Hey Byrn makes hay in Holy Bull

Two weeks after finishing in the wake of Big Brown (Boundary) in the Florida Derby (G1), HEY BYRN (Put It Back) found a field he could handle in Saturday's $150,000 Holy Bull S. (G3) at Gulfstream Park, turning back a late challenge from Dream Maestro (Concerto) to register a 2 1/4-length victory as the even-money choice. In the process, the Eddie Plesa Jr. trainee boosted his graded stakes earnings to $140,000. That won't be enough to guarantee him a spot in the starting gate for the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1), however, unless there are several defections.

Hey Byrn, ridden by Chuckie Lopez, rated in third behind a tepid pace, reached the front at the head of the stretch while racing between horses, and proved too good late, finishing 1 3/16 miles in 1:58 on the fast track. Hey Byrn paid $4, $3, and $2.20.

"I hadn't planned on being so close early, but they were walking," Lopez said. "I had good position, and although it got a little sticky in the lane, with a little persuasion, we got through."

Dream Maestro, a recent maiden winner at nine furlongs, loomed boldly with a three-wide move around the far turn and tried to keep up with the winner but couldn't. Sent off at 6-1, Dream Maestro returned $4.80 and $2.80 while completing the $8 exacta ($1). Three-quarters of a length further behind was pacesetter Famous Patriot (Repent), who attempted to steal the Holy Bull by setting fractions of :25 1/5, :50 1/5 and 1:14 4/5, but succumbed to the pressure applied by the top pair and just edged Web Gem (Fusaichi Pegasus) for third by a neck. Famous Patriot, the 9-5 second choice, paid $2.20 to show and completed the $18.70 trifecta ($1). The $1 superfecta (2-6-1-7) with Web Gem returned $46.10.

Completing the order of finish were Chief Bear (Chief Seattle), Nathan Ridge (Quaker Ridge) and Bipolar Express (Equality).

The Holy Bull was the first stakes win for Hey Byrn, who ran second in the Affirmed division of the Florida Stallion S. and fourth in the Foolish Pleasure S. as a juvenile last year. Hey Byrn was an emphatic winner of two allowances at Gulfstream prior to his fourth in the Florida Derby. Hey Byrn's record now stands at 8-4-2-0 with career earnings of $266,000.

Bred by the late Arthur Appleton in Florida, Hey Byrn is out of the multiple stakes-placed Skip Trial mare Restraining Order, who has also produced Loveitorleaveit, a two-year-old full sister to Hey Byrn, and an unnamed yearling filly by Black Mambo.

Plesa was philosophical about Hey Byrn's chances of making it into the Kentucky Derby field.

"He did what he had to do today, winning a graded stakes, but now it's out of our hands."