Fountain of Youth | Horse Racing Free Tips

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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Not This Time Colts 1-2 in Eventful Fountain of Youth

Tami Bobo's Simplification (Not This Time) avoided a nasty two-horse spill on the far turn and proved much the best in Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park while leading home an exacta for his red-hot young sire.

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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Pletcher Lays Out Plans For Top 3-Year-Olds

With less than three months remaining before the running of the GI Kentucky Derby, trainer Todd Pletcher, with 42 horses nominated to the Triple Crown, will be active in a number of Derby preps as he prepares his troops for his annual invasion of Churchill Downs. Pletcher divulged his plans during this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast, which will be available Wednesday afternoon.

Despite finishing third as the favorite in last Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream, Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) may represent Pletcher's best chance of winning a third Kentucky Derby. His main target will be the GII Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Apr. 9. It has yet to be decided if Mo Donegal, the winner of last year's GII Remsen S., will have another race before that.

“We know he likes Aqueduct, so the Wood Memorial is a logical spot for him,” Pletcher said. “I spoke to [owner] Jerry Crawford Monday and we're sort of weighing our options and going to wait and see how he trains before we decide if he's going to have a prep race in between now and the Wood Memorial. The Wood Memorial is the 100-point race that we've got him targeted for since he won the Remsen at Aqueduct. I actually thought he ran a sneaky good race the other day [in the Holy Bull]. He was making up some ground late. It's just that everything kind of unfolded the wrong way for him and it took him a while to get out in the clear and able to make his run. It was the kind of effort we were hoping for, even though it wasn't the result we were wanting.”

Pletcher has some up-and-comers to keep an eye on, particularly in Emmanuel (More Than Ready). After breaking his maiden at Gulfstream, he won a Jan. 30 allowance at Tampa Bay Downs.

“Emmanuel really liked Gulfstream in his debut and feel like if we're able to continue moving forward the [GI Curlin] Florida Derby could be a potential final prep for him,” the trainer said. “Emmanuel is definitely one that we're pretty high on. He's no longer under the radar, even though he's only had a maiden win and a win at Tampa. Right now, we have him pointed for the [GII Fasig-Tipton] Fountain of Youth.”

So far as why he sent Emmanuel to Tampa for what looked on paper like a soft spot, Pletcher said he's had a lot of success with the 3-year-olds he has prepped at that track.

“Part of the strategy was trying to get him around two turns,” he said. “We've been able to accomplish that at Tampa over the years and we've had pretty good luck going there. Both Super Saver and Always Dreaming ran races at Tampa before they won their Derbies. We've had a number of horses that have gone through there that have gone on to do well. It's a good place to leg a horse up and it's a safe track. Getting some two-turn experience there is key.”

Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) was last seen winning an allowance race at Fair Grounds and before that he broke his maiden at Tampa Bay Downs. He will soon be back on his way to New Orleans to run in the Feb. 19 GII Risen Star S.

Since he hasn't run since a win in the Sept. 18 GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs, Major General (Constitution) has flown under the radar this year, but Pletcher said he is nearing his return. Pletcher said he will most likely start next in the Mar. 12 GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby.

So far as nominating so many horses to the Triple Crown, Pletcher said he doesn't look at just the Derby but at the GI Preakness S. and the GI Belmont S. as well.

“We do these nominations for the Triple Crown,” he said. “You're doing it for all three races and the Belmont is not until the first Saturday in June. That's a long way away and we like to keep all of our options open. Some of these horses might not be Derby or Preakness horses, but we feel like we could sneak up on the Belmont if they were able to win a maiden and then go to a race like the Peter Pan. The 42 number is probably a little bit misleading when you think of it in terms of Derby prospects.”

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Ete Indien Returns From Year-Long Layoff In Sunday’s Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint

A prominent prospect on the Road to the Triple Crown last year before going to the sidelines, Ete Indien is scheduled to make his first start in more than a year in Sunday's $100,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint at Gulfstream Park.

The Umphrey, a five-furlong turf sprint that offers a $25,000 'Win Only' bonus to Florida-bred entrants, is featured on Sunday's Fourth of July program, wrapping up Summit of Speed Weekend, which will be highlighted by the $350,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2) and the $200,000 Smile Sprint Invitational (G3) on Saturday's card.

Ete Indien was a leading 3-year-old last year after setting the pace to finish second behind Tiz the Law in the Holy Bull (G2) and capturing the Fountain of Youth (G2) by 8 ½ lengths. The son of Summer Front went on to finish third behind Tiz the Law after setting a pressured early pace in the Florida Derby (G1). Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) were postponed from their traditional May dates.

“For us, it was very disappointing because my two horses – he and Sole Volante – were at the top of their game,” trainer Patrick Biancone said. “Everything changed. One got hurt and the other one lost his form. But the racetracks were great, protecting everybody and keeping them safe and keeping everybody working.”

Ete Indien would race only once more last year in a June optional claiming allowance, weakening to finish fourth behind stablemate Sole Volante after setting a pressured pace.

“He's trained extremely well, but when you have not run for a year, you cannot expect to have the horse super-tight. He had a little hiccup, and he's recovered from everything now. He's happy, sound and very strong,” Biancone said. “He strained one of his ankles. He should have been ready to run in March, but unfortunately, one morning, he put his legs over the [stall] door and I lost another three months.”

Biancone is happy with what he sees in Ete Indien one full year after he established himself as one of the best 3-year-olds in the country.

“He's gorgeous; he's really matured. He's 16 hands. He's a monster,” said Biancone, who owns Ete Indien with Linda Shanahan, Sanford Bacon, Dream With Me Stable Inc., Horse France America and D P Racing.

Ete Indien has already had success on turf at the five-furlong distance, having closed from off the pace to capture his career debut in September 2019. The Kentucky-bred colt finished off the board following an extremely wide trip in the Bourbon (G3) over Keeneland's turf course in his second start. He rebounded in his dirt debut next time out, scoring a front-running 2 ½-length optional claiming allowance that preceded his most encouraging performances in the Holy Bull, Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby.

“I like the five furlongs on turf for a comeback because it's not too hard on them,” Biancone. “We go back to scratch. He's had a year off. We got back to where he started.”

Florent Geroux, who was aboard for Ete Indien's Fountain of Youth romp, has the call.

Glen Hill Farm's Caribou Club, a multiple graded stakes-winning 7-year-old gelding with more than $700,000 in earnings, looms as a strong contender in the Umphrey after notching a victory in his first career start at the five-furlong distance on turf in a May 22 overnight handicap at Gulfstream.

Edwin Gonzalez has the return call on Caribou Club.

Caribou Club, a Florida-bred son of City Zip, is eligible for the “Win Only' bonus offer, as are Imaginary Stables' Harry's Ontheloose, Move Horse Inc.'s Romario, Hibiscus Stables LLC's Tiger Blood, Just for Fun Stable Inc.'s Warrior's Pride and Golden Kernel Racing Stable's Yes I Am Free.

Lea Farms LLC's Citrus Burst, Chester Bishop's Brother Satchmo and Imaginary Stables' Nitro Time round out the main body of the field. Vicente Stella Stables LLC's Sovereign Warrior is on the also-eligible list. Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Ournationonparade and Averill Racing and partners' R Mercedes Boy are main-track-only entrants.

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