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Simplification, Smile Happy Highlight Saturday Gulfstream Worktab

Tami Bobo's Simplification (Not This Time) returned to the Gulfstream Park worktab Saturday morning for the first time since scoring a dominant 3 1/2-length victory in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 5 in Hallandale. The Antonio Sano trainee breezed five furlongs in 1:01.81 (15/28) under jockey Jose Ortiz before galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.85.

“It was a very good work. The horse worked in hand. He went very easy,” Sano said. “The gallop was good. The horse came back very good. That's what's important for me.”

Simplification rated well off the early pace before making a sweeping move to the lead and drawing away with authority to capture the Fountain of Youth. In the Feb. 5 GIII Holy Bull S., the Florida-bred colt, who had won the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man in frontrunning style, broke last from the starting gate and was caught wide throughout before rallying to finish second behind loose-on-the-lead White Abarrio (Race Day).

Trainer Kenny McPeek sent Lucky Seven Stable's Smile Happy (Runhappy) and Rattle N Roll (Connect) to the Gulfstream track to breeze in company following the break Saturday morning. Rattle N Roll on the inside and Smile Happy on the outside were credited with a joint bullet workout after breezing five furlongs in 58.81 (1/28).

“They worked super. They both needed a steady one and they both zipped along,” McPeek said. “I was really pleased with both of them.”
McPeek said he hadn't yet chosen between the GI Florida Derby and the Apr. 9 GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland for Smile Happy's next start. Rattle N Roll, who finished fifth in the Fountain of Youth, is being pointed to next Saturday's GII Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

Smile Happy closed to be second behind pacesetting Epicenter (Not This Time) in the Feb. 19 GII Risen Star S. in his 2022 debut after winning both of his races, including the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill Downs, in 2021.

OGMA Investments and Jack Hardin Towell Jr.'s O Captain (Carpe Diem), who closed from last to finish third in the Fountain of Youth at 87-1, breezed five furlongs at Gulfstream in 1:01.14 (11/28) Saturday morning. The Gustavo Delgado pupil, who broke his maiden at first asking and finished third in the Limehouse S. in his two prior starts, is being pointed to the Florida Derby.

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Florida Derby on Tap for Simplification

Tami Bobo's Simplification (Not This Time) came out of his victory in Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. in fine shape and will now be aimed at the Apr. 2 GI Curlin Florida Derby.

“Yesterday, good break, a little problem in traffic, and when the jockey took him outside, the horse ran well,” trainer Antonio Sano said Sunday morning. “I am proud of my horse. I'm happy for all the support the people give to me. I'm happy for another chance to win the GI Kentucky Derby.”

Simplification earned 50 Derby qualifying points for his 3 1/2-length victory at Gulfstream Saturday and gave Sano his second Fountain of Youth win following Gunnevera (Dialed In)'s 2017 score.

Fountain of Youth runner-up In Due Time (Not This Time) exited the race in good order, but connections will wait to pick out a next start for the colt.

“We always thought that he was a nice horse,” trainer Kelly Breen said of In Due Time. “We were contemplating going to Tampa, but I wanted to stay here in surroundings he's been accustomed to, and because of his affinity for the track, not that he doesn't like any other track. Why do anything different? I thought he ran a creditable race against a nice field of horses.”

Breen continued, “Where we go from here? I'm going to wait for him to get back onto the track and see how he's training. The Florida Derby is in our backyard, but I won't say anything until I talk to the owners and come up with a game plan.”

Also likely for the Florida Derby is O Captain (Carpe Diem), who finished third in the Fountain of Youth as an 87-1 longshot.

“We expected him to run a big race. He was training so good for it,” Gustavo Delgado, Jr., assistant to his father Gustavo Delgado, Sr., said. “We knew he would like the mile and a sixteenth because of his family.”

Junior Alvarado and Joel Rosario, who were unseated when their mounts High Oak (Gormley) and Galt (Medaglia d'Oro), respectively, fell on the turn into the homestretch in the Fountain of Youth, escaped serious injury. Alvarado took off his scheduled mounts Sunday, but is expected to return to action for Wednesday's program at Gulfstream. Both horses also escaped injury.

White Abarrio (Race Day), who defeated Simplification by 4 1/2 lengths to win the Feb. 5 GIII Holy Bull S., skipped the Fountain of Youth, but prepped for the Florida Derby with a four-furlong work in :47.12 (2/125) at Gulfstream Sunday.

“He worked really well second work back. We were looking for a little bit more and we emphasized galloping out because we're looking to build up his stamina a bit more,” trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said. “The gallop-out was as good as the work.”

Of the Fountain of Youth result, Joseph said, “I'm a big believer in form lines, as far as horses that you beat coming back to win. To see Sano's horse come back and run like that was a big result for us. Full credit to Sano for having his horse ready to run like that.”

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Holy Bull Winner White Abarrio Likely To Await Florida Derby

C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's White Abarrio, a thoroughly professional and dominating winner of Saturday's $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) is likely to return on the Road to the Triple Crown in the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) April 2 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

“We talked it out over at dinner [Saturday] night, and I'd say it's not set in stone, but he's going to straight to the Florida Derby. We don't have to decide now, but everyone was kind of on the same page to go straight to the Florida Derby,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “The spacing works well. He runs well fresh, and hopefully, it will set him up for the Kentucky Derby (G1) to run his best.”

The Holy Bull, which headlined a program with five-graded stakes for 3-year-olds, was the first graded stakes on the Road to the Curlin Florida Derby. The $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) will be the final prep for Gulfstream's premier Triple Crown prep March 5.

Making his first start since finishing third in the Nov. 27 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs, White Abarrio was obviously ready for his return to action despite missing a pair of workouts in preparation for the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull.

“I'm very excited that he won as nicely as you could ask a horse to win a race, and it was the prep with the most depth so far. To be able to come out victorious, it was amazing,” Joseph said. “We had a little setback going into the race. We missed a couple works. You would think he should improve off that. He got a 97 Beyer [Speed Figure]. Just to think he could improve off of that – it's a good feeling.”

The son of Race Day broke sharply to obtain ideal position outside pacesetter Galt into the first turn and rated nicely under Tyler Gaffalione as the longshot pacesetter set fractions of 23.93 and 47.31 seconds for the first half mile. White Abarrio took over on the turn and pulled away to score by 4 ½ lengths over Simplification, the 7-2 second choice who rallied gamely after missing the break and trailing the field early. Mo Donegal, the 8-5 favorite, made a late surge to finish third after breaking slowly and racing in traffic early.

“When you have speed like that and can stay well, you put yourself in a good spot,” Joseph said. “Speed kills in dirt racing. To have that and also have the stamina to go long, it's a strong combo to have.”

After running 1 1/16-miles in 1:42/80, White Abarrio galloped out strongly under Gaffalione, who called on an outrider for assistance in pulling the winner up.

“That's what you want to see when a horse goes two turns, because you've got to get a mile and a quarter. He's done everything so far that it seems like it's within his reach,” Joseph said.

White Abarrio was purchased privately by brothers Mark and Clint Cornett following his eye-catching Sept. 24 debut victory at Gulfstream, in which he scored by 6 ¾ lengths at 6 ½ furlongs.

“Mark Cornett called and said he bought a horse. I said, 'Wow, you bought that horse? He was very impressive,'” Joseph recalled. “He said, 'I bought him and vetted him already, just go pick him up when everything is cleared.' He didn't tell me he was going to buy him.”

The gray Kentucky-bred colt went on to win a mile optional claiming race by four lengths on the lead at Gulfstream before finishing third behind Smile Happy and Classic Causeway in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club.

“He's an athletic horse. He's very light on his feet. He's a beautiful-moving horse. It carries over to race day, which is the main test. He saddles very professionally – cool, calm,” Joseph said. “He can get a little keen in the morning. When he gallops, he can get a little keen in the morning, but when you work him in company, he'll relax. It's a good attribute to have – to have speed but the ability to rate.”

Trainer Antonio Sano reported that Simplification had a 'very good' morning following his remarkable recovery from a horrible start, in which he broke last as he tossed his head as the gates opened. The son of Not This Time, a front-running winner of the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man, raced three and for wide to work his way up to second under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

“In the front or behind, he's a good horse. The horse that won is an excellent horse. If my horse breaks good, the race could be different,” Sano said. “The good news after the race is that he is a good horse, on the front or from behind.”

Simplification will be pointed to the Fountain of Youth. Sano saddled Gunnevera for a second-place finish in the 2012 Holy Bull before his stretch-running winner of $5.5 million went on to win the Fountain of Youth.

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Florida Derby Likely Next for White Abarrio

C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable's White Abarrio (Race Day), winner of Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S., will likely make his next start in the Apr. 2 GI Curlin Florida Derby, trained Saffie Joseph, Jr. confirmed Sunday morning.

“We talked it out over at dinner [Saturday] night, and I'd say its not set in stone, but he's going to straight to the Florida Derby,” Joseph said. “We don't have to decide now, but everyone was kind of on the same page to go straight to the Florida Derby. The spacing works well. He runs well fresh, and hopefully, it will set him up for the [GI] Kentucky Derby to run his best.”

A two-time winner at Gulfstream last fall, White Abarrio was making his first start since finishing third in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. last November.

White Abarrio was purchased privately by brothers Mark and Clint Cornett following an eye-catching 6 3/4-length debut win going 6 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream Sept. 24.

Joseph continued, “He's an athletic horse. He's very light on his feet. He's a beautiful-moving horse. It carries over to race day, which is the main test. He saddles very professionally–cool, calm. He can get a little keen in the morning. When he gallops, he can get a little keen in the morning, but when you work him in company, he'll relax. It's a good attribute to have–to have speed but the ability to rate.”

Tami Bobo's Simplification (Not This Time), who recovered from a poor start and a wide trip to finish second in the Holy Bull, will likely start next in the Mar. 5 GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. The bay colt was coming off a wire-to-wire victory in the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man S.

“In the front or behind, he's a good horse,” Sano said. “The horse that won is an excellent horse. If my horse breaks good, the race could be different. The good news after the race is that he is a good horse, on the front or from behind.”

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