Month: February 2021

Fire At Will Tunes Up in Advance of Fountain of Youth

Breeders' Cup winner Fire At Will (Declaration of War) tuned up for his 3-year-old debut Saturday at Gulfstream Park with a five-furlong move in 1:02.75. He is slated to start in the Feb. 27 GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S.

“Everything went smooth,” said trainer Michael Maker of the Three Diamonds Farm's runner's work. “He's ready to go.”

Fire At Will broke his maiden over a sealed but sloppy main track at Saratoga in the With Anticipation S. in September, then captured the GII Pilgrim S. over the Belmont lawn the next month. He was a three-length victor of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in November in Keeneland, but connections are aiming toward a return to the dirt in the Fountain of Youth. It will be his first start on a fast main track.

“It's a tough task, whether he's a dirt horse or a turf horse, but he's earned the chance,” said Maker.

The Fountain of Youth is to be contested at 1 1/16 miles, a half-furlong further than Fire At Will's Breeders' Cup score but the same distance as his Pilgrim win.

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‘He’s Ready To Go’: Maker Breezes Fire At Will For Fountain Of Youth

Three Diamonds Farm's Fire At Will breezed five furlongs Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., while tuning up for a scheduled start in next Saturday's $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2).

The 3-year-old son of Declaration of War, who captured the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland, was timed in 1:02.75 in his seventh breeze in preparation for his 2021 debut in the key prep for the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n Dale at Xalapa March 27 at Gulfstream.

“Everything went smooth,” trainer Michael Maker said. “He's ready to go.”

After finishing sixth on turf in his Aug. 8 debut at Saratoga, Fire At Will broke his maiden in the Sept. 2 With Anticipation Stakes over a sealed sloppy main track at the Spa. The Kentucky-bred colt went back to turf to capture the Oct. 3 Pilgrim (G2) at Belmont by two lengths and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf by three lengths.

Fire At Will has yet to run on a fast main track.

“It's a tough task, whether he's a dirt horse or a turf horse, but he's earned the chance,” Maker said.

At Palm Beach Downs, WinStar Farm LLC and CHD Inc.'s Prime Factor breezed a half-mile in 48.69 seconds Sunday morning for his scheduled return in the Fountain of Youth. The Todd Pletcher trainee, who finished third in the Jan. 30 Holy Bull (G2) as the favorite, worked in company with Promise Keeper, who broke his maiden impressively at Gulfstream Feb. 6.

“They went head and head in 48-and-change,” Pletcher said. “They went good.”

Prime Factor debuted with a dazzling 8 ¾-length victory at Gulfstream Dec. 12 before taking a giant step up in the Holy Bull, in which he stalked the pace and raced evenly in the stretch to finish a distant third behind victorious Greatest Honour and runner-up Tarantino, both of whom are scheduled to return in the Fountain of Youth.

The 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth will headline a program with nine stakes, including eight graded races.

The post ‘He’s Ready To Go’: Maker Breezes Fire At Will For Fountain Of Youth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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$712,824 Rainbow 6 Payout At Gulfstream Park

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 was hit Saturday for $712,824.06 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The sequence included the Royal Delta (G3), won by longshot Queen Nekia who returned $60.60, and eighth-race winner Quantum Leap, who returned $47.20.

There will be a guaranteed pool Sunday of $200,000.

The jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

WHO'S HOT:  Trainer Peter Walder extended his hot streak of consecutive winners to six Saturday, visiting the winner's circle with Northern ($9.80) in Race 5 and Ludington ($13.60) in Race 6. Corey Lanerie was aboard for both victories.

Walder won with his only starter Thursday and notched a three-win day from three starters on Friday.

Jockey Corey Lanerie, who won the Royal Delta (G3) aboard 25-1 shot Queen Nekia ($60.60), also won aboard Northern and Ludington.

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