Fountain of Youth

With less than three months remaining before the running of the GI Kentucky Derby, trainer Todd Pletcher, with 42 horses nominated to the Triple Crown, will be active in a number of Derby preps as he prepares his troops for his annual invasion of Churchill Downs. Pletcher divulged his plans during this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast, which will be available Wednesday afternoon. Despite finishing third as the favorite in last Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream, Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) may represent Pletcher's best chance of winning a...

The continuously improving Greatest Honour (Tapit) continued his preparations for the Mar. 27 GI Curlin Florida Derby at Payson Park Saturday, covering a half-mile in :50.20 (3/21). "He worked nice--his typical work," trainerr Shug McGaughey said. "I think he bounced out of the [GII Fasig-Tipton] Fountain of Youth good." Greatest Honour broke his maiden at fourth asking at Gulfstream Dec. 26 and has swept the first two of three GI Kentucky Derby preps held at Gulfstream: the Jan. 30 GIII Holy Bull and the Feb. 27 Fountain of Youth.

8th-Gulfstream, $45,000, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 3-11, 3yo, 1m, 1:35.82, ft, 3 lengths. PREVALENCE (c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro--Enrichment, by Ghostzapper), arguably the flashiest debut winner of 2021 thus far, backed up his huge first-out victory with a more workmanlike allowance tally Thursday at Gulfstream in what could serve as a springboard to an April GI Kentucky Derby prep for the Godolphin homebred. Unveiled as a 34-5 proposition in a loaded-looking maiden race going seven panels here Jan. 23, the bay survived a host of pace pressers and burst away in...

Tony Braddock's Two Hearts Farm made quite a few headlines back in 2015 when their mare Fioretti (Bernardini) marked herself as a Breeders' Cup contender with wins in the Roxelana S. and GII TCA S. With that mare now retired to the Two Hearts Farm broodmare band, talented sophomore Prime Factor (Quality Road) has put his breeder back in the spotlight and looks to add another feather to Braddock's cap Saturday in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Braddock was interested in horses and racing from a young age, attending...

There's little doubt that 3-year-olds Drain the Clock (Maclean's Music), Fire At Will (Declaration of War) and Prime Factor (Quality Road) are talented individuals. But whether or not they are legitimate contenders for the GI Kentucky Derby is a question each one will have to answer in Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park. The mile-and-a-sixteenth Fountain of Youth, which drew a field of 10, has a clear favorite in Greatest Honour (Tapit), the Shug McGaughey-trained winner of the GIII Holy Bull S. But whether or not...

Fasig-Tipton will remain title sponsor of the $350,000 GII Fountain of Youth S. A prep for the GI Florida Derby and GI Kentucky Derby, the race will be held at Guflfstream Feb. 27. "Fasig-Tipton is delighted to partner with 1/ST Racing once again this year to sponsor the Fountain of Youth Stakes," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said.  "We are proud to sponsor such a prestigious race ahead of our marquee 2-year-olds-in-training sale at Gulfstream Park on Mar. 31."

GII Remsen S. winner Shotski (Blame) will be pointed towards the $2.5 million G2 UAE Derby Mar. 28, which offers 170 points towards the GI Kentucky Derby. The bay will work once more at Gulfstream before shipping to Dubai. "He seems in good form, full of himself at the moment. Our primary plan is to keep him here in Florida with the plan to go to Dubai," trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer said. "That's what we're looking at right now. We've been talking about it. We're going to fly out of here...

The Week in Review, by T.D. Thornton The Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon famously got shut out five centuries ago while searching for Florida's mythical Fountain of Youth. He was the heavy favorite to find it, but missing out presumably didn't affect his plans for the first Saturday in May. In more recent times, well-backed horses on the GI Kentucky Derby trail have been similarly luckless trying to find the winner's circle in the elusive Gulfstream Park stakes that shares the same name. Ete Indien (Summer Front)'s wire-to-wire shredding of...

Ete Indien (Summer Front), who produced a breakout performance when dominating Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. by 8 1/2 lengths at Gulfstream, came out of his effort well Sunday morning, according to trainer Patrick Biancone. "Very good," Biancone told the Gulfstream notes team of how his colt looked. "He ate all his dinner and he's happy and sound this morning, which is what you want to see. We're good." Starting his career on turf, Ete Indien switched to the dirt for an upset allowance victory Dec. 20 in...

Ete Indien got over and to the lead from his wide draw, and never looked back as he streaked home a dominant winner of Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. despite drifting out. Heavy favorite Dennis' Moment (Tiznow) backed up early and trailed the field home. Gunned from his outside post and over to the rail with a short run into the first turn, Ete Indien maintained a clear advantage down the backside and appeared to be traveling comfortably as he posted splits :23.14, :46.72 and 1:11.30. He was...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PAIR OF LOADED MAIDEN EVENTS ON FOY UNDERCARD 2nd-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 11:59p.m. Kiaran McLaughlin unveils Shadwell Stable's $800,000 KEESEP buy ASHIHAM (Tapit) in this event. He is out of MGSW Wine Princess (Ghostzapper), who is a daughter of Horse of the Year Azeri (Jade Hunter). Breaking one stall to his left is Albaugh Family Stables's Tiger's Back (Ghostzapper). The $370,000 KEESEP purchase's second dam is MGISW millionaire Pure Clan (Pure Prize), who is the dam of SW & MGSP Princesa Carolina (Tapit). This...

For only having raced four times thus far, Albaugh Family Stables' Dennis' Moment (Tiznow) has already had a roller coaster's worth of twists and turns in his career. Two brilliant victories paired with two disastrous starts in his 2-year-old season have established dichotomous perceptions of the imposing bay colt. Saturday at Gulfstream Park, he will get a chance to solidify himself as a top contender for the GI Kentucky Derby when making his highly-anticipated 3-year-old debut as a likely heavy favorite in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Unveiled...