The 30th running of the $200,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) is set for Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Covering 1 1/16 miles, the event is one of the lead-up races for 3-year-olds preparing for the March 28 Florida Derby (G1) at the track.

Make sure to check JazzSports.ag to get updated with all the odds surrounding the Holy Bull Stakes.

Mutasaabeq and Prime Factor

One of the top names coming into the race is Shadwell Stable’s Mutasaabeq, who was the 1 1/2-length winner of the one-mile Mucho Macho Man on Jan. 2. That race marked the colt’s return to dirt.

Mutasaabeg is the son of Into Mischief with Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher as his trainer. He is also returning to the main track following a victory in the 1 1/16-mile Bourbon (G2) on grass, as well as a 10th-place run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).

Mutasaabeq has a career record consisting of three wins and one third-place finish from five starts, and his total earnings sit at $259,120.

He will be up against Todd Pletcher stablemate Prime Factor. The 3-year-old Quality Road colt is owned by CHC INC. and WinStar Farm.

Prime Factor broke his maiden in a Dec. 12 Gulfstream Park race going six furlongs. He crossed the line 8 3/4 lengths ahead of the runner-up finisher.

Mutasaabeq’s current Kentucky Derby odds are at +4000 while Prime Factor is at +2500.

Other Big Names In Holy Bull Stakes

Two of the other big names to look out for going into the Holy Bull Stakes are Greatest Honour and Sittin On Go.

Courtlandt Farms’ Greatest Honour is a 3-year-old Tapit colt who is trained by Claude McGaughey. He has a career record of one win, one second, and two thirds from four races.

His earnings are at $56,200. His odds to win the Derby are currently sitting at +5000.

He is coming off a maiden victory on Dec. 26 over a mile at Gulfstream Park, where he registered a 104 Speed Figure. His three other races were all maiden special weight events. Those were a runner-up finish on Nov. 8 at Aqueduct, a third on Oct. 11 at Belmont Park, and a third on Sept. 5 at Saratoga.

Albaugh Family Stables’ Sitting On Go has been receiving a lot of attention lately, and he is +10000 on the Kentucky Derby odds.

Trained by Dale Romans, the 3-year-old Broody’s Cause colt has two wins from his four career starts, and his earnings are at $167,520.

The colt has not run since Nov. 28, when he took sixth in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. His other performances include a ninth-place finish in the Nov. 6 TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) at Keeneland.

He was also first in the Sept. 5 Iroquois Stakes presented by Ford (G3) at Churchill Downs and had a maiden victory on Aug. 16 at Ellis Park.

More To Watch

Twenty-two total sophomores are nominated to the Holy Bull, including names like Papetu, Awesome Gerry, Pickin’ Time, and Ultimate Badger. Those happen to be the four horses that finished behind Mutasaabeq in the Mucho Macho Man.

It is setting up to be an exciting race on the road to the Florida Derby.

Make sure to check JAZZ Horse Racing for odds surrounding the Holy Bull Stakes.

SPIELBERG, HOT ROD CHARLIE SET FOR ROBERT B. LEWIS STAKES

Robert B Lewis Stakes will run on Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. The event is an early West Coast prep race for the Grade I Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3, as well as for the Kentucky Derby.

Covering a distance of 1 1/16 miles, it awards 10 qualifying Derby points to the winner, four to the runner-up, two to the third horse, and one to the fourth.

Two of the big names being talked about are Spielberg and Hot Rod Charlie.

Baffert’s Spielberg

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will be looking for his ninth Robert B Lewis Stakes victory with Spielberg. He took last year’s edition with Thousand Words and won with Mucho Gusto in 2019.

While Baffert has two Triple Crown prospects nominated to the race, he will likely choose to only run Spielberg. The other possible name is Medina Spirit.

Spielberg is coming off a Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity victory at a mile and one-sixteenth, crossing the finish line just a nose ahead of Doug O’Neill’s 33-1 longshot The Great One on Dec. 19. The runner has demonstrated a stalking style, which could prove to be an advantage in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes.

The $1 million Union Rags son is owned by a partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables.

Hot Rod Charlie

There is a lot of attention being focused on Hot Rod Charlie, who was dismissed at 94-1 odds last time out in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

He impressed everyone with his performance, which saw him only be beaten by three-quarters of a length by undefeated Essential Quality, who is likely to become the Eclipse Award winner as outstanding 2-year-old male on Thursday.

Trained by Doug O’Neill, who also has Wipe the Slate as a Lewis contender, Hot Rod Charlie will be joined by Joel Rosario in the race. The horse worked six furlongs on Jan. 22, going in 1:16.60 in what was the fastest of 13 drills at the distance.

Hot Rod Charlie is listed at +3000 courtesy of JazzSports.ag on the Kentucky Derby futures.

Other Probable Robert B. Lewis Stakes Runners

Some of the other names who could run in the Lewis include Wipe the Slate and Red Flag.
Reddam Racing’s Wipe the Slate is O’Neill’s other probable. The 3-year-old Nyquist colt has a career record of 1-1-0 from two starts and earnings of $48,000.

He is coming off a strong victory in a Dec. 26 maiden special weight race at Santa Anita, which followed a runner-up effort in another back on Nov. 22 at Del Mar.

Trained by John Shirreffs and owned by Tina Moss and Jerome Moss, Red Flag is a 3-year-old colt from Tamarkuz. He has two career victories from four starts and earnings of $106,100.

The colt finished fourth in the Dec. 19 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) at Los Alamitos and first in the Nov. 15 Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar.

The rest of the probables for the Lewis include Waspirant, Rock Your World, Roman Centurian, Parnelli, and Rombauer.

Make sure to check JAZZ Horse Racing for odds surrounding the Robert B. Lewis Stakes.

Caddo River went into Oaklawn Park opening day as a 3/5 favorite to win the Smarty Jones; and he certainly lived up to his pre-race billing. Under a hand ride the entire way; Caddo River won by over 10 lengths; making you wonder just how wide the margin would have been had jockey Florent Geroux really allowed him to open up

Trainer Brad Cox has his horse Essential Quality sitting atop the Road to the Kentucky Leaderboard right now; with many believing that he is the current Derby favorite. It is still a little early in the game to be picking a winner; and that was highlighted by a stellar performance by another Cox horse over the weekend; with Caddo River turning in a brilliant display in the Smarty Jones Stakes.

While the win was; in and of itself, an impressive one, it also shakes up the standings a little in the Road to the Kentucky leaderboard, with Caddo River sliding into the top 10 after his win. There were 10 points available for the winner of the Smart Jones; as well as 4, 2, and 1, for the other horses finishing in the top four.

It took Caddo River three attempts to break his maiden

Which he did at Churchill Downs, but he now looks to be on an upward trajectory. The thing that stands out from his win at Oaklawn Park this past weekend was that it was the first time he had run two turns; with his previous races all falling in the 7 furlongs to a mile category. That bodes well for him, as he is going to need to run that distance in the Derby.

Cox now has some decisions to make with his horses. It is unclear at this point whether Caddo River will run another stakes race at Oaklawn Park or go elsewhere. For now; Cox is looking at what is next for Essential Quality, He seems to be torn between a pair of upcoming stakes races, including the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds on Feb. 13 and the Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn on Feb. 15. We will keep you up to date on all the graded stakes races coming your way, in the next few months.

Be sure to check back Jazz Horse Racing for all the latest horse racing news; previews, and results, as well as up to the minute reports from our experts at JazzSports.ag on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

The Saudi Cup is the world’s richest race, with the 2021 edition hitting the $20 million mark. Running on Feb. 20, the Saudi Cup racecard has a total of $30.5 million in purses. The races take place at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Riyadh.

Here is a look at the full Saudi Cup race card:

• $20 million Saudi Cup
• $1.5 million Saudi Derby
• $2 million Obaiyah Arabian Classic
• $1 million Jockey Club Local Handicap
• $2.5 million Red Sea Turf Handicap
• $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint
• $1 million Neom Turf Cup
• $1 million 1351 Turf Sprint

While the final announcement for the Saudi Cup entries is not out yet, some horses have already received automatic berths into the major race, and the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia has unveiled a list of entries.

The list includes many of the world’s best runners among a total of more than 100 entries from nine countries for the Saudi Cup itself.

The Saudi Cup

One of the big names being mentioned regarding the race is Knicks Go, the recent winner of the Jan. 23 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park. With the victory, the Brad Cox-trained runner received an automatic berth into the Saudi Cup.

A 5-year-old son of Paynter, Knicks Go has a career record of 6-3-1 from 18 starts and earnings of $3,088,995. Some of his other big performances include a Nov. 7 victory in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland.

Another potential runner is Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Swiss Skydiver. The 4-year-old Daredevil filly is trained by Kenneth McPeek, and she is 6-3-1 from 12 career starts with earnings of $1,842,980.

Some of the other leading entries are last year’s fifth-place finisher, Tacitus, along with Shug McGaughey’s two-time G1 victor Code of Honor. Jack Sisterston’s True Timber, who won the Cigar Mile (G1), is another one of the names.

Finishing 10th in last year’s edition under Frankie Dettori, Gronkowski could get another shot at the race. Two other big names are locally trained winner of the 2020 Dirt Sprint, New York Central, and Shaleh Alotalbi-trained Alzahzaah, who’s won his last four starts.

Other top names from the United States include Jesus’s Team, Sleepy Eyes Todd, Storm the Court, Max Player, Math Wizard, and Independence Hall.

England’s group 1 winner, Addeybb, is entered along with Prix du Jockey Club victor Mishriff. All-weather specialists Global Giant and Dubai Warrior could appear as well.

The Saudi Derby

The other big betting race is the $1.5 million Saudi Derby. It has also attracted an impressive list of potential entries, such as the multiple G1 winner Jackie’s Warrior, who finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Hot Rod Charlie, who finished two places ahead of Jackie’s Warrior in that race, is also listed as a potential runner. Another name to look out for is Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac-Criterium des Pouliches (G1) winner Tiger Tanaka.

The Saudi Cup is one of the top horse race betting events in the world, and this year’s edition is set to be highly exciting and competitive.

Make sure to check JAZZ Horse Racing for odds surrounding the Saudi Cup races.

The 2021 Smarty Jones Stakes was the highlight race on Friday’s opening day of the Oaklawn Park meet. The $150,000 race is a Road to the Kentucky Derby event, meaning the top four finishers were awarded qualifying Derby points.

Caddo River Dominates 2021 Smarty Jones Stakes

The Smarty Jones witnessed an impressive performance by Caddo River, who took charge early in the race and widened for a 10 1/4-length victory over Cowan. With the victory, he earned 10 qualifying Derby points.

Trainer Brad Cox now has two potential contenders for the 2021 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) along with 2-year-old champion Essential Quality.

Caddo River, the homebred son of Hard Spun, came into the race as the favorite after a blowout maiden win in November at Churchill Downs. He took the lead from the outside post and raced uncontested, registering fractions of 23:12, :47.16, and 1:12.42. He raced a mile on the fast track in 1:38.19.

It was the first time Caddo River raced two turns, as his races last year covered seven furlongs to a mile and only being one turn. He showed no problems adapting in the Smarty Jones, and he proved to be a solid router.

Florent Geroux was the winning jockey on Caddio River.

“He broke very alertly,” Geroux said. “Very nice and relaxed. You want to see these type horses doing it the right way. It’s easy to go to the lead and keep on going. You want them to relax and do everything right. He did everything perfect.”

Rest of the Field

The second-place finisher was Cowan, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) and Remington Springboard Mile Stakes. He finished 7 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Big Thorn, who challenged the runner through the first of two turns.

Rider Ricardo Santana was atop runner-up Cowan.

“He ran good,” Santana said. “It was his second time going long (following his second in the Springboard Mile). I think the longer he goes, the better he’s going to be. The winner is a nice horse.”

Moonlite Strike finished in fourth place, a neck behind Big Thorn.

Derby Aspirations

Because of his victory, Caddo River’s connections have high hopes for his Derby potential.

“The distance doesn’t look like it’s going to be a problem,” Geroux said. “Very excited about what’s coming up ahead of us with him. Looks like he can run all day.

“Hopefully, we can go on, go up the stepping stones and have a nice horse for the first Saturday in May.”

He is looking towards a big stakes future at either Oaklawn Park or elsewhere. The 1 1/16-mile Southwest Stakes (G3) is the next big event in the track’s 3-year-old stakes program and is set to run on Feb. 15.

That same weekend will have the Feb. 13 Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Both of those races are also under consideration for Essential Quality.

Be sure to check Jazz Horse Racing for all the latest horse racing news, previews, and results, as well as up to the minute reports from our experts at JazzSports.ag on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Horse Racing Results – Graded Stakes Results Jan. 23 & 24, 2021

Graded stakes results: It was a big weekend in California, with a bunch of graded stakes races run on Saturday. We also had a pair of big races in Japan on Sunday, so let’s get to all the major horse racing results from this past weekend.

Saturday

Gulfstream Race 4 – Fred W. Hooper Stakes (G3) 1 Mile Dirt – $125,000

Performer started as the favorite, but he was made to work hard, winning by a neck and paying $3.80 for the win. The $1 exacta paid $15.40.

Gulfstream Race 7 – Marshua’s River Stakes (G3) 1 Mile Turf – $125,000

It was chalk again, albeit at a better price, with Zofelle getting a 2-length win as the favorite over Sweet Bye and Bye. The winner paid $7.60.

Gulfstream Race 8 – La Prevoyante Stakes (G3) 1 ½ Mile Turf – $125,000

The streak of winning favorites continued, with Always Shopping riding home as a comfortable even money winner, taking the wire by 3 lengths and paying $4.00.

Gulfstream Race 9 – Inside Information Stakes (G2) 7F Dirt – $200,000

We finally got an upset in the horse racing results, with Pacific Gale romping to a win at 16/1 odds. He paid a handsome $34.20 for the win, with favorite Cinnabunny finishing 4^th.

Gulfstream Race 10 – W.L. McKnight Stakes (G3) 1 ½ Mile Turf – $150,000

Tide of the Sea took the wire at odds of 4/1, holding off Temple and race favorite Doswell. The winner paid an even $10.00.

Gulfstream Race 11 – Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) 1 3/16 Turf – $1 Million

There were no surprises her, with race favorite Colonel Liam putting in a game display to hold off Largent by a neck at the wire to pay $7.00.

Gulfstream Race 12 – Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) 1 1/8 Mile – $3 Million

Another expected win, with Knicks Go not disappointing as the favorite. He won handily over a pair of longshots, heading up a very nice $350.10 trifecta ($1).

Santa Anita Race 7 – Palos Verdes Stakes (G3) 6F Dirt – $200,000

Race favorite Ax man had to settle for 4^th, as Wildman Jack drove down the homestretch and pulled away to a comfortable victory, paying $13.20 for the win.

Sunday

At the American Jockey Club Cup in Japan on Sunday, Aristoteles took the win, while Auvergne won the Tokai Stakes.

Be sure to check Jazz Horse Racing for all the latest horse racing news, previews, and results, as well as up to the minute reports from our experts at JazzSports.ag on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

The Eclipse Awards are set to be announced Jan. 28 in a virtual ceremony beginning at 8 pm ET. It is one of the most prestigious award ceremonies in horse racing for North American Thoroughbred racehorse champions, as well as a horse’s connections.

The champions are determined based on a voting system involving members of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

There were a total of 238 voters, and they used a 10-5-1 point system to determine the finalists for each category, and the winners are determined by first-place votes.

Top Horses and Awards

The list of finalists for the 2020 Eclipse Awards is headed by Authentic, who was the winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). He is the current favorite to take home the title of Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male honors.

Authentic was 5-for-7 in 2020. Besides his big wins, he also took second in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

He is up against WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing’s Improbable in the Horse of the Year category. Improbable took three grade 1 events in 2020, and he is also a contender for champion older dirt male honors.

Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Monomoy Girl is also fighting for the Horse of the Year award. She is a finalist in the older dirt female category. Monomoy Girl raced for Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables in 2020.

In the 3-year-old male division, Authentic is rivaled by his stablemate Nadal, who had a perfect 4-for-4 record in 2020. Nadal is owned by George Bolton, Arthur Hoyeau, Barry Lipman, and Mark Mathiesen. He was retired following an injury in the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park.

Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law is also on that list. Trained by Barclay Tagg, the New York-bred runner scored three grade 1 races in 2020, including the Belmont Stakes.

Categories for Connections

The Eclipse Awards are not only about the horses, as owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys, and other connections are also recognized.

Authentic’s team is up for many categories. The partnership of Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing is a finalist for outstanding owner in a division. It is up against Godolphin and Klaravich Stables.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who is responsible for Authentic and Nadal, is a finalist for outstanding trainer. He is going against Steve Asmussen and Brad Cox.

The outstanding jockey category is being led by Hall of Famer John Velazquez. Velazquez is up against Irad Ortiz Jr. and Joel Rosario. Ortiz Jr. scored the 2018-19 award.

Improbable and Monomoy Girl’s connections are finalists as well. Improbable’s co-owner WinStar Farm, as well as Calumet Farm and Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, are in the outstanding breeder category.

Complete List of Finalists

• Horse of the Year: Authentic, Improbable, Monomoy Girl
• 2-Year-Old Male: Essential Quality, Fire at Will, Jackie’s Warrior.
• 2-Year-Old Filly: Aunt Pearl, Dayoutoftheoffice, Vequist
• 3-Year-Old Male: Authentic, Nadal, Tiz the Law
• 3-Year-Old Filly: Gamine, Shedaresthedevil, Swiss Skydiver
• Older Dirt Male: Improbable, Maximum Security, Vekoma
• Older Dirt Female: Midnight Bisou, Monomoy Girl, Serengeti Empress
• Male Sprinter: Vekoma, Volatile, Whitmore
• Female Sprinter: Gamine, Glass Slippers, Serengeti Empress
• Male Turf Horse: Channel Maker, Order of Australia, Zulu Alpha
• Female Turf Horse: Audarya, Rushing Fall, Tarnawa
• Steeplechase Horse: Moscato, Rashaan, Snap Decision
• Owner: Godolphin, Klaravich Stables, and the partnership of Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing
• Breeder: Calumet Farm, Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm
• Trainer: Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert, Brad Cox
• Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr., Joel Rosario, John Velazquez
• Apprentice Jockey: Luis Cardenas, Yarmarie Correa, Alexander Crispin

Be sure to check Jazz Horse Racing for all the latest horse racing news, previews, and results, as well as up to the minute reports from our experts at JazzSports.ag on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Smarty Jones Stakes: Earlier this week; we posted an article about the shifting odds in the Road to the Kentucky Derby. In that article we talked about how the odds can begin to shift dramatically in the wake of one of the Derby prep races; we may see that happen again soon; as we just witnessed a fantastic performance at the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park this past Friday.

Caddo River, who is trained by Brad Cox; entered Friday’s race as a strong favorite; which can be a bit of a blessing and a curse. It’s good because he gets a lot of eyes watching him to see what he will do, but potentially bad because if he doesn’t put in a great showing; there will be many who doubt his ability to be part of the Kentucky Derby. As it stands now, Caddo River is going to be one to watch.

Starting as an odds-on favorite, Caddo River broke well and broke to the inside heading into the first turn. From that point on; it really was no contest, as he steadily increased his lead at the quarter pole and cruised home under a hand ride with a more than 10-length lead over the second-place finisher. It was an impressive win and one that gave him 10 points in the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. The top 4 picked up points; with the other point getters being Cowan (4), Big Thorn (2), and Moonlite Strike (1).

What’s Next on the Kentucky Derby Prep Schedule?

There are still plenty of races to come on the Road to the Kentucky Derby; including two more that will be run next Saturday, January 30. We will have the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3), which is the third of five prep races that will be held at Santa Anita Park. We will also have the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park. This is a race that has produced some very good Derby performers over the years, so definitely one to watch.

Both of the races being run next weekend will have points up for grabs for the top 4 horses. 10 points will go to the winner, with the next three horses will receive 4, 2, and 1, respectively. We will have more info on both races later this coming week.

Be sure to check Jazz Horse Racing for all the latest horse racing news; previews, and results; as well as up to the minute reports from our experts JazzSports.ag on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.