Cairo Prince On Target for Holy Bull Stakes
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Everything remains on target for grade II winner Cairo Prince, who is scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in the $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. II) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park.
Working in company Jan. 12 with 4-year-old Shadwell-owned colt Qeyaas, the gray or roan son of Pioneerof the Nile breezed five furlongs in :59.90 at Palm Meadows Training Center. The best of 29 on the morning, it was Cairo Prince's second straight bullet drill there following a five-furlong breeze in :59.70 Jan. 5 for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.
Cairo Prince has had four published workouts since coming to South Florida following his runner-up finish to Honor Code by a bare nose in the Remsen (gr. II) at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 30.
"I wasn't looking for 59-and-4 again, but he's just doing great," said McLaughlin, who trains Cairo Prince for Namcook Stables, Paul Braverman, Harvey Clarke, and Craig Robertson III. "He had company, but he hooked into a horse that was in front of him a little bit. It kind of made him work a little faster than we needed, but he's doing that well. No worries, no negatives; he worked great."
McLaughlin said he will give Cairo Prince one more work leading into the Holy Bull, which is run at 1 1/16 miles. It is the first graded prep at Gulfstream for the $1 million Besilu Stables Florida Derby (gr. I) March 30.
"We'll work again next Saturday or Sunday, a half-mile probably on his own now, hopefully in something like 49," McLaughlin said. "When you ask a horse to go a little slower and they end up going fast, that's a good sign that he's doing extremely well. He's happy, and we're happy."
McLaughlin picked up a pair of wins on Saturday's card at Gulfstream, with 4-year-old Elnaawi in the seventh race, a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance on dirt, and 3-year-old Macaroon in the eighth, a 7 1/2-furlong turf sprint.
Cairo Prince graduated impressively in his racing debut by nearly three lengths at Belmont Park Oct. 6. In his next start Nov. 3 at Aqueduct, he dominated a 12-horse field in the one-mile Nashua Stakes (gr. II), opening a five-length advantage at the furlong mark and winning by 2 1/2. He has banked $272,000 in his three starts.
Bred in Kentucky by Richard Elam and Katherine Elam, Cairo Prince is out of stakes-winning sprinter Holy Bubbette. He is a two-time Keeneland sales graduate, bringing $200,000 and $250,000, respectively, at the January horses of all ages sale and September yearling sale.