GII Fountain of Youth

Manny Franco will accompany Godolphin's Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in Saturday's $1-million GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. The New York-based jockey will fill in for regular rider Junior Alvarado, who sustained a shoulder injury in a racing mishap Sunday. Alvarado has been aboard the bay for all four starts, including a last-to-first victory in the Mar. 1 GII Fountain of Youth. Franco is currently atop the jockey standings at the current Aqueduct meet. "I can rarely get him. He's never been easy to get to ride, but I think...

Visually, there was a lot to like about Sovereignty's last-to-first score in Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth Stakes. The Godolphin homebred by Into Mischief closed with a flourish from well back after giving up four paths of real estate on the far turn. He needed to make up four lengths on an in-the-clear leader with one furlong remaining over Gulfstream's short-stretch configuration for 1 1/16-miles races (finish line at the sixteenth pole), and Junior Alvarado expertly timed this Bill Mott trainee's kick to earn a neck victory over no-quit 'TDN...

Whitham Thoroughbreds' Burnham Square (Liam's Map), winner of Saturday's GIII Holy Bull Stakes, exited the Triple Crown prep 'bright and alert' and could return in Gulfstream's GII Fountain of Youth Stakes in four weeks. According to trainer Ian Wilkes Sunday, Burnham Square "came out fine and jogged good this morning" at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. The gelding earned 20 GI Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his 1 3/4-length triumph. Second in Gulfstream's series of dirt races for 3-year-olds on the road to the $1-million...

Trainer Danny Gargan recaps Dornoch's win in the GII Fountain of Youth S. and makes a case for why we still haven't seen the best from the son of Good Magic.

Undefeated champion juvenile filly MGISW Just F Y I (Justify) and GSW Dornoch (Good Magic) are both slated to make their seasonal debuts in Florida Mar. 2, the former in the GII Davona Dale S. and the latter in the GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park. Conditioner Bill Mott hopes to use South Florida as his springboard to the GI Kentucky Oaks May 3, saying, "I've gone back and forth just deciding should I have two races or one [for Just F YI]. If I put two races...

The road to the GI Kentucky Derby has been unkind to Todd Pletcher so far this year, but that may be about to change. The Hall of Fame trainer is ready to regroup and will look to win the March 30 GI Florida Derby with Fierceness (City of Light) and the March 2 GII Fountain of Youth with Locked (Gun Runner). Locked, who is the 10-1 favorite beyond the "all others" option in the latest round of the Derby Future Wager, was originally scheduled to make his debut in the...

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte (Violence) completed his preparation for his 2023 debut in next Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park after breezing five furlongs in 1:01.99 Saturday morning at Palm Beach Downs. "Last week was the work we wanted to make sure that we were on target," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "We got a good strong work into him. We got a good work today, but after last week, we weren't looking for him to do too much. We're right on schedule and think...