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First Samurai wins the Fountain of Youth after Corinthian is disqualified and placed third

Hallandale, FL (March 4, 2006) - On a day that was supposed to provide some answers as to the top 3-year-olds on the East Coast, two Gulfstream Park Stakes races produced more questions as the grade II, $150,000 went to longshot Sharp Humor, and the featured $300,000 gr.II Fountain of Youth Stakes went to favored First Samurai via a disqualification.

After a wild and woolly stretch run in the 1-1/18 miles Fountain of Youth, Centennial Farm's Corinthian, who crossed the finish line a length in front of First Samurai, was disqualified and placed third. West Point Thoroughbred's Flashy Bull finished third, a neck behind First Samurai, but was moved up to second via the dq. Trainer Frank Brothers had mixed emotions about the ultimate victory.

"I thought my horse ran a very good horse race. He showed a lot of courage," Brother said after the race. "He was impeded a little bit...we got him to relax. It's not a lot of fun (winning via disqualification), but they probably made the right call."

Jockey Edgar Prado, riding First Samurai for the second time, was quick to agree.

"I think the stewards did a good job. His horse (Javier Castellano aboard Corinthian) was supposed to maintain a straight course." Rafael Bejarano, aboard eventual runner-up Flashy Bull, concurred.

"I really wish I had gotten up for second," Bejarano said. "Because I'd be going to the winner's circle right now. That horse was getting out too bad and had to come down"

For his part, Corinthian stalked the pace throughout much of the race and seemed primed to run down early pacesetter First Samurai at any point. Just inside the eighth pole, the 7 to 1 shot veered in, putting the favorite in tight quarters, then drifted out inside the sixteenth pole forcing First Samurai out into Flashy Bull. Jimmy Jerkens, trainer of Corinthian, was understandably disappointed. "I don't know why he did what he did," the son of Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens remarked. "It was clear that he was the better horse. We can work on it. He's a lot better today than in his last race. He'll probably be even better when we get back home to New York."

Castellano added, "He's a very hard horse to ride. He came out a little bit at the end, but as soon as he came out, I thought he was clear. In my mind, he's still a very immature horse, and he's always been difficult in the gate."

The official winner, owned by Kentuckian Bruce Lunsford and Landson Robbins, III, set a somewhat leisurely pace of :23.86 for the opening quarter and :48.30 for the half. Final time for the mile and an eighth was 1:49 flat. The winner, a son of Giant's Causeway, returned $3.40 for the win. His connections indicated the chestnut would start next either in the Florida Derby on April 1 or the Bluegrass at Keeneland. Jerkens said third-place finisher Corinthian would likely return in the Wood Memorial.

On the undercard of the Fountain of Youth, in the $150,000 Swale Stakes, Purdel Stable's Sharp Humor squeaked out a neck victory over favored Noonmark as the third longest shot on the board in the the 11-horse field. The winner, trained by perennial leading Churchill Downs trainer Dale Romans, said the victory may cause him to change some plans.

"We always knew we had New York-bred races to fall back on," Romans said of the New York-bred son of Distorted Humor--also the sire of Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide. "It seems like we have to have a little bigger plan now. There's already been one New York-bred to win the Derby. Let's see if we can get there."

Sharp Humor completed the seven furlongs in 1:22.14 and returned $29.60 with Mark Guidry in the irons. Noonmark was a neck back in second, with Court Folly just over two and a half lengths back in third.

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