Gulfstream Park’s journey toward the 2026 Kentucky Derby, sponsored by Woodford Reserve, kicks off this Saturday with the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes. This event awards 20 qualifying points to the victor, as premier three-year-olds vie to amass points and secure their spot in the Derby starting lineup.
Established in 1990 under the name Preview Stakes, this competition received a new designation in 1996, paying tribute to the 1994 Horse of the Year, Holy Bull. It has taken place over various lengths, with its present distance of 1 1/16 miles being adopted in 2013. The contest first attained Grade 3 status in 1996.
In this section, we will revisit some of the most accomplished equines who triumphed in the Holy Bull.
GO FOR GIN (1994)
CAREER RECORD: 19 starts – 5 wins, 7 seconds, 2 thirds
CAREER EARNINGS: $1,380,866
Nick Zito’s protégé was in excellent condition leading up to the 1994 Preview Stakes. That autumn, he secured victories in two stakes at Aqueduct, notably the Remsen Stakes, positioning himself as an initial frontrunner for the Kentucky Derby. Among a group of six contenders, Go for Gin commenced the race as the 7-10 favorite.
He prevailed as an odds-on favorite is expected to, tracking the early speed before pulling away to a 3 ½-length triumph. This particular win marked Jerry Bailey’s third success in the Preview; he would ultimately claim victory in the event on five occasions.
That specific contest emerged as the pinnacle for Go for Gin among his preparatory races en route to the Derby. He finished runner-up to the reigning champion two-year-old male, Dehere, in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, came in fourth behind the renowned Holy Bull in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, and secured another second place in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes. As the initial Saturday in May approached, Bailey had chosen another mount, being succeeded by Chris McCarron, and Go for Gin was listed as the fifth selection at 9.10-1 odds within the 14-horse Derby lineup.
Supporters who maintained their belief witnessed a payoff, as Go for Gin seized command of the race early and extended his lead to triumph by two lengths. This signified the second Derby victory for both Zito and McCarron. Following this, Go for Gin secured second place finishes in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Holy Bull entered the 1994 Kentucky Derby as the favorite but ended up 12th following a poor start. Nevertheless, he ultimately had the final say. While Go for Gin failed to secure any further wins that year, Holy Bull impressively achieved five consecutive graded stakes victories, culminating in a Horse of the Year distinction.
HAL’S HOPE (2000)
CAREER RECORD: 33 starts – 9 wins, 5 seconds, 3 thirds
CAREER EARNINGS: $1,098,422
Hal’s Hope appeared to be anything but a Derby contender ahead of the 2000 Holy Bull Stakes. His proprietor, conditioner, and originator, Harold Rose, was an 87-year-old individual who managed a humble stable throughout the year in South Florida. The jockey, Roger Velez, was an individual overcoming alcoholism and a stroke survivor.
Hal’s Hope wrapped up his two-year-old campaign with a victory in an allowance race at Calder Race Course in December; however, the majority of wagerers viewed him as inferior in the Holy Bull. He was given 40.20-1 odds as an underdog in the field of eleven. When Velez urged him to the lead and established a significant advantage, nearly everyone anticipated his decline.
However, Hal’s Hope unexpectedly maintained his momentum. He decisively defeated the competition by 5 ¼ lengths, concluding the race over 11 lengths ahead of the strong favorite, Greenwood Lake.
Hal’s Hope had further surprises in store along the Derby pathway. He secured second place in the Grade 1 Fountain of Youth Stakes, trailing behind Wayne Lukas’ much-lauded charge, High Yield. Lukas’ High Yield was the even-money favorite in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, whereas Hal’s Hope was the fourth selection at 6.90-1.
Following a protracted, resolute struggle down the homestretch, Hal’s Hope reversed his fortune against High Yield. He triumphed by a head, solidifying his reputation as the improbable success story of that particular Derby season.
Despite not achieving the fairytale conclusion in the Kentucky Derby, where he placed 16th, Hal’s Hope proceeded to forge a successful racing career. He earned two stakes victories during his four-year-old season and claimed the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Handicap when he was five.
BARBARO (2006)
CAREER RECORD: 7 starts – 6 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds
CAREER EARNINGS: $2,302,200
While ultimately celebrated for his accomplishments on dirt, Barbaro commenced his racing career flawlessly, achieving three wins from three starts on turf. His trainer, Michael Matz, opted to test him on the Derby path and nominated him for the Holy Bull, marking his inaugural race on a dirt surface.
Barbaro benefited from an advantageous tracking position behind the front-running Doctor Diehard prior to making his move on the last bend. He seized command upon entering the straightaway, subsequently facing new threats from Flashy Bull and Great Song. Unfazed, he surged across the finish line on a damp track, leading by three-quarters of a length.
In his subsequent outing, Barbaro secured victory in the Grade 1 Florida Derby by a half-length, employing a comparable race strategy. He delivered both immense joy and profound sorrow to racing enthusiasts in his subsequent two performances, cruising to a commanding win in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby before sustaining a critical injury in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes. Despite a courageous struggle during his recovery, he contracted severe laminitis in July 2006 and was humanely put down in January 2007. Barbaro is commemorated by a statue situated at the primary entrance of Churchill Downs.
ITSMYLUCKYDAY (2013)
CAREER RECORD: 21 starts – 9 wins, 4 seconds, 2 thirds
CAREER EARNINGS: $1,706,350
Itsmyluckyday had already secured three stakes victories by the time of the 2013 Holy Bull Stakes. He came into the event fresh from a 6 ¾-length triumph in the Gulfstream Park Derby. Due to that impressive win, this horse, conditioned by Eddie Plesa, began the Holy Bull as the third selection at 4.70-1 odds. Shanghai Bobby, who earned the 2012 Eclipse Award as the leading two-year-old male, was the even-money favorite. Nevertheless, the day belonged to Itsmyluckyday. He positioned himself behind the front-running Shanghai Bobby before gradually overpowering him in the homestretch to achieve a two-length win. He subsequently placed second in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, solidifying his standing as a legitimate Derby prospect.
Even though he concluded the race in 15th position on the initial Saturday of May, he rebounded by securing a second-place finish in the Preakness Stakes. In his four-year-old season, Itsmyluckyday claimed four stakes races, among them the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes.
TIZ THE LAW (2020)
CAREER RECORD: 9 starts – 6 wins, 1 second, 1 third
CAREER EARNINGS: $2,735,300
Following his victory in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes in October 2019 at Belmont Park, the New York-bred Tiz the Law appeared prominently on numerous Kentucky Derby top 10 rankings. In 2003, the partnership between Sackatoga Stable and trainer Barclay Tagg collaborated to claim both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness with Funny Cide. Almost twenty years later, it seemed they possessed a strong likelihood of winning the Derby once more.
Tiz the Law commenced his three-year-old season in the Holy Bull and was established as the 13-10 favorite among a seven-horse lineup. He met expectations, settling behind the leaders before pulling clear to a three-length triumph. With this win, he redeemed Funny Cide’s loss in the very same event 17 years earlier.
Subsequent to his Holy Bull success, Tiz the Law embarked on a dominant streak throughout the spring and summer of 2020, as the COVID-19 global health crisis altered the horse racing schedule. He secured victories in the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby, the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, sponsored by NYRA Bets, and the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers Stakes as he approached a re-scheduled Kentucky Derby, presented by Woodford Reserve, in September. He thus became the initial Holy Bull victor to win both the Belmont Stakes and the Travers. Dispatched at odds of 7-10 in the Kentucky Derby, marking him the strongest favorite since Spectacular Bid in 1980, Tiz the Law concluded the race as runner-up to Authentic.
WHITE ABARRIO (2022)
CAREER RECORD: 25 starts – 10 wins, 3 seconds, 3 thirds
CAREER EARNINGS: $7,713,920
White Abarrio displayed early promise during his two-year-old season, commencing his career with consecutive commanding wins, surging to a 6 ¾-length triumph in his inaugural race and then maintaining a lead from beginning to end for a four-length victory in his second outing. He concluded his juvenile year by placing third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, which was his first attempt at stakes-level competition under trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
The gray or roan colt, sired by Race Day, initiated his three-year-old campaign in the Holy Bull Stakes and definitively marked his arrival on the 2022 Kentucky Derby path. He established a decisive advantage in the homestretch guided by his new jockey, Tyler Gaffalione, and propelled himself to a 4 ½-length win at 6-1 odds.
White Abarrio subsequently secured another convincing win in the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby, sponsored by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa, positioning him as a primary candidate for the Kentucky Derby, presented by Woodford Reserve. However, while Rich Strike stunned everyone with 80.80-1 odds on May 7, 2022, White Abarrio played a minimal role and concluded the race 16th out of 20 participants.
White Abarrio failed to achieve another victory in 2022 – registering a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Ohio Derby and a third-place finish by a half-length in the Cigar Mile Handicap, presented by NYRA Bets – yet he recaptured his top-tier performance as a four-year-old in 2023 after being moved to conditioner Rick Dutrow Jr. White Abarrio triumphed in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes by six lengths in August and then followed with a one-length victory in the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic during a season where he won three of five races and was a contender for Horse of the Year. White Abarrio continued training in 2024 but secured only one allowance race win in four attempts, though he began to recover his peak condition towards the conclusion of the season under the renewed supervision of trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Subsequently, White Abarrio inaugurated his six-year-old campaign in 2025 spectacularly, with a record-breaking 6 1/4-length win in the $2,945,400 Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes on January 25 at Gulfstream Park. White Abarrio claimed an additional graded stakes title in 2025 across four later starts, prior to achieving a second-place result in his endeavor for consecutive wins in the 2026 Pegasus World Cup.
