If you bet on horses, the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) is a race you can’t miss! It happens Saturday, February 3 at Gulfstream Park, and it marks the beginning of the South Florida spur of the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The race features a $250,000 purse as well as 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby points for the top five finishers.
The Holy Bull is always an exciting preview of horses who will make an impact down the road, with Belmont winner Tiz the Law and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio among its recent winners. The eight-horse Holy Bull field in 2024 features the sophomore debut of Fierceness, who was recently crowned the champion juvenile of last year.
Will he win, or will a new face seize the spotlight? Keep reading to find out, and to learn the best places to bet the Holy Bull Stakes online!
Betting the Holy Bull Stakes Online
As much as we would all love to take a trip to Florida to experience the Holy Bull in person, we cannot all make it there. Fortunately, you can be part of the action by betting the race online! Betting online at a top racebook means you can get the best odds and a trusted wagering experience from anywhere with an internet connection!
There are many options for online betting, but our betting site reviews make the choice easy. All of our recommended sites have the basics, and each one offers a different slate of lucrative online betting bonuses like sign-up bonuses, deposit bonuses, and even rebates. Taking a few minutes now to figure out which sports betting bonuses will make you the most money can help you build your bankroll by hundreds or even thousands of dollars!
2024 Holy Bull Stakes Field
This is the official field for the 2024 Holy Bull Stakes including draw numbers, trainers, and jockeys:
- Hades (Joseph Orseno/Paco Lopez)
- Inveigled (Jane Cibelli/Irad Ortiz, Jr.)
- Otello (Christophe Clement/Luis Saez)
- Dancing Groom (Antonio Sano/Junior Alvarado)
- No More Time (Jose D’Angelo/Jose Ortiz)
- Domestic Product (Chad Brown/Tyler Gaffalione)
- Fierceness (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez)
- Sea Streak (Eddie Owens/Luca Panici)
Closer to the race, the track will release morning-line odds. They are Gulfstream Park’s best estimate for what the tote board will look like come post time. They are no guarantee: if you bet the Holy Bull Stakes from the track, you are not guaranteed these odds, but rather have to settle for whatever the odds are at post time.
Your smartest play is betting the Holy Bull Stakes online, since online racebooks let you lock in your odds on major races just by placing a bet!
These are the odds on leading contenders for the Holy Bull Stakes:
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fierceness | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Otello | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Domestic Product | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Inveigled | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| No More Time | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Holy Bull Stakes Handicapping
Now that you know where to bet the race, it is time to get to know the main contenders for the 2024 Holy Bull Stakes.
Holy Bull Stakes Top Play
Even though he will be the favorite, Fierceness deserves the utmost respect here. He is the only horse in the field with a 1 1/16-mile win, and it came in the biggest race of the year in his division, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He did that in such fast fashion that if he runs anything near that in his sophomore return, it will be hard for the rest to improve enough. And, with trainer Todd Pletcher’s strong history with layoff runners, that is likely.
The one concern was the poor outing in the Champagne (G1). However, that came after a poor start on a wet day. The forecast is clear into the Holy Bull, and Fierceness has a clean draw toward the outside. Expect him to break well and either make the lead or work an unimpeded outside-pressing trip. This should play well at Gulfstream and give Todd Pletcher his third Holy Bull win.
Holy Bull Stakes Exotics Horses
The most likely contender to fill out the exacta underneath Fierceness is Domestic Product. The Chad Brown trainee already has a win at 1 ⅛ miles, an even longer distance than this race. Though he faltered in the Remsen next out, that came in the mud and he will benefit from the dry track. With tactical speed that should work well at Gulfstream, and a barn that does well with fresh horses, expect a good effort.
Otello can also make good account. He is already a stakes winner over this course over the one-turn mile. The Holy Bull is his first two-turn try, but being by Curlin out of Isabella Sings, the pedigree is all route, all the time. Expect this Christophe Clement charge to track a length or two off the running under Luis Saez and keep going with interest to the finish.
For deeper exotic tickets, add Dancing Groom into the mix. He has some two-turn experience unlike so much of this field: he tried the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) last year and broke his maiden over the one-mile trip at Saratoga, which is…most of two turns, out of a chute into the first. The new blinkers are a positive move for trainer Antonio Sano, and should help him track in range through the early to middle stages of the race.
Holy Bull Stakes Best Bets
These are your expert best bets on the 2024 Holy Bull Stakes!
- $20 to win - #7 Fierceness
- $1 exacta key - #7 Fierceness over #3 Otello, #6 Domestic Product
- $0.50 trifecta key - #7 Fierceness over #3 Otello, #4 Dancing Groom, #6 Domestic Product
- $0.20 superfecta key - #7 Fierceness over #3 Otello, #4 Dancing Groom, #6 Domestic Product
