His lone try on dirt inconclusive, Grade 3 winner He’s Not Joking will get another chance to prove himself over the main track in the Grade 3, $265,000 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
Following the Jan. 3 Mucho Macho Man, the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull is the next step for sophomores on Gulfstream’s road to the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) on March 29. In addition, the Holy Bull offers Kentucky Derby 20-10-6-4-2 qualifying points to the first five finishers.
He’s Not Joking will be racing for the first time in two months since breaking slowly and enduring traffic trouble in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) on Nov. 30. It was the Practical Joke colt’s first try on dirt but second straight at two turns after earning graded credentials in the Nov. 3 Grey (G3) on Woodbine’s all-weather course.
“He’s doing really well,” trainer Josie Carroll said. “The race in Kentucky knocked him out a little bit. He got bumped leaving the gate and had a little bit of a rough trip around there and was pretty tired after that. By the time he shipped down here, as well, he was a little bit knocked out, but he’s been training back great. I think we didn’t get a true reading on him on the dirt in that last race, so we feel like he’s a horse that’s earned a shot in this spot.”
He’s Not Joking has had four works this month at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, including a bullet five-furlong move in 1:00.45 on Jan. 16. He will be making his sixth start in the Holy Bull, most among his rivals.
“He’s a horse that we’ve always liked, it just took him a while to develop,” Carroll said. “The (Grey), when we finally got to run him a route of ground, it’s just what he’d been looking for. He relaxed beautifully and made a huge run and galloped out strongly.”
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will be aboard He’s Not Joking for the first time from post 5 in a field of seven that includes twice Grade 1-placed 9-5 program favorite Ferocious, Mucho Macho Man winner Guns Loaded and $1 million yearling Tappan Street.
“We’re testing him, but we’re not really throwing him to the wolves,” Carroll said. “It came up with a shorter field, which I think is very nice in a race like this. It’s exciting to see what he can do.”
