Alvarado guided Rocket Can in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull similarly to how he did Art Collector, settling his mount just off the pace in the clear on the outside before making a move on the second turn. Sitting fifth, a couple of lengths off fractions of :23.92 and :48.84 set by Mr Bob, Rocket Can swooped into action with a four-wide bid on the second turn, pulling into third place as Legacy Isle, who had pressed the pace for the opening half-mile, took over the lead for a brief moment after six furlongs in 1:13.76.
Almost as quickly as Legacy Isle took the lead, he lost it to Rocket Can, who came into the stretch with about a length lead over his closing stablemate Shadow Dragon. Though the latter had momentum, he proved unable to gain meaningful ground on Rocket Can down the lane.
With a final sixteenth in :6.43, the winner was timed on a fast track in 1:44.97 — the slowest Holy Bull winner at the 1 1/16-mile distance Booklet won in 2002 in 1:46.16. The race was run at different distances from 2005-12.
Rocket Can paid $7.20 as the second favorite in the field of eight.
Alvarado notched his second victory in the Holy Bull after initially capturing the race in 2016 aboard Shadwell Stable's Mohaymen for Kiaran McLaughlin.
"The horse broke sharp, and I hustled out of there just to make sure I'm forwardly placed and he was there for me," Alvarado said of his mount, who started from the far outside. "I couldn't really save much ground (in) the first part because everybody had the same idea to get out of there running. I ended up being a little bit wide, but he was very kind. He was nice and relaxed the whole way around, so I was very pleased with what I had under me.
"By the three-eighths pole, I started picking it up little by little, knowing that it's the first wire. I had a great feeling going all the way around."
Saturday's effort strengthened Mott's confidence in Rocket Can's stamina.
"It seems like he can keep going. Hopefully, another sixteenth is good, and another three-sixteenths is even better," said Mott. "Time will tell."
Stepping out of New York-bred company in just his third start, Shadow Dragon also pleased the Hall of Fame trainer with his runner-up finish at 34-1 odds.
"It was a great race for him. I'm very pleased with his effort for a horse that's run only twice," said Mott.
Coming up empty as the favorite was Cyclone Mischief, who, after a sharp break, lacked a finishing kick after he was rated to stalk the pace in traffic. He finished seventh.
The winner, who capped his 2-year-old season with a second in an allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs Nov. 26, is now 2-1-0 in five starts with earnings of $249,738.
The Holy Bull serves a prep for the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby on April 1 at Gulfstream, with another major race, the Grade 2 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes, in between on March 4. The champion 2-year-old male of last year, Forte, is expected to return in the latter.
.jpg?itok=LpeJCVcf&c=4e370a1fb34f8a6e85478be2a83b2925)
