Holy Bull Stakes 2024 Picks

By Jarrod Horak

The road to Kentucky Derby 2024 continues at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, February 3, and I have included Holy Bull Stakes 2024 picks below. The Grade 3 event for 3-year-olds has a $250,000 purse and the eight entrants will be journeying 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The Holy Bull is the 12th race on Feb. 3 and the top five finishers will earn Kentucky Derby points (20-10-6-4-2). 

Holy Bull Stakes 2024 Picks & Final Time Ratings

Otello was in a tough spot behind three horses turning for home in his flat mile bow at Aqueduct on Nov. 24, but Joel Rosario remained patient. He got bumped around, split horses, and finished up nicely to defeat the 3-1 pacesetter by a neck. That was a professional effort for Christophe Clement’s Curlin colt, and he drilled a Payson Park bullet prior to his second career outing in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes. I made him my top choice in the latter race. Luis Saez was his pilot last time and he was bet down to favoritism, and he raced in traffic, waited for running room, and finished nicely to win by a half-length. Saez stays put and he drilled a bullet for this on Jan. 26. The Curlin colt is bred to handle two turns.

Domestic Product stretched out and added blinkers in his second career start at 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct last fall, and he chased from 2nd, got to the front, and graduated by 4 1/2 lengths. He caught the mud in the Grade 2 Remsen on Dec. 2, and he stalked from 4th and retreated in the lane (7th beaten 16 lengths). Drum Roll Please returned to take the Jerome at Aqueduct on Jan. 6. He has been holding his own in company works with his stablemate Sierra Leone (Remsen runner-up), and he should be forwardly placed under his new rider Tyler Gaffalione. Chad Brown excels with the blinkers off move. 

Fierceness should make short work of this crew. He set the pace in the mud and ran off the screen by 11 lengths in his sprint bow at Saratoga last summer. I made him my top choice in the Grade 1 Champagne in his second career start at one mile, and he lost all chance after a bad start. He was 16-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 3, and he pressed the pace, took over, and won by 6 1/4 lengths in fast time. He beat Muth last time and that one returned to win the San Vicente (G2) at seven panels on Jan. 7. Todd Pletcher’s 2023 Eclipse Award winner has been pointing to this race since last fall and drilled a bullet for this on Jan. 20. If all goes according to plan, he figures to win this with ease, skip the Fountain of Youth, and wrap up his Kentucky Derby preparations in the Florida Derby.  

Sea Streak fired trifecta shots in all four starts. He added blinkers and finished a close 3rd in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes on Jan. 1. He needs to work out a trip from the outside post. 

The Holy Bull field also includes Hades, Inveigled, Dancing Groom, and No More Time.

Holy Bull Stakes 2024 Picks

The Holy Bull Stakes is my 16th video on the road to Kentucky Derby 2024, and my top choices have three wins, four runner-up finishes, and two show finishes. I will cover each points race on the Kentucky Derby trail. Check out my Holy Bull Stakes 2024 picks video below.