It's been a trying winter for Rick Violette, on at least one front.
As President of the New York Thoroughbred Horseman's Association, Violette has been heavily involved with the New York Racing Association in the search for the solutions to remedy the horrific rash of recent equine fatalities at Aqueduct.
He's also embroiled in a challenge to his re-election in November as NYTHA president amidst claims of irregularities in the voting process.
On a brighter note, things are going quite well with his "day job."
Violette's spring took on a rosy complexion Saturday when the 61-year-old trainer sent out Upstart to post a convincing 5 ½-length victory in the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
The victory netted the 3-year-old New York State-bred 10 more points in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, lifting him into third place with 16 points in the chase for one of 20 starting spots in the Run for the Roses.
Beyond that, the Holy Bull also confirmed the promising form that Upstart displayed as a 2-year-old but few picked up on.
Though he was third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile -- missing second by a nose -- and second in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, Upstart was sent off at 53-1 odds in the opening round of Kentucky Derby Future wagering. In each of those graded stakes, he had an excuse. He was forced to race wide in the BC Juvenile after drawing post 11, while a wet, speed-favoring track in the Champagne worked against him.
None of that, though, seemed to matter when handicappers took their first swings at picking the Derby winner. While they ignored Upstart, Carpe Diem, who was second in the BC Juvenile, was dismissed at 15-1 odds, nearly the same price as Texas Red (14-1), the runaway Juvenile winner.
Upstart wasn't even the favorite in the Holy Bull, going off as 2-1 second choice. Rest assured, though, after his highly impressive 3-year-old debut, Upstart will not be overlooked in his next start.
"When I saw him today in the paddock, I was very surprised because he looked so much bigger and so much stronger," said jockey Jose Ortiz, who has been aboard Upstart in all five of his career starts. "I think he wants to go a mile and a quarter, so we will hopefully make the Kentucky Derby with him."
The mile-and-a-sixteenth distance of the Holy Bull was no problem for Upstart as he raced in third on the backstretch, then took over turning into stretch and drew off from his eight rivals. Frosted, the 3-2 favorite off a second in the Grade 2 Remsen on Thanksgiving weekend, was second once again, finishing 2 ¼ lengths ahead of third choice Bluegrass Singer in a finish that pretty much held to form.
With his ridgling's 3-year-old debut out of the way, Violette can now map out the next steps along the long and winding road to Louisville on the first Saturday in May. He mentioned either the Gotham (March 7 at Aqueduct) or the Fountain of Youth (Feb. 21 at Gulfstream) as possibilities for Upstart's next start. The Florida Derby (March 28 at Gulfstream) is also on Violette's radar.
"We'll see how he bounces off this and follow his lead," Violette said. "It could be that we'll stay here for the Florida Derby to give us the extra two weeks going into the [Kentucky] Derby. That might be the thing to do. It's nice to have that option."
It's just as nice to have a horse like Upstart to make a "day job" more pleasurable.