HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Burnham Square overcame what trainer Ian Wilkes described as “a lot of adversity” and took a major step forward on the Kentucky Derby trail by registering a very professional, 1 3/4-length victory over the 8-5 Tappan Street in Saturday’s $265,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
The Grade 3 Holy Bull, which offered 42 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, is the first of two major 3-year-old preps here leading up to the $1 million Florida Derby on March 29.
Burnham Square has flourished since shipping locally and having blinkers added to his equipment prior to his nine-length maiden win going 1 1/6 miles here on Dec. 28. He is also undefeated since teaming with jockey Edgard Zayas for the first time for that impressive maiden victory five weeks ago.
Breaking from the extreme outside in a field of seven 3-year-olds, Burnham Square was a bit tardy to begin, dropping back to last about seven lengths behind the pacesetting Kinetic Control exiting the opening bend of the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull. Zayas managed to get Burnham Square over to the rail at that point, and the two gradually moved to closer contention along the inside down the backstretch.
Burnham Square had to check briefly behind the leaders entering the far turn. He angled out four wide to continue his bid approaching the quarter pole, drifted farther out entering the stretch, before running down Tappan Street inside the eighth pole to win going away.
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Tappan Street, who won his only previous start going seven furlongs here one month ago, raced in midpack after an alert beginning. He advanced steadily under vigorous urging to engage the leaders at the five-sixteenths pole, quickly drew clear, but proved no match for the winner. It was another 9 1/4 lengths farther back to Burning Glory, who finished third, three parts of a length in front of the multiple Grade 1 winner Ferocious, who was making his first start since finishing a troubled fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Burnham Square, a homebred son of Liam’s Map owned by Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC, returned $10.60 after covering the distance over a fast track in 1:43.60 (90 Beyer Speed Figure).
“He overcame a lot of adversity today,” Wilkes said. “He broke a little tardy, I thought he might be close to the lead, took kickback and got a little hot in the post parade. There were some things he did wrong I need to correct. But the good thing about it is he was able to overcome the adversity. And he doesn’t get tired.”
Wilkes also said adding blinkers has made a big difference in Burnham Square’s last two performances.
“It’s like night and day with the blinkers,” Wilkes said. “Without the blinkers, he doesn’t run.”
Wilkes said he would talk to the owners before deciding on what might be next on the schedule for Burnham Square, who earned 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his victory in the Holy Bull.
Trainer Brad Cox said he was very pleased with Tappan Street’s performance even in defeat.
“I thought he ran really big, he was wide throughout; young horse, still learning, second start of his life, he’s going to really move forward off of this I believe,” Cox said.
Assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. said Ferocious “got a little tired” in the final quarter-mile making his first start in three months while equipped with blinkers for the first time in the Holy Bull.
“He seemed more focused [with the blinkers], right on the bridle from the beginning the whole time. You have to start running. We’ll regroup and look forward,” Delgado added.
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