While the Florida Derby has long been South Florida's signature race on the road to the Kentucky Derby, a new distance and a reshuffling of the stakes calendar has given new life to the Fountain of Youth, to be run this weekend at Gulfstream Park. Now at a mile and an eighth , the grade II event is part of a super Saturday stakes extravaganza including several important 3-year-old preps for both fillies and colts as well as some top older horses running in the Gulfstream Park Handicap. With the new schedule, the Florida Derby won't happen until April, and although it's still nine weeks out from the Run for the Roses, when all is said and done, the Fountain may well be the biggest event of the season.

Speaking of big events, trainer Todd Pletcher, reigning Eclipse Award winner, generally has a runner in the big races, and the Fountain of Youth is no exception, as the undefeated colt Bandini will try to make his stakes debut a winner. Purchased for half a million dollars by Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the son of Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus broke his maiden in only his second lifetime start, winning with ease at Gulfstream going seven furlongs. It was his victory last month, though, that turned heads as the colt coasted to a nine length victory in his first try around two turns.

With several options and several talented sophomores, Pletcher waited until late last month and a routine workout at Palm Meadows to commit Bandini to the Fountain of Youth Stakes, with another Pletcher runner, Proud Accolade, winner of the Hutcheson Stakes, shipping out to New Orleans for the Louisiana Derby. John Velazquez, last year's Eclipse Award winning jockey and Pletcher's main go-to rider, is a perfect two for two on the son of Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus and will be aboard once again as the colt tackles ten rivals in unquestionably his toughest test to date.

Another with something to prove is Live Oak Plantation's High Fly, making his first start for two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer Nick Zito. The son of Atticus was undefeated in three starts going into the Holy Bull at Gulfstream last month but suffered the first defeat of his career after encountering traffic trouble. High Fly was previously trained at Calder by perennial leading conditioner Bill White, but since coming to Zito at Palm Meadows training facility, he's been putting in some outstanding works. Like Pletcher, Zito also has several top Derby prospects including Sun King, who won an allowance race at Gulfstream just a week ago. The New York native also has Up Like Thunder in the Swale on the undercard as well as fillies Bird Harbor in the Forward Gal and In the Gold in the Bonnie Miss.

The field for the Fountain of Youth from the rail out includes: 2.B.B.'s Best (Chavez); 1.Kansas City Boy (Blanc); 3. General John B (Santos); 4. Park Avenue Ball (Castellano); 5. Papi Chullo (Baze); 6. Defer (Velasquez); 7. High Fly (Bailey); 8. Bandini (Velazquez); 1a. Wild Desert (Day); 9. Dearest Mon (Dominguez); 10. Natural Phenomenon (Coa)

« Back To Derby News