Study Guide: 2024 Fountain of Youth Stakes
Feb 27, 2024
Locked winning the Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland (Photo by Coady Photography)
One year after Mage used the $400,000 Fountain of Youth S. (G2) as a steppingstone to victory in the Kentucky Derby (G1), nine talented three-year-olds will contest the 2024 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park this Saturday.
Held over 1 1/16 miles, the Fountain of Youth is a lucrative Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier worth 50-25-15-10-5 points to the top five finishers. Two of the early Kentucky Derby favorites (Dornoch and Locked) are among the entries, so let’s take a look at the field:
Speak Easy
Speak Easy (Photo by Coglianese Photography)
Start(s): 1
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: WinStar Farm and Siena Farm
Breeder: WinStar Farm
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Top Speed Rating: (103) when winning his debut at Gulfstream Park.
Total Earnings: $42,000
Sire: Constitution
Dam: Fun
Color: Bay
Speak Easy survived a duel to win a fast seven-furlong maiden special weight on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park, earning a flashy 103 Brisnet Speed rating. But can he repeat the performance while stepping up sharply in class and distance for his second start?
Le Dom Bro
Le Dom Bro wins at Saratoga (Photo by Coglianese Photography)
Start(s): 5
Wins: 1
Place: 3
Show: 0
Owner: Vicente Stella Stables
Breeder: Teneri Farms
Trainer: Eniel Cordero
Jockey: Edwin Gonzalez
Top Speed Rating: (88) when finishing second in the Swale S. at Gulfstream Park.
Total Earnings: $88,450
Sire: Mucho Macho Man
Dam: Valiant Emilia
Color: Bay
Le Dom Bro has finished first or second in all four of his sprint starts, including when runner-up in the seven-furlong Swale S. at Gulfstream four weeks ago. But he faltered in his lone start running long, finishing ninth in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen (G2) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, so the class and distance of the Fountain of Youth are obstacles to overcome.
Victory Avenue
Start(s): 1
Wins: 0
Place: 1
Show: 0
Owner: OGMA Investments, JR Ranch, Upland Flats Racing, Morplay Racing, High Step Racing, Lady Sheila Stable, Michael Iavarone, and Jules Iavarone
Breeder: Epic Racing
Trainer: Gustavo Delgado
Jockey: John Velazquez
Top Speed Rating: (100) when finishing second in his debut at Gulfstream Park.
Total Earnings: $14,000
Sire: Arrogate
Dam: Epic Scataway
Color: Dark bay/brown
Victory Avenue debuted in the same seven-furlong maiden special weight as Speak Easy and dueled with the winner before weakening slightly to finish second by 1 3/4 lengths. Victory Avenue has the pedigree to improve with distance and maturity, but tackling the Fountain of Youth as a once-raced maiden could be a tricky task.
Real Macho
Start(s): 4
Wins: 2
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Rohan Crichton, Daniel L. Walters, and Dennis G. Smith
Breeder: Poe Racing Stable
Trainer: Rohan Crichton
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Top Speed Rating: (94) when winning a Gulfstream Park allowance optional claimer.
Total Earnings: $68,320
Sire: Mucho Macho Man
Dam: Hedonism
Color: Chestnut
Real Macho unleashed a big finish from behind a quick pace to win a $75,000 allowance optional claimer racing one mile at Gulfstream on Feb. 3. A decelerating pace helped his chances, but Real Macho gained 4 1/2 lengths through the final furlong and earned a career-best 94 Brisnet Speed rating. He’s progressing in the right direction and shouldn’t be underestimated.
Dornoch
Dornoch breaking his maiden at Keeneland (Photo by Keeneland Photos)
Start(s): 4
Wins: 2
Place: 2
Show: 0
Owner: West Paces Racing, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Two Eight Racing, and Pine Racing Stables
Breeder: Grandview Equine
Trainer: Danny Gargan
Jockey: Luis Saez
Top Speed Rating: (98) when winning the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct.
Total Earnings: $257,400
Sire: Good Magic
Dam: Puca
Color: Bay
A full-brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, Dornoch won a deep edition of the Remsen on the Road to the Kentucky Derby last fall, counting future Risen Star (G2) winner Sierra Leone and next-out Jerome Stakes winner Drum Roll Please among his beaten rivals. But Dornoch led almost all the way over a muddy Aqueduct main track that played strongly in favor of speed horses, so it remains to be seen whether he can repeat the performance over a fair track.
[SCRATCHED] Merit
Merit (Photo by Coglianese Photography)
Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 1
Owner: Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds
Breeder: Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.
Jockey: Edgard Zayas
Top Speed Rating: (92) when winning his debut at Gulfstream Park.
Total Earnings: $31,920
Sire: Mastery
Dam: Faithful
Color: Dark bay/brown
Merit was tons the best in his debut sprinting seven furlongs at Gulfstream, but faltered when stepping up in class and distance for a one-mile $75,000 allowance optional claimer, finishing third by 5 1/2 lengths against Real Macho. He’ll need improvement to turn the tables and challenge for a top-five finish on Saturday.
Frankie’s Empire
Frankies Empire (Photo by Coglianese Photography)
Start(s): 7
Wins: 4
Place: 0
Show: 1
Owner: Frank Deluca
Breeder: Ralph Kinder and Erv Woolsey
Trainer: Michael Yates
Jockey: Miguel Vasquez
Top Speed Rating: (93) when winning the Swale S. at Gulfstream Park.
Total Earnings: $185,700
Sire: Classic Empire
Dam: Donna D
Color: Dark bay/brown
Frankie’s Empire had no difficulty winning the seven-furlong Swale S. at Gulfstream by 3 1/2 lengths over Le Dom Bro. However, he’s 0-for-2 running long and 4-for-5 sprinting, so it’s possible the Fountain of Youth’s 1 1/16-mile journey will stretch the limits of Frankie’s Empire’s stamina.
Locked
Locked breaking his maiden at Saratoga (Photo by Coglianese Photos)
Start(s): 4
Wins: 2
Place: 0
Show: 2
Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm
Breeder: Rosa Colasanti
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Top Speed Rating: (105) when breaking his maiden at Saratoga.
Total Earnings: $608,400
Sire: Gun Runner
Dam: Luna Rosa
Color: Chestnut
The horse to beat in the Fountain of Youth is Locked, winner of the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) last year. Locked seemed to struggle racing behind kickback in the Juvenile, but launched a big homestretch rally once in the clear to miss second place by half a length. Drawing an outside post in the Fountain of Youth gives Locked options for working out a clean trip, setting the stage for victory in his first run of the season.
Dancing Groom
Dancing Groom (Photo by Coglianese Photography)
Start(s): 5
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 1
Owner: Alexandres
Breeder: Don Alberto Corporation
Trainer: Antonio Sano
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Top Speed Rating: (89) when finishing third in the Champagne (G1) at Aqueduct.
Total Earnings: $129,482
Sire: Vino Rosso
Dam: Snow Dancer
Color: Chestnut
Dancing Groom struggled when finishing fifth in the Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream last time out, but he was compromised while trying to rally from behind a pedestrian pace. He showed enough talent to finish third in Aqueduct’s Champagne (G1) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and is eligible to outrun expectations if he gets a faster pace to work with in the Fountain of Youth.
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