The Fountain of Youth Stakes takes the spotlight at Gulfstream Park Saturday and 11 have passed the entry box. The Grade 2 $400,000 mile and a sixteenth event will help clarify the position of the sophomores on the East Coast. The winner of the Fountain of Youth will earn 50 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby.
Ponce de Leon, who was the explorer that looked for the Fountain of Youth that granted eternal youngness, would have been proud of this edition of the fixture.
Over the decades several winners of the Fountain of Youth have gone on to take the Kentucky Derby. Tim Tam, Kauai King, Spectacular Bid and Orb in 2013 pulled off the rare double.
Last year trainer Kiaran McLaughlin won the Fountain of Youth with Mohaymen and he will be back for more with Takaful. This colt has not raced since January 2 when he may have hated the mud in El Areeb’s Jerome win. He did win at first asking so he has a shot to fire fresh and he has trained fast for this. He posted a best of the morning bullet workout last Saturday when he went :59 4/5.
Huracan Americo appears to be out of his element. He was 15-1 in his lone win and this is only his third start.
Gunnevera may have just needed his last race. He was five lengths clear when chasing Irish War Cry but he worked solidly since that effort.
Quinientos was losing ground late in his last race at a mile and now has to go a sixteenth of a mile farther.
Talk Logistics was asked for speed last time and may be better off settling and making one run.
Beasley appears to be coming to this race in fine form. He had his first route race in his last and, although second, he was nearly eight lengths clear of the show horse. The son of Shakleford is one of the Fountain of Youth runners with a solid pedigree. His sibling Mr. Palmer took a couple of stakes and banked nearly $650,000.
Practical Joke has not raced since chasing Classic Empire in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The fact he won his racing debut gives him a chance to be on his game fresh for this race. The class was there for all to see last year as he took the Grade 1 Hopeful and the Grade 1 Champagne.
Three Rules holds a win edge on this field. He has won five of his seven starts and he was far from disgraced in the Grade 2 Swale last time at seven furlongs. He won in a stretch out situation last year when he cashed by ten lengths in a restricted $500,000 route.
Irish War Cry puts his unbeaten record on the line. He was professional making his sprint debut, was game winning his second start and controlled the pace and the outcome in the Holy Bull Stakes here at Gulfstream on February 4.
Made You Look will try to do something he has never tried. He is three for six in his career but all of his races have been on grass.
On the outside is Lookin for Eight. He brings legit speed to the table after graduating in a sprint and he has the pedigree that suggests he’ll take to the distance.
Irish War Cry is the favorite and probably the one to beat in the Fountain of Youth but he will not get an easy lead in this race. Trained by Graham Motion, who handled Animal Kingdom when he won the 2011 Kentucky Derby, Irish War Cry has gotten away with :47 and change half miles in his last two wins. Takaful, Three Rules and Lookin for Eight all have shown more early speed.
With that dynamic in play, expect Practical Joke to get the last laugh. His trainer Chad Brown is popping at 25% at the current Gulfstream meeting and the Joker has a potent late kick. He figures to be fairly close since he has been sidelined and would expect his rider Jose Ortiz to get him within striking distance at the top of the lane. If the projected speed duel develops, look for Practical Joke to reel them all in with a perfect punch line.
Fountain of Youth Takes Spotlight
