Gourmet Dinner brings plenty of experience to Holy Bull

Dialed In turned heads when winning his initial outing for Nick Zito and the well-built sophomore will make his second career start in the

Holy Bull after being scratched from a recent allowance race due to a sloppy

track. He broke slowly in his lone appearance, a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special

weight at Churchill Downs in November, and looked beaten turning for home, but the dark bay

closed rapidly through the stretch to win going away. Zito has the reputation

for giving his first-time starters a race, and the two-time Derby winner is

bullish about his colt's Triple Crown prospects. Dialed In has recorded three

consecutive bullet workouts in preparation, including a :47 2/5 half-mile on

Monday, and Julien Leparoux will be back aboard.

Black N Beauty will attempt to build upon an impressive showing over the

track, capturing a January 7 entry-level allowance by 2 1/2 lengths, and the

Dale Romans pupil has won his last two starts in front-running fashion. The

Canadian-bred colt appears to be the likely pacesetter with Kent Desormeaux.

Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3) hero MAJOR GAIN (More Than Ready) merits

respect off a commendable third, beaten only a half-length, in the Kentucky

Jockey Club S. (G2) at Churchill Downs. He'll cut back to a one-turn distance

for Wayne Catalano, and Javier Castellano will pick up the mount. The Holy Bull

also marks the return of MUCHO MACHO MAN (Macho Uno), who concluded his juvenile

season with a pair of runner-up finishes to the well-regarded To Honor and Serve

(Bernardini). The Kathy Ritvo trainee owns the best BRIS Speed rating (101) in

the field and will keep Eibar Coa in the saddle.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE (Harlan's Holiday) recorded a good-looking maiden win at

Aqueduct two starts back and rallied well for second when making his stakes bow

in the six-furlong Spectacular Bid over the track on January 8. He's eligible to

move forward off that effort for conditioner Richard Violette Jr. The remaining

contestants are SWEET DUCKY (Pulpit), a multiple stakes winner who was last seen

finishing fourth in the Delta Jackpot; Calder stakes winner and Grade 3

runner-up RIBO BOBO (Louis Quatorze); and PRINTING PRESS (Tapit), who finished

second in the aforementioned allowance to Black N Beauty.