“He went really well,” said owner Vincente Stella. “We are looking at the Florida Derby 100 percent. He's a very happy horse. He's going really well.”

The winner of the Fountain of Youth, Dornoch (Good Magic), also worked a half mile Saturday morning in :49 4/5 and will start next in either the Florida Derby or the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. for Danny Gargan.

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The news of his injury was first reported by David Grening of the Daily Racing Form.

Aron Wellman, the managing partner of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, the co-owners of Locked, described the injury as “a very minor ligament fray in the upper part of the left knee.”

Locked was first expected to make his 3-year-old debut in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 10, but missed that race due to a fever. Plan B was to run in last Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream but he was scratched by trainer Todd Pletcher, who was concerned with the way the colt trained the morning of that race.

“The morning of the Fountain of Youth, he didn't train like he normally does,” Wellman said. “He had trained exceptionally well in the weeks leading up to the Fountain of Youth. It was just that morning. It's a tribute to Todd's sharpness and his team for picking up on it. Any other trainer, he probably would have run. With Todd's attention to detail we weren't comfortable sending him over for the Fountain of Youth.”

On Monday, the colt was sent to Dr. John Madison in Ocala, who detected the injury.

“We trained him the day after the Fountain of Youth and he was better, but considering his profile and importance we decided not to take any chances,” Wellman said. “We sent him to Ocala and thanks to the state-of-the-art technology that exists now, they found the problem. No surgery will be required. He just needs time to let it reattach and heal, which is unfortunate because we're off the Classic trail. At the same time, we're thankful to Todd and his team for detecting it early enough so that this horse will still have a future. We're thankful to the vets up in Ocala, including Dr. Madison, who ran him through a body of tests. In the grand scheme of things we were fortunate because they are now able to detect injuries like the one he had. That couldn't have been done in the past.”

Thanks to state of the art technology, we've identified a minor ligament injury in Locked's left knee. Sadly, the Derby Dream is over, but thankfully @PletcherRacing caught the issue early and Locked will come back strong. The horse always comes first! #BelieveBig pic.twitter.com/o0ArPyPEd6

— Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (@EclipseTBP) March 8, 2024

Wellman said the goal now will be to make the major 3-year-old races run in the summer, including the GI Travers S. at Saratoga.

After winning the Breeders' Futurity, Locked ran third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The Fountain of Youth was to be his 3-year-old debut.

“Anybody who is in this game is in it with the dream of having a legitimate contender for the Kentucky Derby and the Classics,” Wellman said. “Locked fit that profile to a tee. We've been fortunate enough to have some legitimate Derby contenders in the past. I was fortunate to be part of the team with Animal Kingdom and Team Valor and we had some other horses who ran respectably in the race. But I don't know that we ever had a horse before who came into their sophomore season with the credentials and the profile that Locked had. We were really confident and had huge convictions that we had the right type of horse to really be effective in the Kentucky Derby at a mile and a quarter. Absolutely, this is a punch in the gut.”

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By mid-morning Saturday, Locked and Victory Avenue had been scratched, and Speak Easy–at the time around 6-5 second favorite–got loose behind the gate and was also withdrawn prior to the start. When the dust had settled, Dornoch was the 1-5 mortal against just four apparently overmatched rivals to pick up the 50 Kentucky Derby points on offer to the winner, and the full-brother to 2023 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage duly obliged, albeit in workmanlike fashion.

Drawn the rail, Le Dom Bro (Mucho Macho Man), beaten 30-plus lengths in the Remsen and runner-up to Frankie's Empire (Classic Empire) in the Feb. 3 Swale S., was hard sent for the lead, but Luis Saez was equally positive aboard Dornoch, who made the front after a furlong and a half and set very manageable fractions of :24.39 and :48.14 while galloping along in the two path down the back.

Dornoch was fairly conservatively ridden into the turn, and that allowed Le Dom Bro to hold his spot at the rail, right underneath the front-runner, though Dornoch still looked to have something up his sleeve. Le Dom Bro refused to lie down inside and Dornoch didn't do himself any favors by hanging on his incorrect lead for much of the run home, but he was always doing enough to secure his second consecutive win at the graded level.

“We didn't want to be on the lead but when [Speak Easy] scratched, he gets out there and he kind of plays around,” said winning trainer Danny Gargan, who trains for a partnership that includes former MLB star Jayson Werth and Randy Hill's R A Hill Stable, among others. “You can see him with his ears kind of goofing off. I told [jockey] Luis [Saez], 'Just go ahead and go.' We had no choice. We really wanted to stalk today, it just didn't work out that way. He won fine enough. Surely it won't be his fastest race. We didn't expect to win today. It just kind of played out that way. I don't think he ran very hard. He was just kind of playing around out there.”

Gargan said that either the GI Curlin Florida Derby or the GI Toyota Blue Grass could be the next stop for Dornoch.

A debut second sprinting through the Saratoga slop last July 29, Dornoch was runner-up as the favorite in the one-mile Sapling S. at Monmouth Aug. 26 before graduating impressively by 6 1/2 lengths at Keeneland seven weeks later. The 17-10 favorite in the Remsen contested over a rain-affected strip, Dornoch maintained a narrow lead throughout, but looked destined for a runner-up effort when 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) raced past at the eighth pole. But Dornoch fought back while racing hard against a golden rail and got his nose down first.

Pedigree Notes:

Donegal Racing paid $90,000 for Puca at the 2013 Keeneland September sale, and they knew a little bit about the family, as the syndicate campaigned her half-brother Finnegans Wake (Powerscourt {GB}), who was third to Hansen (Tapit) in the 2012 GIII Gotham S., but was runner-up in that year's GI Secretariat S. and would go on to become a Grade I winner on the turf. Puca would finish second in the 2015 GII Gazelle S. and became a stakes winner in late 2017 before changing hands for $275,000 at that year's Keeneland November sale.

Among the first mares bred to Gun Runner, Puca returned to KEENOV and fetched $475,000 from Robert Clay's Grandview Equine in the fall of 2018. The resulting foal was a $70,000 buyback at Keeneland September in 2020, but the filly Gunning has punched well above her weight, with a pair of stakes-placings and earnings approaching $280,000, not to mention not the considerable pedigree updates that have since occurred.

A $235,000 KEESEP yearling turned $290,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile, Mage was fourth in last year's Fountain of Youth off his maiden win and runner-up in the GI Florida Derby before being draped with the blanket of roses at Churchill. Also runner-up in the GI Haskell S., Mage now holds court at Airdrie Stud.

The current 2-year-old out of Puca, a colt by McKinzie, was hammered down to Mayberry Farm for $1.2 million at Keeneland September last fall, and a few months later, John Stewart acquired the mare privately carrying a full-sibling to Mage and Dornoch for $2.9 million at Keeneland November. As disclosed in the Resolute Farm mating plans feature, Puca is slated to visit Into Mischief this season.

Stewart's recent Fasig-Tipton February Digital sales-topper Pounce (Lookin At Lucky) won Saturday's GIII Herecomesthebride S. at Gulfstream.

Dornoch and @luissaezpty dominate the @coolmoreamerica Fountain of Youth G2 for @GarganRacing at #GulfstreamPark! pic.twitter.com/77zRMWCJuG

— Gulfstream Park (@GulfstreamPark) March 2, 2024

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
COOLMORE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH S.-GII, $400,000, Gulfstream, 3-2, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.64, ft.
1–DORNOCH, 123, c, 3, by Good Magic
           1st Dam: Puca (SW & GSP, $299,406), by Big Brown
           2nd Dam: Boat's Ghost, by Silver Ghost
           3rd Dam: Rocktheboat, by Summer Squall
($325,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-West Paces Racing LLC, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, Two Eight Racing, LLC and Pine Racing Stables; B-Grandview Equine (KY); T-Danny Gargan; J-Luis Saez. $248,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-2-0, $505,400. *Full to Mage, GISW, $2,507,450; 1/2 to Gunning (Gun Runner), MSP, $278,835. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Le Dom Bro, 119, c, 3, Mucho Macho Man–Valiant Emilia (Per), by Pegasus Wind. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($20,000 Ylg '22 OBSWIN). O-Vicente Stella Stables LLC; B-Teneri Farms Inc (KY); T-Eniel Cordero. $80,000.
3–Frankie's Empire, 121, c, 3, Classic Empire–Donna D, by Dixie Union. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($20,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Frank DeLuca; B-Ralph Kinder & Erv Woolsey (KY); T-Michael Yates. $40,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, NK, 5 3/4. Odds: 0.20, 27.10, 5.60.
Also Ran: Real Macho, Dancing Groom. Scratched: Locked, Merit, Speak Easy, Victory Avenue.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Locked will scratch from today's Fountain of Youth @GulfstreamPark. The Grade 1-winner and @BreedersCup placed son of Gun Runner still has his eye on the prize. We'll regroup and come up with a game plan. #BelieveBig pic.twitter.com/hkvB1zrsCg

— Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (@EclipseTBP) March 2, 2024

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners noted on X that, “Locked will scratch from today's Fountain of Youth…but still has his eye on the prize. We'll regroup and come up with a game plan.”

“He's [Victory Avenue] a high energy horse and he didn't eat his food and is mouse quiet today,” Ramiro Restrepo told Gulfstream media. “That's totally uncharacteristic.”

This AM we had to scratch Victory Avenue from today's FOY.
VA is normally a high energy, feel good colt. He does not have a fever & externally is fine, But he didn't eat his feed last night/this AM and is a bit quiet. Horse comes first, we'll monitor him & proceed accordingly. pic.twitter.com/zXAn9d3Jk9

— Gustavo Delgado S (@GDS_Racing) March 2, 2024

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“We're obviously working backwards from the first Saturday in May,” said Orseno. “We'll do what's best for the horses. I don't think both races are in the plans. If I had to guess today, I'd say the latter one.”

Orseno said the undefeated Hades came out of his Holy Bull win in good shape.

“My both feet are on the ground and everything's fine,” said Orseno. “The horse is doing great. He came out of it really well in his training. He's been back training two days. He's galloping great.”

Orseno continued: “Yesterday, he was more aggressive. It was windy and it was his first day back on the track. Today, he was more settled.”

The trainer also detailed the decision that led to gelding the bay, who is now unbeaten in three starts. Orseno had spotted Hades at the 2023 OBS April Sale, where he worked two furlongs in :21 1/5. D. J. Stable signed the ticket and Orseno brought his longtime client Cotran in to team up on the Florida-bred colt.

“When I bought him out of the sale, I gave him a week and brought him down here. He just wasn't training like I thought he should have been,” Orseno said. “He was stud-ish, really stud-ish. He was a little weak behind. He didn't seem to be himself. I said, 'This isn't the horse I bought,' because we really loved him.”

Despite extra time turned out in Ocala, Hades showed no improvement.

“He was being real stud-ish, not going forward. I said, 'Just cut him and help him grow up a little bit.' That's what we did. We just gave him time and cut him. He's a son of Awesome Slew. Nobody was thinking 'stallion' at that point. Nobody was thinking anything. We bought a racehorse and we've got to get him to the races.”

The result is an undefeated prospect who has earned 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

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“The first thing I think about Forte is just how much of an honor it is for us to bring a horse like him to Spendthrift. He's the fifth champion we've been fortunate enough to add to our stallion ranks since 2020, and that's a testament to what Mr. Hughes built and the commitment that Eric and Tammy Gustavson are now carrying forward,” said Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey. “While we are disappointed for Mike [Repole] and Vinnie [Viola] that Forte wasn't able to end his great career like a champion deserves to, we are very grateful for our partnership with them. Forte is the first 2-year-old champion to retire to Spendthrift in more than four decades, since the likes of Seattle Slew, Affirmed and Lord Avie. That's some pretty special company, and we couldn't be more excited about his future.”

Racing for Repole Stable and Viola's St. Elias Stable, Forte was named champion 2-year-old colt after a season which saw him break his maiden by 7 3/4 lengths on debut going five furlongs at Belmont and pick up three consecutive Grade I victories in the Hopeful S., the Breeders' Futurity and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. As a 3-year-old, he took the GII Fountain of Youth S. and the GI Curlin Florida Derby.

“Forte has given us the ride of a lifetime on the track and done everything asked of him and more under tremendous training by Todd Pletcher,” said Viola. “We are blessed to have raced such a talented horse in partnership with Mike Repole, and excited about his prospects as a sire at Spendthrift Farm.”

Repole added, “Vinnie and I are so fortunate to be blessed with this ultra-talented colt. Forte's 2-year-old season, from breaking his maiden at five furlongs in May and winning three Grade I's including capping it off with a spectacular effort in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, left us in awe. To come back at three and win the Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby and Jim Dandy, and run second in the Belmont at 1 1/2 miles, was amazing. Forte is just a special horse.”

Forte retired with career earnings of $3,029,830.

“Forte just exuded class in everything he did, which is something you only see from those few special ones that come through,” Pletcher said. “Some probably won't quite appreciate how special he was because of the bad luck we faced this year. Obviously, the timing could not have been worse to have the foot bruise that kept him out of the Derby, and we have been battling a quarter crack on a different foot that was going to force us to miss the Breeders' Cup and all our goals for the fall and winter. I've been fortunate to train three colts that were champion 2-year-olds but Forte is the first to win three Grade I's at two. Horses like that don't come around often and we'll miss him in the barn.”

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Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and champion 2-year-old colt 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) returned to the races in style with a powerful performance in Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth S., good for 50 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby.

“We kind of carefully laid it out and put him in a program that would put him in the condition to be ready to run and still having room for improvement and room to continue to develop,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I think we were able to accomplish that.”

He added, “Honestly, I can't say I was surprised. I felt really, really good the way this horse was coming into the race. It looks like there's a lot of upside.”

The 1-2 favorite broke slightly inward and bumped with a rival at the start. He recovered nicely and traveled kindly in fifth as longshot Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief), the beaten favorite in the GIII Holy Bull S., led them through fractions of :24.05 and :47.65. Stuck in some traffic on the far turn, jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. tipped Forte out and into the clear four deep approaching the top of the stretch. He took off from there to win impressively going away by 4 1/2 lengths. Rocket Can (Into Mischief), winner of the aforementioned local prep, was up for second. Cyclone Mischief stayed on for third.

Forte, a $110,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Repole Stables and St. Elias Stable, capped his sensational juvenile season with three straight Grade I victories. In addition to his win at the Championships, Forte also captured last summer's GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga and the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. The latter was his first attempt around two turns.

“It's special,” winning co-owner Mike Repole said. “Very special. Very special. You know, for a horse making his first start in four months against other horses who have already raced this year, he does it with so much confidence. He's just checking all the boxes right now. He's a pretty special horse right now.”

As for the Kentucky Derby, Repole added, “It's always been the dream. Dream big, dream bigger. It's a good feeling right now.”

Pedigree Notes:

It's good to be a Hill 'n' Dale stallion. In addition to Curlin siring three individual Eclipse winners of 2022 and Good Magic battling down to the wire for freshman sire supremacy last term, Violence had two winners on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Saturday, with Forte joining the hour-earlier GIII Gotham S. winner Raise Cain at Aqueduct. Violence, himself runner-up in the 2013 Fountain of Youth in what would be his last career start, now has 31 Northern Hemisphere-bred black-type winners and nine graded winners.

Forte's broodmare sire, Claiborne stallion Blame, also had two graded winners Saturday as a damsire, with Danse Macabre–by yet another Hill 'n' Dale stallion in Army Mule–winning the GIII Herecomesthebride S. at Gulfstream. Blame has 11 stakes winners out of his daughters.

Forte is the first foal out of Queen Caroline, with her now-juvenile colt by Uncle Mo hammering for $850,000 to Mayberry Farm at Keeneland September. She lost her 2022 foal and was bred to Not This Time for this term. Her third dam is the MGSW Jeano (Fappiano), whose descendants also include champions Folklore (Tiznow) and Essential Quality (Tapit); Japanese champion Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}); and additional GISW Come Dancing (Malibu Moon). The family traces tail-female to the great La Troienne through her Broodmare of the Year granddaughter by War Admiral, Striking.

Saturday, Gulfstream
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH S.-GII, $400,000, Gulfstream, 3-4, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.12, ft.
1–FORTE, 123, c, 3, by Violence
                1st Dam: Queen Caroline (MSW, $401,608), by Blame
                2nd Dam: Queens Plaza, by Forestry
                3rd Dam: Kew Garden, by Seattle Slew
'TDN Rising Star'. ($80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21
KEESEP). O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-South Gate
Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $238,080.
Lifetime Record: Ch. 2-year-old Colt & MGISW, 6-5-0-0,
$1,833,230. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Rocket Can, 123, c, 3, Into Mischief–Tension, by Tapit.
($245,000 RNA Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-Frank Fletcher Racing
Operations, Inc.; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-William I. Mott. $76,800.
3–Cyclone Mischief, 121, c, 3, Into
Mischief–Areyoucominghere, by Bernardini. 1ST BLACK TYPE,
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($450,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP).
O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC and Castleton Lyons; B-Castleton
Lyons & Kilboy Estate (KY); T-Dale L. Romans. $38,400.
Margins: 4HF, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 0.50, 6.70, 15.60.
Also Ran: Mage, Shadow Dragon, Il Miracolo, Dangerous Ride, Blazing Sevens, Legacy Isle. Scratched: General Jim.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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The Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable colorbearer concluded his campaign with his third straight win at the top level in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Nov. 4.

“It seems like he's gotten even better and better since [the Breeders' Cup],” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It's great to have won with the foundation he has and the experience he has going into these races.”

Last term's GI Champagne S. winner and fellow 'Rising Star' Blazing Sevens (Good Magic) also makes his first start of 2023. He was fourth after some trouble at the start for trainer Chad Brown in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

The Fountain of Youth field also includes Bill Mott-trained stablemates Rocket Can (Into Mischief) and Shadow Dragon (Army Mule), one-two across the line in the local prep GIII Holy Bull S. Feb. 4. The rail-drawn GIII Swale S. winner General Jim (Into Mischief) will be scratched, according to trainer Shug McGaughey.

The Fountain of Youth offers 100 GI Kentucky Derby points (50-20-15-10-5).

The stacked 14-race program at Gulfstream also features: the GII Davona Dale S., led by unbeaten 3-year-old filly Red Carpet Ready (Oscar Performance); the GII WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile S., headlined by last term's runaway GIII Dwyer S. winner and 'Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit); the GII Mac Diarmida S.; GIII Honey Fox S.; GIII Herecomesthebride S.; GIII Canadian Turf S.; and GIII The Very One S.

Big 'Cap Day at Santa Anita

The GI Santa Anita H. anchors a 12-race card at the Great Race Place Saturday. A wide-open field of 11 includes: GISWs Defunded (Dialed In), second last time in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S.; GI Clark S. winner Proxy (Tapit); and GI Hollywood Gold Cup S. winner There Goes Harvard (Will Take Charge); last out GII San Pasqual S. winner Newgrange (Violence); and last year's Big 'Cap second and third-place finishers Warrant (Constitution) and Stilleto Boy (Shackleford).

Sophomores, meanwhile, will take centerstage in the GII San Felipe S., which offers 50-20-15-10-5 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

Four horses formerly trained by Bob Baffert, including the top two on the morning-line in GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile third and GIII Sham S. third National Treasure (Quality Road) and $3.55-million EASMAY topper and last-out maiden winner Hejazi (Bernardini), will now be eligible to earn Derby points after transferring to the barn of trainer Tim Yakteen. Yakteen will also saddle comebacking GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner Practical Move (Practical Joke).

Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) dives right into the deep end for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella following a jaw-dropping debut victory going six furlongs Jan. 29. Skinner (Curlin), Grade I-placed as a maiden last term, kicked off his sophomore season with a visually impressive maiden win of his going a mile here Feb. 12.

Nine turf milers, led by 9-5 morning-line favorite Hong Kong Harry (Ire) (Es Que Love {Ire}), will line up in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. The Big 'Cap undercard also includes the GII Buena Vista S.

Derby Points on the Line in Gotham

A wide open and overflow field of 15 3-year-olds have been entered for Saturday's GIII Gotham S. going a one-turn mile at the Big A.

The two-for-two Eyeing Clover (Lookin At Lucky), favored at 4-1 on the morning-line, takes on stakes company for the first time for red-hot trainer Brad Cox.

Former Bob Baffert runners GII Los Al Futurity S. runner-up Carmel Road (Quality Road) and GII San Vicente S. third Fort Warren (Curlin) make their first starts for Tim Yakteen and Brittany Russell, respectively.

Lugan Knight (Goldencents) was a game last out winner over track and trip in the Jerome S. Jan. 7.

The Gotham carries 100 Kentucky Derby points (50-20-15-10-5).

Aqueduct's 10-race card also includes the GIII Tom Fool H. for older sprinters.

The post Champion Forte Returns on Action-Packed Saturday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“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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The unlucky last out GIII Holy Bull S. runner-up, drawn on the inside in post two, raced in midpack rounding the clubhouse turn as rail-drawn longshot Markhamian (Social Inclusion) led the way. Under a snug hold by Jose Ortiz while racing in some traffic down the backstretch, the 5-2 choice caught the eye as he began to roll with a six-wide blitz, one path to the outside of the unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready), as five of them lined up nearing the quarter pole.

With Simplification traveling much the best on the outside as half of the field bunched up, the comebacking GII Saratoga Special S. winner High Oak (Gormley) dramatically clipped heels and fell, unseating jockey Junior Alvarado. His Bill Mott trained-stablemate Galt (Medaglia d'Oro) also got tripped up, leaping over the fallen runner and losing his rider Joel Rosario as well.

Both horses escaped injury and walked back to the barn. Rosario reported back soreness and Alvarado was taken to a nearly hospital to evaluate a sore ankle.

Simplification, meanwhile, swept by Emmanuel and the forwardly placed Dean Delivers (Cajun Breeze) as they straightened for home and wasn't for catching from there while hanging on his left lead down the stretch, scoring by 3 1/2 lengths. He earned 50 qualifying points for the GI Kentucky Derby.

In Due Time (Not This Time), a flashy optional claiming winner at Gulfstream Feb. 4, finished nicely for second. Huge longshot O Captain (Carpe Diem) rallied from last to complete the trifecta. Emmanuel, the second choice at 5-2, was fourth in his stakes debut after a very wide trip. Last term's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner Rattle N Roll (Connect) never factored while sixth.

The Florida-bred Simplification, a 16 3/4-length maiden winner versus state-breds Oct. 23, captured his stakes debut two starts later in wire-to-wire fashion in the Mucho Macho Man S. Jan. 1. He ran well to finish second, beaten 4 1/2 lengths, showing a new dimension after an eventful start in the Holy Bull.

Trainer Antonio Sano also won the 2017 renewal of the Fountain of Youth with Gunnevera (Dialed In).

“Five years ago here, we had [post] No. 2 [with Gunnevera], and now we have No. 2 again, Sano said. “We repeat history.”

He continued, “For me, I liked the trip. I talked to [jockey] Jose [Ortiz] this morning and said you don't need to be in the front. The start was very important. If the horse has a good start and a safe trip, you won't have a problem. I wanted him to stay outside. Our horse in front with the speed horses won't have a chance. The horse responded to Jose. He said, 'Go,' and it was all good.”

Sano added, “When my horse broke bad last time I thought, 'What a disaster.' I learned that the horse can run in the front or from behind. He doesn't have to be in the front. The plan today for the race was that he didn't need the front. If the start was good, I left it up to Jose to make the decision where to be.”

Sano said that Simplification would likely be pointed toward the GI Curlin Florida Derby.

Pedigree Notes:

Few sires are hotter right now than Taylor Made's Not This Time, who has the fewest crops of any of the top 10 sires on the 2022 general sire list. In addition to his one-two finish by Simplification and In Due Time in the Fountain of Youth, his Epicenter is also on the Derby trail with a stellar win Feb 19 in the GII Risen Star S. Not This Time also has an additional graded winner this year with Jan. 29 GII Inside Information S. winner Just One Time. His 17 black-type winners include six graded winners and his sustained success recently prompted Chris McGrath to name Not This Time possibly Giant's Causeway's “principal American successor.” Both Simplification and Epicenter are out of Candy Ride (Arg) mares, a remarkable statistic given that covers one-third of Not This Time's graded winners and 12% of his black-type winners. Candy Ride's daughters have produced 30 stakes winners to date.

Simplification's history was recently detailed, but his immediate family has some wildly familiar names. His granddam is a full-sister to 2004-05 champion Ashado (Saint Ballado), as well as additional GISW Sunriver. Hall of Famer Ashado was a $9-million purchase by John Ferguson for Godolphin at the 2005 Keeneland November sale. Simplification's dam has a 2-year-old filly by Mendelssohn (a $190,000 RNA as a Fasig-Tipton New York yearling) and a yearling filly by Audible (a $47,000 RNA at the recent OBS Winter sale). Simply Confection delivered a Union Rags filly the day before the Fountain of Youth.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
FASIG-TIPTON FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH S.-GII, $400,000, Gulfstream, 3-5, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.04, ft.
1–SIMPLIFICATION, 120, c, 3, by Not This Time
       1st Dam: Simply Confection (SP, $124,688), by
                       Candy Ride (Arg)
       2nd Dam: Ballado's Halo, by Saint Ballado
       3rd Dam: Goulash, by Mari's Book
   1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($50,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV).
O-Tami Bobo; B-France & Irwin J. Weiner (FL); T-Antonio Sano;
J-Jose L. Ortiz. $238,080. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-1, $411,350.
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
   A++.
2–In Due Time, 120, c, 3, Not This Time–Sweet Sweet Annie, by
Curlin. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($9,500
Wlg '19 KEENOV; $35,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $95,000 2yo '21
OBSAPR). O-Edge Racing, Medallion Racing & Parkland
Thoroughbreds; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY); T-Kelly
Breen. $76,800.
3–O Captain, 118, c, 3, Carpe Diem–Mama Nadine, by A.P. Indy.
. ($17,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-OGMA
Investments, LLC and Towell, Jr., Jack Hardin; B-WinStar Farm,
LLC (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado. $38,400.
Margins: 3HF, 1, 3/4. Odds: 2.50, 6.20, 87.70.
Also Ran: Emmanuel, Dean Delivers, Rattle N Roll, A. P.'s Secret, Markhamian, Howling Time, High Oak, Galt. Scratched: Giant Game, Mo Donegal.Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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