Florida Breds Finish 1-2 In Fountain Of Youth
By: John Gaver III

(Feb. 15, 2003) - Einar P. Robsham's free running Trust N Luck took advantage of a dearth of pace in the 57th running of the $200,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes to win the first Grade I event for 3-year-olds this year in wire-to-wire fashion by 5 ¼-lengths over fellow Florida-bred Supah Blitz, a 33-1 outsider in the field of nine colts and geldings.

Trust N Luck returned $11.80, $7.20 and $5 to his backers and covered a mile and a sixteenth over a "fast" racetrack in 1:43.33.

"I was real confident because there was no speed in the race," winning trainer Ralph Ziadie, a native of Jamaica, said.

Midway Cat, who was rank in the race's outset, tossing his head and fighting jockey Jorge Chavez, gave a good account of himself to be third, 2 ¼-lengths behind Supah Blitz. Offlee Wild, Whywhywhy, Ten Cents A Shine, Conservation and Ozzie Cat completed the official order of finish.

Seek Gold was a late scratch by trainer Nick Zito after the colt came up with a fever the morning of the race.

Trust N Luck, a chestnut son of Montbrook, broke alertly under jockey Cornelio Velasquez , outran a rank and headstrong Midway Cat to the clubhouse turn and found himself in the clear by two lengths after a quarter mile in :23.61.

Velasquez sat chilly on Trust N Luck through quick splits of :46.68 and 1:10.99, but the colt was doing it all on his own while Midway Cat, Offlee Wild and Whywhywhy stalked in close attendance.

As the field swung past the quarter-pole and moved toward the three-sixteenths marker, the only entrant in the field finishing with any interest was Supah Blitz, who was closing on the rail under a ground-saving ride by Rosemary Homeister, Jr., but his move never threatened Trust N Luck, who extended his margin of victory from the sixteenth pole to the wire.

"Cornelio was just sitting and waiting," Ziadie said. "In the stretch he was just pulling away. He's a good horse, a really good horse."

Ten Cents A Shine, who was sent off as the 5-2 favorite, was asked for run by jockey Jerry Bailey at the three-eighths pole, but failed to fire. The Ken McPeek-trained colt finished sixth of eight, beaten 24 lengths.

Trust N Luck improved his career record to five wins and a pair of seconds from nine starts and with the $120,000 winner's share of the Fountain of Youth purse, he bolstered his career earnings to $502,800.

Provided Trust N Luck comes out of the Fountain of Youth in good order, he will be pointed for the mile and an eighth Florida Derby (GI) on Mar. 15, according to Ziadie. Should the colt fare well in that spot, Ziadie indicated that he would train Trust N Luck up to the Kentucky Derby on May 3.

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