Winslow Homer split horses down the stretch to win the $150,000 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park by three-quarters of a length on Saturday.
Winslow Homer drove away from eight others under jockey Ramon Dominguez to beat favored Jackson Bend. It was another 3 1/4 lengths back to William's Kitten. Winslow Homer covered the mile in 1:35.97 and paid $9.60, $4.60 and $3.60.
Jackson Bend returned $3.40 and $2.60, while William's Kitten paid $4.40.
Dominguez guided Winslow Homer just behind the leaders at the halfway point and was fourth by the time Homeboykris and Thank U Philippe entered the stretch on the lead.
With Jackson Bend closing from the outside and drawing even with the leaders, Dominguez drove Winslow Homer between Homeboykris and Thank U Philippe to take the lead at the eighth pole and hold off Jackson Bend to get a win that could help earn the gray colt a spot in the Kentucky Derby.
``It's awful early, but we kept our place in line,'' trainer Anthony Dutrow said. ``One would have to feel good about today's performance. He's bred to get a distance, he loves two turns.''
Dutrow said Winslow Homer, who was purchased at auction two years ago by Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farm for $310,000, would next run the Feb. 20 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream.
``We didn't think we'd win,'' Porter said. ``We just wanted to run a good race. A one-turn mile is not his best distance so we were just hoping to get a good race out of him.''
