His lone try on dirt inconclusive, Di Scola Boys Stable's grade 3 winner He's Not Joking will get another chance to prove himself over the main track in the $265,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
Following the Jan. 3 Mucho Macho Man Stakes, the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull is the next step for sophomores on Gulfstream's road to the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) March 29. In addition, the Holy Bull offers Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points to the first five finishers on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis.
He's Not Joking will be racing for the first time in two months since breaking slowly and enduring traffic trouble in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs Nov. 30. It was the Practical Joke colt's first try on dirt but second straight at two turns after earning graded credentials in the Nov. 3 Grey Stakes (G3) on Woodbine's Tapeta course.
"He's doing really well," trainer Josie Carroll said. "The race in Kentucky knocked him out a little bit. He got bumped leaving the gate and had a little bit of a rough trip around there and was pretty tired after that. By the time he shipped down here, as well, he was a little bit knocked out, but he's been training back great. I think we didn't get a true reading on him on the dirt in that last race, so we feel like he's a horse that's earned a shot in this spot."
He's Not Joking has had four works this month at Palm Meadows Training Center, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, Fla., including a bullet five-furlong move in 1:00.45 Jan. 16. He will be making his sixth start in the Holy Bull, most among his rivals.
"He's a horse that we've always liked, it just took him a while to develop," Carroll said. "The (Grey), when we finally got to run him a route of ground, it's just what he'd been looking for. He relaxed beautifully and made a huge run and galloped out strongly."
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will be aboard He's Not Joking for the first time from post 5 in a field of seven that includes twice grade 1-placed 9-5 program favorite Ferocious; Mucho Macho Man winner Guns Loaded; and $1 million yearling Tappan Street.
"We're testing him but we're not really throwing him to the wolves," Carroll said. "It came up with a shorter field which I think is very nice in a race like this. It's exciting to see what he can do."
Holy Bull Next Step for Impressive Maiden Winner Burnham Square
Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred Burnham Square, a dominant winner at the course and distance last time out, will take the step up into stakes company for the first time in Saturday's Holy Bull.
It will be the fourth start for the gelded bay son of two-time grade 1-winning millionaire Liam's Map and first since a popular nine-length maiden special weight romp going 1 1/16 miles Dec. 28 at Gulfstream.
"He's coming out of a maiden and moving up to a grade 3, against horses with more seasoning. It's a different kettle of fish," trainer Ian Wilkes said. "But, we'll see. He's got to make a step forward. He's still got to improve some."
Fourth choice in a field of seven at morning-line odds of 5-1, Burnham Square was beaten a half-length when second at odds of 30-1 in his debut Oct. 26 at Keeneland, one of 11 horses entered for a $150,000 tag. Sent off at 18-1 next time out, he came from far back to be third by less than a length in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight Nov. 30.
Burnham Square raced with blinkers for his graduation and will keep them on for the Holy Bull, where he drew outermost post 7 under jockey Edgard Zayas, who was up for the Gulfstream win.
"He ran good last time. We put the blinkers on him and that really helped. He just doesn't get tired," Wilkes said. "The blinkers made the difference. He made too many mistakes the first two races. He never helped the jockey at all during the race, so that was the frustrating thing about it. But I knew we had to put the blinkers on and then we'd see the real horse."
Wilkes' mentor and former boss, Hall of Fame trainer Carl Nafzger, won the inaugural Holy Bull in 1990 when it was known as the Preview Stakes. Wilkes campaigned three-time grade 1 winner and 2012 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Fort Larned as well as multiple graded stakes winners such as McCraken, Four Graces, and Walkathon for owner Janis Whitham.
"They're tremendous, very loyal owners," Wilkes said. "We've been together a long time. They're a pleasure to train for."
Wilkes will also saddle Justinqueso in the $165,000 Forward Gal Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks Saturday.
Dale Romans Seeks to Maintain Momentum with Kinetic Control
Having ended the previous weekend on a three-race win streak at Gulfstream, and winning the opener Jan. 30, trainer Dale Romans hopes to capitalize on the momentum when he sends out Albaugh Family Stables' Kinetic Control for his sophomore debut in the Holy Bull.
Kinetic Control has not raced since a front-running 1 1/2-length maiden special weight triumph Nov. 22 at Churchill Downs, his fourth start. He ran second in each of his first two trips, beaten less than two lengths combined, and was a troubled sixth six weeks prior to his graduation.
"He's a nice horse and he's going in the right direction. We could run him in a non-winners of two, but we might as well jump in there and see what happens," Romans said. "He was on the lead last time, but he doesn't have to be. He can stalk. Every race has been good except for the one at Keeneland, and he came out of it sick so he had an excuse there. I think he's a quality horse."
Kinetic Control is a son of Not This Time that fetched $120,000 as a yearling in at Fasig-Tipton's The July Sale in 2023. Not This Time, who stands for $175,000 at Taylor Made Stallions, sired seven grade 1 winners from his first three crops including Cogburn and Sacred Wish in 2024, and produced four million-dollar yearlings last year.
"We get hooked on all the Not This Times. He's such a good sire. They can all run, on anything, in any shape and size. They can just flat-out run," Romans said. "(Kinetic Control) was one that was always moving forward and doing things right."
Romans also nominated St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Thoroughbreds' Keep It Easy, last-out winner of the 6 1/2-furlong Ed Brown Stakes at Churchill Downs Nov. 30, to the Holy Bull but instead decided to target the $415,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) March 1.
"We'll wait for the Fountain of Youth," Romans said. "He's a nice horse, too."
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
