Tipsheet: 2025 Holy Bull Stakes

A very good field of seven three-year-old prospects will run 1 1/16 miles on the Gulfstream Park dirt oval in Saturday’s $265,000 Holy Bull S. (G3). The 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series contest will reward the top five finishers of the heat with qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis. 

Holy Bull Stakes Picks

• #2 Ferocious
• #4 Guns Loaded
• #7 Burnham Square
• #3 Tappan Street

Holy Bull Stakes Wagers

• $20 win #2 Ferocious
• $3 exacta key box 2 with 3,4,7
• $2 trifecta key 2 with 3,4,7

Holy Bull Stakes Contenders

#1 KINETIC CONTROL: Interesting sort has yet to prove that he is fast enough to challenge this field, but the Dale Romans charge surely has ability as well as a nice draw on the rail. The Not This Time colt comes off of a solid win at Churchill Downs and could challenge for a share with improvement under Junior Alvarado. 

#2 FEROCIOUS: Top pick flaunted considerable ability as a juvenile and gets blinkers for his three-year-old bow. The $1.3 million juvenile purchase was a troubled fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) in his 2024 finale and has trained forwardly in the interim. The Gustavo Delgado pupil will have Javier Castellano in the silks. 

#3 TAPPAN STREET: Second timer from the Brad Cox barn ran down a clear one while well backed in his debut on the oval and could be almost any kind going forward. The $1 million son of Into Mischief is cut out to be a nice one, and the colt is training in swift fashion in advance of his black-type bow, too. Luis Saez decides to stick with this Kentucky-bred. 

#4 GUNS LOADED: Jose D’Angelo trainee led throughout in his last pair of encounters which includes a score in the Mucho Macho Man S. on the strip in his most recent performance. The $800,000 son of Gun Runner fits really well in the cast and will be sent from the opening bell with Irad inheriting the ride. 

#5 HE’S NOT JOKING: Grey S. (G3) star didn’t have a great voyage in his dirt bow beneath the Twin Spires last out but seems poised to move forward on this occasion. This Josie Carroll trainee is working well leading up to his second run on the dirt, and the son of Practical Joke is not without a chance under John Velazquez. 

#6 BURNING GLORY: Into Mischief colt has moved forward in each of his trio of lifetime runs and could be a nice long-term prospect. The Juddmonte homebred is cut out to be a nice one with additional experience, and he will be doing his best work in the latter stages of the tilt with Tyler Gaffalione in the stirrups. 

#7 BURNHAM SQUARE: Dangerous Ian Wilkes pupil was a daylight winner on the course with the addition of blinkers last time and seems ready to run with this kind from the outside draw. The Liam’s Map sophomore has flashed talent in each of his trio of career runs leading up to this point, and I expect him to be in the mix turning for home on Saturday with Edgard Zayas staying in the irons.