Nearly announced himself as a major player on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a powerful 5 3/4-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park, giving Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher a timely boost to his 3-year-old stable.
Run at 1 1/16 miles, the Holy Bull served as an early-season prep for the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) on March 29 and headlined a 12-race program featuring five stakes for 3-year-olds. The race took on added significance coming just two days after Ted Noffey, the undefeated 2-year-old Eclipse Award champion of 2025, exited the Derby trail, leaving the spotlight open for a new contender to emerge.
Sent off as the 8-5 second choice in a compact field of six, Nearly broke sharply and settled into a comfortable stalking position just outside Cannoneer, the 3-2 favorite, who set the pace through sharp early fractions of 22.82 and 45.96 seconds. Cannoneer, coming off a maiden victory at Churchill Downs, carried his speed into the far turn, but Nearly was traveling with purpose.
Under a patient ride from Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, the son of Not This Time drew alongside the pacesetter entering the far turn and edged his nose in front as the field straightened for home. When Velazquez asked him to go on, Nearly responded decisively, kicking clear in the stretch to dominate his stakes debut and register his third consecutive victory at Gulfstream.
Owned by Centennial Farms, Nearly has come a long way since a disappointing sixth-place finish in his debut at Aqueduct on Oct. 26. He rebounded with authority in his Gulfstream debut on Nov. 22, rolling to a 9 3/4-length maiden victory from off the pace, then followed up with a five-length optional claiming allowance win at seven furlongs on Jan. 2. Saturday marked his first attempt around two turns, and he passed the test emphatically, stopping the clock in 1:44.52.
Bravaro, who stayed closest to the early leaders under Tyler Gaffalione, finished second, 2 1/2 lengths clear of late-running Project Ace, ridden by Corey Lanerie. Cannoneer faded to fourth after setting the early tempo.
With the Holy Bull now in the books, Nearly appears poised to take the next step toward the Florida Derby, with the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) on Feb. 28 looming as his next likely stop. If Saturday’s performance is any indication, Pletcher may have uncovered a serious Derby contender at just the right time.
