Hansen is ready to get his 2012 campaign underway with a run in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park
The undefeated newly turned 3-year-old colt, Hansen, capped off his juvenile season with a Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile win at Churchill Downs last November, where he defeated a worthy adversary who goes by the name of Union Rags.
The heroics paid off as good as anyone anticipated, and Hansen was announced the 2011 2-year-old champion at the Eclipse Awards on 16 January, 2012. The past season was much of a muddle, and the new stars of the sophomore division have the potential to rise
to the fore.
Michael Matz, who was critical of the 2-year-old champion decision going Hansen’s way, said that two rivals will meet in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on 26 February, 2012. However, Michael Maker, who trains Hansen, would like to
warm his colt up for the occasion before giving him a run prior to the big race.
As expected, Hansen will kick off his 2012 campaign with a run in the Grade3, $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes on 29 January, 2012, at Gulfstream Park’s dirt course at about 1 mile against 5 other newly turned 3-year-old colts.
The race precedes the Fountain of Youth Stakes, which in comparison is a two turn 1 1/16 mile long race at the same venue over the same surface, and also the Grade 1 Florida Derby at 1 1/8 miles.
Kendall Hansen and Sky Chai Racing’s Hansen, is on a stiff Kentucky Derby trail, and being one of the main prospect for the Triple Crown, the Tapit colt is expected to keep his undefeated run intact in an evenly contested division this year.
The newly named champion will lead the nominees in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes, which include Algorithms, Tiger Walk, Consortium, My Adonis and Fort Loudon.
The 3-year-old colt, Fort Loudon, and Hansen are the only two survivors from the last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, who will participate in the Holy Bull Stakes.
Jacks or Better Farms owned son of Awesome of Course, out of mare Lotts A Talc by Talc, Fort Loudon broke his maiden at fourth asking and from then on landed three in a row in the Florida Stallion series at Calder race course.
Most of the horses are being readied for the Kentucky Derby, and whoever emerges out of these races victorious could trump the stars, which are expected to win anyway.
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