Dornoch Wires A Scratched-Down Fountain Of Youth Field

When entries were taken Feb. 24, the $400,000 GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. looked a tantalizing race in prospect, given the presence of 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner)–the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity hero and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile third–and the resurgent GII Remsen S. winner Dornoch (Good Magic), not to mention a pair of clearly talented and unexposed rivals in the form of big-figure maiden winner Speak Easy (Constitution) and Victory Avenue (Arrogate), a close second that afternoon.

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Avenue had been scratched, and Speak Easy–at the time around 6-5 second favorite–got loose behind the gate and was also withdrawn prior to the start.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.

 

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, Dornoch Clash In Fountain of Youth

Between them, Irad and Jose Ortiz have accounted for four of the last six runnings of the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S., the third of three preps on the road to the championship meeting's main event, the GI Curlin Florida Derby four weeks down the road. The brothers will have every chance to extend that dominance as they partner with two of the top fancies in Saturday's $400,000 contest, offering the winner 50 points and a virtual guaranteed berth in the field for the GI Kentucky Derby.

Jose Ortiz reunites with Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner), who makes his first trip to the races since running on nicely to round out the trifecta behind stablemate and fellow 'Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile nearly four months ago. In hindsight, his 2-year-old form looks pretty strong. A closing third to future SW & GSP Just Steel (Justify) at debut odds of 12-1 at Saratoga in August, the $425,000 Keeneland September grad thrashed GII Remsen S. third and this year's Jerome S. hero Drum Roll Please (Hard Spun) going the mile at the Spa the following month. The chestnut overcame a torrid trip to validate 3-4 favoritism in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity in October and just failed to catch 'Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic) for second in the Juvenile, while 6 3/4 lengths behind Fierceness. Connections will be hoping for a strong pace in a race that is anything but a must-win.

Irad Ortiz will get a leg up on Speak Easy (Constitution), who earned a field-best 100 Beyer when besting the reopposing Victory Avenue (Arrogate) in a seven-furlong maiden Jan. 27. Speak Easy opts out of a two-turn Friday allowance for this and it will almost certainly be pedal to the metal from gate one the 9-2 chance. In light of the Speak Easy decision, Merit (Mastery) was to be re-routed for the aforementioned softer Friday allowance.

While the Mage connections are represented by Victory Avenue, the Kentucky Derby winner's full-brother will look to pick up where he left off in 2023. Dornoch (Good Magic) was placed in the Sapling S. as a maiden and looked very stylish in winning a two-turn test at Keeneland by open lengths Oct. 14. Favored in the Remsen, he looked a sure loser when 'Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) surged by in the final furlong, but somehow managed to claw his way back to score. The latter has since endorsed the form in the GII Risen Star S.

'Rising Star' Deterministic Returns in Gotham

It has been over 200 days since 'TDN Rising Star' Deterministic (Liam's Map) overcame a tricky trip to graduate in his only racetrack appearance to date and the $625,000 KEESEP yearling makes his sophomore debut in Saturday's GIII Gotham S., a race that lacks an obvious standout.

The priciest of his sire's 58 yearlings to sell in 2022, the dark bay missed the kick, looked uncomfortable in the opening stages, was wide and bumped with favored Eliminate (Curlin) in upper stretch and still managed to win.

“We're excited to see him run again,” said trainer Christophe Clement. “I wish I could have run in an allowance race in Florida or New York, but we could not find that race and the Gotham is really the only choice. But, I do like the horse very much.”

'TDN Rising Star' Deterministic | Sarah Andrew

Like Deterministic, Just a Touch (Justify) is only once-raced and also made the most of his debut over a sloppy six furlongs at the Fair Grounds Jan. 27. Away fairly, the bay set a tracking trip and finished full of run as the 1-2 mortal. Florent Geroux makes the trip up from the Big Easy to call the shots aboard the May foal, who has gate 10 to overcome.

“He's very athletic,” trainer Brad Cox said of Just a Touch. “He's a good-sized colt and done everything right in the mornings and he showed up first time out. It's going to be a big ask shipping him up there, but I like the idea of stretching him out to the one-turn mile. I'm hopeful he can handle that and we'll see how it goes.”

The Cox barn is also represented by Bergen (Liam's Map), yet another debut winner last October at Keeneland who toyed with four rivals to scoop a muddy renewal of the Jimmy Winkfield S. Jan. 27.

The form of the local GIII Withers S. is on display in the form of El Grande O (Take Charge Indy), who finished a nose behind Parx shipper Uncle Heavy (Social Inclusion) and 2 1/2 lengths clear of favored Lightline (City of Light).

Nysos Towers Over San Felipe Fivesome

'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) won't be traveling across the country for this year's Derby, but the Baoma Corp. colorbearer should be winning for the fourth time in as many trips to the races in Sunday's postponed GII San Felipe S.

The $550,000 OBS April breezer has won his three races by a combined 26 3/4 lengths and was up in trip for the one-mile GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Feb. 3, but handled it like a consummate pro, shooting clear in the lane to post a 7 1/2-length victory over Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso), who had three-parts of a length on Scatify (Justify) in third.

Mc Vay (Constitution), a distant fourth in the Lewis, tries again, and the Imagination (Into Mischief) is the third of the Bob Baffert trainees and is trying stakes company for the first time.

Sophomore Fillies In A Supporting Role at GP

While the 3-year-old boys continue on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in the Fountain of Youth, their female counterparts take their next step toward the first Friday in May in Saturday's GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream.

The one-mile test marks the seasonal debut of George Krikorian's Eclipse-winning 2-year-old filly Just F Y I (Justify), who was last seen proving a neck best as a 7-1 gamble in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies out at Santa Anita. She was running her record to three-from-three on that occasion, having won narrowly on Saratoga sprint debut Aug. 26 ahead of a more dominating victory in the GI Frizette S. at a rainswept Aqueduct Oct. 7. Junior Alvarado, fresh off the richest payday of his career in Saudi Arabia last weekend, has the return call.

The queen of the hill, at least for the time being, Just F Y I will have to content with a race-fit 'TDN Rising Star' Leslie's Rose (Into Mischief) in the comebacker. An eased-down 9 1/4-length winner of her 6 1/2-furlong bow at the Big A Nov. 19, the $1.15-million Keeneland September grad outslugged Gun Song (Gun Runner) to take a seven-furlong first-level allowance by a length Jan. 11 and the latter flattered the form with a 5 3/4-length tally going this track's one-turn mile Feb. 9.

“We thought she'd run well the first time because we had high hopes for her, but that even exceeded our expectations,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I liked the way she came out of that, I liked the way she handed herself stepping up into her next race and she's continued to train very professionally.”

Into Champagne (Into Mischief) is perfect in two starts, including a 1 1/4-length success in the Glitter Woman S. run over a sloppy strip Jan. 7.

One race prior, 3-year-old turf fillies get their chance in the GIII Herecomesthebride S. Cheyenne Stable's Ozara (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) will try to take her local record to three-for-three, with previous scores in the Dec. 9 Wait A While S. and a last-out defeat of Life's an Audible (Audible) in the Jan. 6 Ginger Brew S.

Big 'Cap A World Cup Trial For Newgrange?

Newgrange (Violence) is the 5-2 favorite on the morning line for Sunday's GI Santa Anita H., with potentially bigger fish to fry in four weeks' time. A four-time winner since being acquired for $325,000 as the Fasig-Tipton Horses of Racing Age Sale in the summer of 2022, the 5-year-old is in peak form entering the Big 'Cap, including a 2 1/4-length defeat of Mixto (Good Magic) in the GII San Antonio S. on opening day of the meet Dec. 26 before successfully defending his title in the GII San Pasqual S. Jan. 27. Connections reportedly elected to stay home for the San Pasqual over the GI Pegasus World Cup with the goal of minimizing travel with a trip to the G1 Dubai World Cup being mulled over.

Godolphin's unexposed Highland Falls (Curlin) makes the trip out for Brad Cox, with Florent Geroux named. The chestnut son of GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Round Pond (Awesome Again) earned a 98 Beyer for a two-length Churchill allowance victory Nov. 17 and exits a 3/4-length tally in a second-level Fair Ground allowance Jan. 13.

Newgate (Into Mischief) went missing off a neck tally in the 2023 GIII Robert B. Lewis S. and has run well in his two starts since–a second to next-out GIII Palos Verdes S. winner Big City Lights (Mr. Big) in allowance company Jan. 6 before splitting Newgrange and Mixto last time.

Phil D'Amato also saddles the likely favorite in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S., Easter (Fr) (Lonhro {Aus}), who looks for four straight. A half-length winner of the 2023 Lure S. when under the care of Graham Motion, the 6-year-old beat Hong Kong Harry (Ire) (Es Que Love {Ire}) on the square in the GII Seabiscuit H. at Del Mar and added a 1 1/4-length defeat of subsequent GIII San Marcos S. hero Missed the Cut (Quality Road) in the GII San Gabriel S.

Du Jour (Temple City) is capable at this level on his very best. The unluckiest sort of loser in the 2023 Kilroe, he was impressive in taking out the GII Del Mar Mile Sept. 2 and though he was only 10th in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, he was beaten just 3 1/2 lengths.

Goliad (War Front) exits an audacious pillar-to-post victory beneath Kazushi Kimura in the GIII Thunder Road S. over this course and distance Feb. 3 and tries Grade I company for the first time at age seven.

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Friday Insights: ‘Rising Star’ Conquest Warrior Returns To Action At Gulfstream

7th-GP, $75K, A/OC, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 4:08 p.m.

Courtlandt Farms' CONQUEST WARRIOR (City of Light) impressed in his Gulfstream debut Jan. 13 and earned 'TDN Rising Star' status for trainer Shug McGaughey. The $1,000,000 Keeneland September yearling bumps up into allowance company over the local main track Friday and adds an extra 1/8-mile to boot as he preps for a potential run at an upcoming GI Kentucky Derby prep. Conquest Warrior enters off a bullet five-furlong drill Feb. 24 (1:00 3/5 {1/7}).

While main rival Speak Easy (Constitution) will scratch in favor of the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S., Conquest Warrior will have to deal with another impressive maiden runner in Peter Blum Thoroughbreds' Merit (Mastery) who broke through on debut at Gulfstream by 10 1/4 lengths late last year and was third when last spotted Feb. 3. TJCIS PPS

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Speak Easy Confirmed for Fountain of Youth

Siena Farm and WinStar Farm's Speak Easy (Constitution), who had been cross-entered in an optional-claimer Friday, will take his place in the line-up for Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park. The sophomore debuted with an impressive victory going seven furlongs at the Hallandale oval Jan. 27. He drew the rail and will be facing eight other 3-year-olds in the 1 1/16-miles Fountain of Youth.

“We like the post and the way he's been training,” trainer Todd Pletcher said Thursday.

Irad Ortiz Jr., who was slated to ride Speak Easy Friday, will have the return mount in the Fountain of Youth.

Speak Easy had been installed as the 3-5 morning-line favorite in a field of seven 3-year-olds entered in Friday's seventh race, a 1 1/8-mile optional-claiming allowance. Courtlandt Farms' Conquest Warrior (City of Light) is expected to be favored in his absence. Trained by Shug McGaughey, Conquest Warrior was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a gutsy victory in a Jan. 13 maiden special weight race.

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