HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. (AP) -When Saratoga Sinner broke his maiden three weeks ago, jockey Julien Leparoux hopped off and immediately told trainer Eddie Kenneally that the 3-year-old could do much better.
He might be right.
Taking a big step toward this year's Kentucky Derby, Saratoga Sinner ran down long shot Bear's Rocket to win the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes on Saturday, his second straight victory at the 1-1/8 mile distance over Gulfstream's surface. His next stop could be the Florida Derby on March 28, and if all goes well there, Saratoga Sinner may be bound for Churchill Downs.
``Everything was good today,'' Leparoux said. ``Exactly what I wanted.''
Considering where Leparoux was a couple hours earlier, that was high praise.
Leparoux was thrown from his mount in the day's third race, but bounced up quickly and wasn't injured. He settled Saratoga Sinner - now 2-for-4 in his brief career - in behind Bear's Rocket, who went off at 34-1 and jolted to the front right out of the gate.
Eventually, it was a two-horse race, and Saratoga Sinner had just enough to win by a head and return $26.80, $14.20 and $7.40. Bear's Rocket paid $27.80 and $11.40, while West Side Bernie - who started on the outside of the field and had tons of ground to make up - rallied to pay $3.60 for show.
``He's a nice horse, an improving horse,'' Kenneally said. ``He obviously likes the track, and he's got a good foundation for the Florida Derby.''
Beethoven - the winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes late last year at Churchill Downs - also struggled with an extreme outside post on the way to the tight first turn, and finished fourth. Danger to Society, sent off as the 2-1 favorite, was seventh.
In Saturday's co-feature, the Grade 1, $489,000 Donn Handicap, Albertus Maximus added to his resume by holding off a game Finallymadeit by a head over the 1-1/8 mile test on the dirt.
His reward, new trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said, will likely be a trip to Dubai for the $6 million World Cup.
``He's trained great on the dirt and obviously handled it well today,'' McLaughlin said. ``He's a very professional racehorse.''
Albertus Maximus, who won the Breeders' Cup dirt mile last year at Santa Anita, never strayed far from the lead, and pulled even with the 30-1 long shot near the top of the stretch.
But Finallymadeit dug in, never truly yielding the lead until the final strides of the race.
Albertus Maximus returned $8.20, $4.80 and $3.20. Finallymadeit paid $26.20 and $11, with Einstein finishing about two lengths off the lead and earned $3.60 to show.
``I thought he would be dead by the quarter pole,'' said Alan Garcia, Albertus Maximus' jockey. ``But he just kept coming and coming.''
