Holy Bull

A dominant debut winner sprinting six furlongs at Gulfstream Park, Lord Miles unleashed a big rally in his stakes and route debut, closing 4 1/4 lengths in the final furlong of Gulfstream's one-mile Mucho Macho Man S. to finish third by three-quarters of a length. But the Mucho Macho Man unfolded with a fast early/slow late race shape beneficial to Lord Miles' stretch-running style, and the bay colt isn't guaranteed to receive as favorable a setup on Saturday.

West Coast Cowboy wired his debut racing one mile at Gulfstream Park, but faltered when stepping up in class for a $75,000 allowance optional claimer over the same track and distance, dropping off a fast pace before settling for fourth place. West Coast Cowboy was beaten 4 1/2 lengths by Holy Bull rival Legacy Isle and will need improvement to turn the tables.

When Shadow Dragon debuted in a six-furlong maiden special weight for New York-breds at Aqueduct, he closed seven lengths in the final furlong alone to beat a next-out winner by three-quarters of a length. He subsequently misfired in the one-mile Sleepy Hollow S. against New York-bred rivals, fading to finish sixth, but Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is showing confidence entering Shadow Dragon in a Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier. There may be more to this son of Army Mule than first meets the eye.

Cyclone Mischief has shown flashes of brilliance. He dominated a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Keeneland by 5 1/4 lengths and more recently trounced a $75,000 allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream by 5 3/4 lengths. In between, Cyclone Mischief finished a decent seventh in a competitive renewal of the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, beaten only 2 3/4 lengths after leading down the homestretch. Cyclone Mischief has tactical speed and owns the highest Brisnet Speed rating in the Holy Bull field, stamping the bay colt as the horse to beat.

Former claimer Mr Bob has shown fine form sprinting, most notably finishing second in the 6 1/2-furlong Ed Brown S. at Churchill Downs. But Mr Bob rallied only mildly when making his route debut in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream, finishing sixth after some early trouble, so it's possible running even farther in the Holy Bull will stretch the limits of his stamina.

One of the toughest competitors in the Holy Bull field is Legacy Isle. The son of Preakness (G1) winner Shackleford has crossed the wire first in all three of his starts, including the Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream. The latter effort saw Legacy Isle get disqualified to second place for interfering with the runner-up, but the fact Legacy Isle refused to be passed after carving out a fast pace is impressive. He's a logical win threat on Saturday.

Il Miracolo finished first or second in his first four starts at Gulfstream Park, most notably wiring a one-mile maiden special weight by 5 1/2 lengths. But the son of Gun Runner faltered when jumping into stakes competition, finishing sixth in the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct and seventh in the Mucho Macho Man S. His affinity for Gulfstream is appealing, but Il Miracolo needs a step forward to challenge on Saturday.

Rocket Can failed to challenge in his first two starts sprinting at the tough Saratoga meet, but the Bill Mott trainee improved sharply when stretching out over 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs, winning a maiden special weight before finishing a close second in a $100,000 allowance optional claimer. Rocket Can has enough early speed to stay close to the pace (favorable with a short run to the first turn), and his best Brisnet Speed ratings (96 and 91) are fast enough to vie for victory. A top-three finish is well within reach.