In the Mud, Barbaro Wins Holy Bull

HALLANDALE, Fla., Feb. 4 -- After winning three races on the grass in sensational fashion, Barbaro came into the Holy Bull Stakes on Saturday to show if he could win on dirt and be a contender for the Triple Crown races. He passed the test -- sort of.

The Maryland-based 3-year-old successfully handled a track that had been turned into a quagmire by day-long rain, and won over a type of racing surface that he had not encountered before. He proved his versatility and his gameness. But he scored a narrow victory in unexceptional time that would not stamp him as a Kentucky Derby favorite.

In his turf races, Barbaro had displayed a combination of good tactical speed and a finishing kick, and he showed those qualities in the slop Saturday. As the speedy Doctor Decherd zipped to the lead, Edgar Prado positioned Barbaro just outside, stalked the leader and went past into the stretch. Then he held off the late charge of 30-to-1 shot Great Point to score by three-quarters of a length.

"I was very happy with his performance," Prado said. "He proved today that he could go either way."

Trainer Michael Matz said that the colt would now pursue a campaign on the dirt. "Since we're here in Florida," he said, "I supposed we'll look at either the Fountain of Youth Stakes or the Florida Derby."

Barbaro's time of 1 minute 49.31 seconds for 1 1/8 miles was unexceptional on this quick racing surface. (He was only .25 second faster than a fair group of mares who ran an hour earlier.) And he scored his victory over a runner-up who had never won a stakes race. Based on these handicapping yardsticks, at least, turf may still be his best game. The Gulfstream card did produce an exciting 3-year-old star, and an unexpected one, in Keyed Entry, the winner of the Hutcheson Stakes.

First Samurai, one of the fastest and best 2-year-olds of 2005, was making his season debut in the race, and was the overwhelming favorite. Keyed Entry, winner of his only two starts against modest company, didn't appear to have the seasoning to be competitive.

But he outran First Samurai for the lead, rocketing a half-mile in 44.10 seconds and six furlongs in 1:07.61 -- much faster than the track record for the distance. The Todd Pletcher-trained runner repulsed a challenge from the favorite in the stretch and drew away to cover seven furlongs in 1:27.12, smashing the track record for the distance. Pletcher said he would look for longer races for Keyed Entry, and he could conceivably meet Barbaro in the Fountain of Youth.