just as fast and will hope the favorite falls out of it, giving us a juicy Trifecta payout.

Wagering/Betting Handigambling Bankroll: Here is our $100 worth of betting for the race

Exacta Box: $20 Exacta Box ($40)
2,4
Trifecta ($10 Box for $60 Total)
2,4,6

As always, watch the Board and if at the track watch how the horses look in the Paddock and adjust your bets accordingly. Good Luck!

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