Fountain of Youth | Horse Racing Free Tips

Prime Factor Puts Two Hearts Farm Back in the Spotlight

Tony Braddock's Two Hearts Farm made quite a few headlines back in 2015 when their mare Fioretti (Bernardini) marked herself as a Breeders' Cup contender with wins in the Roxelana S. and GII TCA S. With that mare now retired to the Two Hearts Farm broodmare band, talented sophomore Prime Factor (Quality Road) has put his breeder back in the spotlight and looks to add another feather to Braddock's cap Saturday in the GII Fountain of Youth S.

Braddock was interested in horses and racing from a young age, attending fairs near his home in North Bergen, New Jersey, to learn more about the various equine breeds. He later moved to Virginia after retiring from the Army and decided to become part of the racing industry he had long admired.

“I got into the business in 1974 and that is when I met the Hamiltons here in Virginia,” Braddock said. “I resigned from the Army and got into businesses in Northern Virginia. I got involved with horses in Middleburg [Virginia] and began breeding.”

Braddock eventually decided he wanted to expand his operation and purchased a farm in Paris, Kentucky, in partnership with Joe Hamilton, whose son Anthony trained Fioretti.

“The people who owned the better stallions in Virginia passed away and all the big stallions were in Kentucky, so my plan was to move whatever I had at the time to Kentucky,” Braddock said. “I wanted to start at a higher level, so I sold some stock and I bought 50 acres in Paris.”

He continued, “Joe Hamilton passed away in 2015 and his son was my partner for a few years, but now I am the sole owner. I have about 15 mares and keep one or two foals to race. I have three right now in Florida being trained. One is half-brother to Prime Factor by Liam's Map, who I am told is a good horse.”

Braddock purchased Prime Factor's dam Haylie Brae (Bernardini) for $70,000 carrying a foal by Shackleford at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale. That price seems like a steal now between her pedigree and Prime Factor's potential. The 13-year-old mare is a half-sister to 'TDN Rising Star' and GSW young sire Speightster (Speightstown); SW & GSP West Coast Swing (Gone West), who is also a 'Rising Star'; and stakes winner Paiota Falls (Kris S). This is also the family of Canadian champions Dance Smartly (Danzig) and Dancethruthedawn (Mr. Prospector); and Grade I-winning top sire Smart Strike.

Prime Factor was the third foal Haylie Brae produced for Braddock and he proved to be special pretty early on.

“Several bloodstock agents come to the farm and look at my current yearlings [leading up to the sales],” Braddock said. “With this colt, when he was weaned, people began to take real notice of him and make some comments about his conformation and how he was growing. He even caught the eye of my blacksmith. He said, 'You've got a good one here. This guy is a seven-figure horse.'”

Braddock's blacksmith wasn't too far off. Prime Factor summoned $900,000 from the powerhouse partnership of WinStar Farm and China Horse Club, who also campaigned Triple Crown hero Justify, at the Keeneland September Sale. It was the breeder's biggest sale to date.

Romping by 8 3/4 lengths in his career bow going six furlongs at Gulfstream Dec. 12, the bay was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' for that impressive effort and completed the trifecta next out when trying two turns in that venue's GIII Holy Bull S. Jan. 30.

“It is very exciting,” Braddock said about breeding a colt on the GI Kentucky Derby trail. “He is already graded stakes-placed and I will certainly be watching and cheering him on Saturday.”

Between Prime Factor's potential, his juvenile half-brother Sea Lane (Liam's Map) in training and his yearling half-brother by Distorted Humor pointed to a yearling sale, Braddock has plenty to look forward to in 2021.

The post Prime Factor Puts Two Hearts Farm Back in the Spotlight appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Equibase Analysis: Drain The Clock On An Improving Pattern For Fountain Of Youth

This Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park is the last major stepping stone to the Florida Derby on March 27. The Fountain of Youth also awards 50 important Road to the Kentucky Derby points to the winner.

Leading the field of 10 is Greatest Honour, who won the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes impressively last month over the track. Holy Bull runner-up Tarantino, who has never been worse than second in four races, and third place finisher Prime Factor, who will be making only the third start of his career, will try to improve enough to turn the tables on Greatest Honour.

Drain the Clock and King's Ovation finished first and second, respectively, in the Grade 3 Swale Stakes, a seven furlong race at Gulfstream on the same day as the Holy Bull and will try to run as well while trying two turns for the first time.

Fire at Will returns for this first start as a 3-year-old and following nearly four months away from the races, but won the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in his final start of 2020 and has the class to compete favorably if ready.

Sososubtle was an impressive four-length winner of a maiden race last month and takes a big step up in class. Papetu and Jirafales finished far back while fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Holy Bull and appear to have their work cut out for them. Tiz Tact Toe is still a maiden and winless in three races and rounds out the field.

Greatest Honour was well regarded by bettors as the second choice in the Holy Bull Stakes last month and rewarded his backers with a visually impressive win by almost six lengths. Rallying from seventh in the early stages, Greatest Honour swept past his rivals on the far turn while four paths wide to lead by a length in the stretch before drawing off with ease. Bringing his record to a perfect two-for-two at the distance of the Fountain of Youth, Greatest Honour earned a 103 Equibase Speed Figure. That was not his best figure, but the 106 figure Greatest Honour earned winning one race before the Holy Bull is the best figure earned by any horse in the field. The only other horse in the field to have broken the 100 threshold is Fire At Will, who earned a 105 figure winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last year. Considering how easily Greatest Honour won the Holy Bull, I think he could have run faster and earned a higher figure if needed and that is why he is the one to beat in this year's Fountain of Youth Stakes.

Drain the Clock appears to be on a pattern, that if continued, would allow him to run well enough to win the Fountain of Youth. On the same date of the Holy Bull last month at Gulfstream Park, Drain the Clock put in a visually impressive six length victory in geared down fashion and earning at 95 figure. Four weeks prior to that, Drain the Clock earned an 88 figure winning the Limehouse Stakes and if he can improve about the same seven points as he did in the Swale, Drain the Clock could run as well as Greatest Honour is expected to run. Excluding his effort in November when losing his jockey when a piece of equipment broke, Drain the Clock is a perfect four-for-four in his career. Although the Fountain of Youth will be his first attempt at two turns, the fact that he draws the ground saving rail and has shown the ability to stalk the pacesetter in second or third before winning suggests no matter how the early pace unfolds, Drain the Clock should have no problem being a very strong contender in this race.

Tarantino was no match for Greatest Honour when second and beaten 5 3/4 lengths in the Holy Bull, but he ran very well nevertheless. Earning a career-best 94 figure in his first race on dirt after three races on grass to start his career, Tarantino was nearly four lengths clear of the third horse in the field of nine. With jockey Edgard Zayas getting off to ride Drain the Clock, Tyler Gaffalione gets on and there is no issue with the quality of the man in the irons. Making his third start off a layoff suggesting physical improvement, and making his seconds start on dirt, there is every reason to believe Tarantino can take another step forward on his quest to be a contender as we move towards the Florida Derby next month and the Kentucky Derby in 10 weeks.

Fire At Will would certainly be a top contender for me if he were not coming back from nearly four months off and trying to go two turns on dirt for the first time against horses which have run well and much more recently. Fire at Will finished sixth in his career debut last summer then reeled off three straight wins, all in stakes. He improved from an 80 figure, to 96, to 105 when winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in a field of 14. One of the wins came on a sloppy dirt track (in a race scheduled for turf) so it appears he can run on the surface just fine and there's no doubt he can run this far as he won the Pilgrim Stakes on turf at the distance. Still, it's a doubly big question to ask a horse to run well enough to win off this long of a layoff in a two turn race at this level and as such I'll be taking a stand against Fire At Will in this situation.

The rest of the field, all who have the ability to compete effectively in this race, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is King's Ovation (83), Jirafales (76), Papetu (89), Prime Factor (88), Sososubtle (93) and Tiz Tact Toe (78).

Win Contenders, in probability order:
Greatest Honour
Drain the Clock
Tarantino

Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes – Grade 2
Race 14 at Gulfstream Park
Saturday, Feb. 27 – Post Time 6:10 PM E.T.
One and One Sixteenth Miles
Three Year Olds
Purse: $300,000

The post Equibase Analysis: Drain The Clock On An Improving Pattern For Fountain Of Youth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Fountain of Youth Trio All Have Something to Prove

There's little doubt that 3-year-olds Drain the Clock (Maclean's Music), Fire At Will (Declaration of War) and Prime Factor (Quality Road) are talented individuals. But whether or not they are legitimate contenders for the GI Kentucky Derby is a question each one will have to answer in Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park.

The mile-and-a-sixteenth Fountain of Youth, which drew a field of 10, has a clear favorite in Greatest Honour (Tapit), the Shug McGaughey-trained winner of the GIII Holy Bull S. But whether or not he wins may depend on how Fire at Will handles the dirt, how well Drain the Clock can handle two turns and whether or not Prime Factor can rebound off a third-place finish in the Holy Bull as the even-money favorite. From his main competition, there have been more questions than answers.

Of the group, Fire At Will, a Breeders' Cup winner, is the most accomplished. Trained by Mike Maker, he finished off his 2-year-old campaign with wins on the grass in the GII Pilgrim S. and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. By Declaration of War out of a Kitten's Joy mare, Fire At Will has a strong turf pedigree, but trainer Mike Maker wants to find out if he can handle the dirt against top company. In his lone start on the main track, he won the off-the-turf With Anticipation S. last summer at Saratoga.

“We thought he deserved a chance and there aren't many races of any significance on the turf for him right now,” Maker said. “This is the time to try something like this. Hopefully, he'll run as well on a fast track as he did on a sloppy track.”

Fire At Will has never worked on the turf and has had a steady diet off five and six furlong breezes since the Holy Bull.

“He's a very efficient mover and is professional,” Maker said. “You can't knock him at all.”

Drain the Clock's only career defeat came when his rider lost an iron in the Jean Laffite S. at Delta Downs. Otherwise, he's proven to be among the best 3-year-old sprinters in training. He won the Limehouse S. by 7 1/2 lengths and then came back to blow away the competition in the GIII Swale S. at seven furlongs. Trainer Saffie Joseph knows that he has a good horse, but can't be certain how far he will go.

“So far, he has done everything that we have asked and the one blemish on his record was not his fault,” Joseph said. “This will be his first time at a distance and, in the back of your mind, you always wonder how that will turn out.”

As Joseph sees it, it makes perfect sense to experiment in the Fountain of Youth.

“There's stamina on the dam's side of his pedigree,” he said. “There's no reason to think he won't go a mile-and-a-sixteenth, the question is whether or not he will be as good at a mile-and-a-sixteenth. Talent-wise, I think he is as good as any of the horses in this race. But I know he has to prove that.”

Drain the Clock should benefit from the draw. He drew the one hole, arguably the best post in the race, and should have no problem taking control early without much other speed signed on.

'TDN Rising Star' Prime Factor will start just outside of Drain the Clock in the two post. He looked sensational when breaking his maiden by 8 3/4 lengths in his first career start. A $900,000 yearling purchase trained by Todd Pletcher, he became one of the most hyped horses of the early winter, but couldn't back that up when finishing third, beaten 9 1/2 lengths in the Holy Bull. The question Saturday will be whether or not he can run back to his debut.

“I don't know if it was an easy decision to go in this race or not,” Pletcher said. “The horse made it easier by training well since the Holy Bull. The harder decision was going in the Holy Bull off one six-furlong start; Ideally, we would have liked to have found an allowance race for him and made a more gradual progression into a graded stakes.”

Pletcher hopes that Prime Factor learned enough in the Holy Bull that he will take a step in the right direction Saturday.

“We're hoping that the lack of seasoning and experience was the reason why he didn't run as well as we had hoped in the Holy Bull,” he said. “He's come back with a couple of good breezes. I was disappointed with his last race. We didn't go out there to finish third by nine. But we think we had some legitimate reasons for it and I think it's logical that he will move forward after having that experience.”

The Holy Bull field, from the rail out, consists of Drain the Clock, Prime Factor, Sososubtle (Speightster), Fire At Will, Jirafales (Social Inclusion), King's Ovation (Not This Time), Tarantino (Pioneerof the Nile), Greatest Honour, Tiz Tact Toe (Tourist) and Papetu (Dialed In).

The post Fountain of Youth Trio All Have Something to Prove appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Fountain Of Youth: Holy Bull Winner Greatest Honour Faces Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Victor Fire At Will

Courtlandt Farms' Greatest Honour, already a prime prospect on the strength of his dominating victory in the Jan. 30 Holy Bull (G3), will take a significant step along the Road to the Triple Crown in Saturday's $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The Shug McGaughey-trained colt will have the opportunity to virtually clinch a spot in this year's Kentucky Derby (G1) field with a win in the Fountain of Youth, a 50-20-10-5 qualifying points race, as well as the important prep for the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n Dale Farm at Xalapa March 27 at Gulfstream.

The Fountain of Youth, a tradition-rich 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds, will anchor Saturday's blockbuster 14-race program with nine stakes, including the $200,000 Davona Dale (G2), featuring the 2021 debut of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) heroine and Eclipse champion Vequist.

Greatest Honour, who broke his maiden in his fourth career start Dec. 26 at Gulfstream, rallied from seventh in a field of nine to draw away by 5 ¾ lengths under Jose Ortiz in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull. The son of Tapit has shown McGaughey all the signs that he has moved forward in his training at Payson Park in Indiantown, FL since his winning stakes debut.

“He had a really good work up there Sunday morning. I was pleased with the work and was very pleased with the way he looked and the way he was acting,” said McGaughey, who is hoping Greatest Honour, the 9-5 favorite, will follow the example of Orb, whom he saddled for victories in the Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby (G1) in 2013.

Courtlandt Farms' homebred colt launched his career with a pair of strong closing third-place finishes in maiden special weight sprints at Saratoga and Belmont before losing a photo finish in his first trip around two turns at Aqueduct and completing his juvenile season with his 1 1/16-mile maiden breaker at Gulfstream.

McGaughey would gladly accept a set-up in the Fountain of Youth like the one he had in the Holy Bull, in which he rated well behind a contested early pace before producing a strong stretch rally.

“We'd like to see some speed ahead of him. When you have a horse that comes from behind, if you have some pace in front of you, it helps you,” said McGaughey, who saddled Code of Honor for a win in the 2019 Fountain of Youth. “But I'm not going to be overly worried if there isn't.”

Jose Ortiz has the return mount on Greatest Honour, who drew Post No. 8 in a field of 10.

Drain the Clock, an impressive winner of the seven-furlong Swale (G3) on the Holy Bull undercard, is expected to be an imposing pace factor from his rail post position Saturday in his stretch-out around two turns in the Fountain of Youth. He's 5-1 in the morning line.

The son of Maclean's Music was won four of five lifetime starts, his only loss coming when he lost his rider due to a broken iron during the running of the Nov. 30 Jeanne Laffite Stakes at Delta Downs. He entered the Delta stakes off a six-length debut victory at Gulfstream Park and an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Park West. The Joseph trainee bounced back from his ill-fated trip to Louisiana with a 7 ½-length win in the Jan. 2 Limehouse and a 6 ¼-length triumph in the Swale during the 2020-2021 Championship Meet.

“He's a very talented horse. He showed that before he even ran. The second or third breeze he showed he had talent,” Joseph said. “The only blemish on his record was at Delta, and that wasn't his fault. Last time, he couldn't have won any easier than he did. He's won all his races in a good fashion. Hopefully, he can keep it going.”

Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Racing Stables LLC, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig, Drain the Clock will be ridden by Edgard Zayas.

Three Diamonds Farm's Fire At Will (7-2), who captured the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G2) at Keeneland last time out, is set to return to dirt in the Fountain of Youth.

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

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 son of Declaration of War 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.

Kendrick Carmouche, who guided Fire At Will to victory in the Pilgrim, returns to the saddle.

Tarantino, who is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Stables LLC and Robert Masterson, made a respectable transition from turf to dirt in the Holy Bull, in which he pressed a solid early pace before finishing second behind Greatest Honour and 3 ¾ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Prime Factor.

The 3-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile, who was a nose away from being undefeated on turf in his first three starts. He won his debut and lost a stakes by a nose in Southern California with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert before capturing a Dec. 11 optional claiming allowance on turf at Gulfstream in his first start for trainer Rodolphe Brisset and finishing second in the Holy Bull on dirt.

“We're hoping he can be a couple lengths better this time,” said Brisset, who expects Tarantino (8-1) to move forward from his dirt debut.

Tyler Gaffalione is scheduled to ride Tarantino for the first time Saturday.

WinStar Farm LLC and CHC Inc.'s Prime Factor (5-1), who was favored in the Holy Bull, will be seeking to rebound in the Fountain of Youth. The son of Quality Rod 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.

“We're hoping he shows improvement after having only two starts. He came out of that race good. He came back with two really good breezes,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We're just hoping it was a lack of experience and seasoning. He's trained like a good horse, so we'll see what he can do.”

Pletcher named Irad Ortiz Jr. to ride Prime Factor.

Magic Stable LLC's Papetu, who finished three-quarters of a length behind Prime Factor while checking in fourth in the Holy Bull, will also return in the Fountain of Youth.

“I think he made his move too soon,” trainer Antonio Sano said of his 15-1 shot. “He needs to relax early and make his run at the three-eighths [pole].”

Sano, who saddled Gunnevera for a victory in the 2017 Fountain of Youth, has named Junior Alvarado to ride Papetu.

Trainer Dale Romans, who saddled Promises Fulfilled for a Fountain of Youth score in 2018, will be represented Saturday by West Point Thoroughbreds and Peacock Stable's King's Ovation (15-1), who finished second behind Drain the Clock in the Swale.

OGMA Investments LLC and Off the Hook LLC's Jirafales, Teresa and David Palmer's Sososubtle (20-1), and David Bernsen LLC's Tiz Tact Toe (30-1) round out the field.

The post Fountain Of Youth: Holy Bull Winner Greatest Honour Faces Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Victor Fire At Will appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post