After his unexpectedly poor performance, Holy Bull was made the third betting choice in the Florida Derby in a field of fourteen that included favorite Go For Gin. Holy Bull took the early lead and set a solid early pace, then started to draw away in the stretch to win by nearly six lengths. His time of 1:47.96 for miles was the fastest Florida Derby since Alydar in 1978 and earned him a "lofty" Beyer Speed Figure of 115. "This," said jockey Mike Smith, "was the real Holy Bull."