As the month of February draws to a close, this year’s Kentucky Derby Trail makes an important stop at Gulfstream Park for the running of the 2021 Fountain of Youth Stakes as part of this Saturday’s live race card.
March is the biggest month for the Kentucky Derby prep races that will set the final 20-horse field on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs. Yet, the Fountain of Youth is a key Gulfstream Park prep leading up to the Florida Derby in early April, which happens to be one of the biggest Kentucky Derby prep races on the schedule.
This Saturday’s main event at Gulfstream is also part of a daily card made up of eight different major graded races.
2021 Fountain of Youth Stakes
Track: Gulfstream Park
The Fountain of Youth is a Grade 2 stakes race open to three-year old Thoroughbreds. This year’s event is offering a total prize purse of $300,000 plus Kentucky Derby qualifying points for the top four finishers. It will be contested on the dirt track at Gulfstream covering a total distance of 1/16 miles.
The actual post positions and morning line odds for this race have yet to bet set. However, Horse Racing Nation has listed a field of eight contenders as probable. Leading that list is trainer Shug McGaughey’s Greatest Honour with a HRN rating of 6.58.
The son of Tapit placed first in this year’s Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream in his three- year old debut. Bred in Kentucky, a win in his next prep at this track would move him way up the ranks as a legitimate Kentucky Derby contender.
Going back to a third-place finish in a seven-furlong Maiden Special Weight race last September, this colt has finished in the money in his first five career events.
Next on my list for Saturday’s race is Tarantino coming off a second-place run in the Holy Bull as a 26/1 longshot. There may be a few stronger competitors in Saturday’s projected field based on HRN ratings but this Kentucky-bred colt has an excellent chance to press the favorite again in another finish in the money. He is trained by Rodolphe Brisset.
Sired by Pioneer Of The Nile, this three-year old has a pair of victories and a pair of second- place finishes on his early racing resume. He also has valuable track knowledge through his last two runs at Gulfstream.
Another colt on my list for betting exotics in this race is trainer Saffie Joseph’s Drain the Clock. This Kentucky-bred colt looked sharp in his three-year old debut with a victory in the Grade 3 Swale Stakes at Gulfstream on Jan. 30.
Win Big Betting on Trifectas and Superfectas
This is another contender in Saturday’s projected field that has a wealth of experience racing at this track. The son of Maclean’s Music is a perfect three-for-three racing at Gulfstream with a win in this year’s ungraded Limehouse Stakes on Jan. 2 after winning a MSW event as a two- year old.
My “one to watch” for the Fountain of Youth is Fire At Will. Trained by Mike Maker, he has yet to be confirmed for Saturday. Sired by Declaration of War, this would be his three-year old debut after winning last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He should be able to handle the shift to dirt if Maker gives him the green light to run.
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