Fountain of Youth full of possibilities

This year's renewal of the $350,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park is so wide open and full of different angles that I think I'll try a little something different. Instead of a long story format, let's individually breakdown each of the dozen entries and touch on their chances in Sunday's premier Derby prep race.

Here we go, from the rail out:

COOL COAL MAN

This is a colt the Zito barn had high expectations for, but the son of Mineshaft completely fell apart in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) last November underneath the Twin Spires. I'm not sure how good of a win his last was and the feeling is that he is not of the cream of this 3-year-old crop. Desormeaux chooses to ride him over Halo Najib though, which is encouraging. You can also expect Cool Coal Man to get put into play early from his rail draw and laying close is the preferred trip here. Still, I think he is likely a cut below but there is sure not anything very scary in this year's field.

GOLDEN SPIKES

A relatively inexpensive yearling purchase for his regal pedigree, Golden Spikes was a length behind Cool Coal Man last month in a Gulfstream allowance race. That is not a good thing in my eyes since I'm not overly excited about Cool Coal Man and his chances in the Fountain of Youth. He is another one that could flash some early speed and I respect his underrated trainer - but he doesn't appear to be this kind of horse yet.

COURT VISION

The 122-pound highweight is hard to knock at first glance, with three wins from four starts – all at different racetracks – including a pair of graded wins. But Court Vision has not exactly drawn away from fields and the horses that ran closely behind him in the Iroquois and Remsen have not really flattered him to this point. The 76 Beyer Speed Figure recorded in his last in winning the Remsen had to be one of the slowest races at the Grade 2 level on dirt in recent memory. Top rider Garrett Gomez chooses him over some others, and if you respect his savvy agent then that has to be seen as a positive. Court Vision can certainly win this, but the feeling is that whether one believes he has a lot of quality or not – he'll likely need a race.

KENTUCKY BEAR

Certainly has the license to be a good one after his impressive debut last month. This is asking a lot to jump into a Grade 2 off that maiden win, but there could be enough quality here to handle the hike in class. Perhaps pedigree to handle nine furlongs is the concern here. There appears to be plenty of decent stamina influences in his female family, but the progeny of Mr. Greeley typically excel at shorter distances. He is not without a chance if he's the real deal.

Z HUMOR

I must admit it was a bit shocking to see this horse entered back here on eight days rest from a less-than-stellar performance in the Sam F. Davis Stakes. But if there is a colt that could handle it and even thrive off it – it might be this one. Not liking Tampa Bay Downs is hardly a fault, as many horses have failed to handle that surface in their first try over it. He obviously came out of the race extremely well and – dare I say – he might benefit from it coming into the Fountain of Youth. If there is one thing you can tell about Z Humor it's that he is a trier. He may not always be fast enough to win but his grinding style and hard effort usually puts him right there on a surface he likes.

READY SET

The only way I could see this one winning is if it were a beauty contest and not a horse race. Ready Set is a gorgeous animal but he has failed to live up to his looks to this point for trainer Michael Matz, who I think is one of the best trainers in the game today. Matz fans will get a huge price, but not even I can justify jumping aboard this one's bandwagon at big odds Sunday.

MONBA

Gray colt will likely battle Court Vision for favoritism in here and is the most likely winner in my estimation. Pletcher seems to have had him penciled in for this spot over his other 3-year-olds since Monba's fourth-place effort in the Cash Call Futurity (G1) in December. But he is not without some negatives too. Monba's allowance win in October at Churchill Downs looked to be a solid one at first glance, but runner-up Macho Again and fourth-place finisher Jedi Code have both failed to flatter him since. Further, Monba is a big, gangly sort that seemingly will make his living coming from off the pace. Typically, these types haven't excelled over the Gulfstream strip, and the bottom line is that he'll likely take a lot of money off just a fourth-place finish in his lone stakes try.

ANAK NAKAL

He's another top contender and another closer. Anak Nakal won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in his last start, but it was not a vintage renewal of that race. The runner-up in that race was Blackberry Road, who has since been handled fairly easily in his last two stakes tries at Fair Grounds. The greatest thing about Anak Nakal's pedigree is that he will undoubtedly improve with age and distance, which makes his impressive juvenile record that much more meaningful. He has a shot.

ELYSIUM FIELDS

As much as I love the progeny of El Prado, it is hard for me to get excited about this colt's chances in this spot. He was a solid maiden winner at the distance and track a month ago, but he'll need to take another sizable step forward to beat this group. He failed to break his maiden at Laurel Park in his first two starts and then lost at Calder Race Course in his third start, which has to raise concerns about how genuine he really is.

HALO NAJIB

This colt displayed the ability to rate and finish from off the pace in his last start, a tactic that will benefit him going forward. He was only a half-length behind one of the Fountain of Youth favorites, Court Vision, in the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill last October, and it is not out of the realm of possibility that Halo Najib could make an impact in here. He's a speedy colt but possesses a pedigree that should easily handle 1 1/8 miles. But Halo Najib must prove he is of this class.

MAKE THE POINT

The short run into the first turn will be the most crucial for this ridgling breaking from post No. 11. Jockey Johnny Velazquez will likely send him hard out of the gates to clear the field into the first turn, and Make the Point, a son of good stamina sire Menifee, could take them a long way on the front end at a good price on the tote board. His works suggest he's on his game and he showed enough promise at two before showing up in the top barn of Kiaran McLaughlin to make you believe he has some quality. Without any really serious, in-form horses in this year's field, he rates as a live longshot.

ADRIANO

Its a bit puzzling why this son of A.P. Indy has been exclusively campaigned on grass and synthetic tracks up to this point. The second dam is by top turf influence Theatrical, but there is plenty of reason to believe this one will handle the dirt just fine. He'll relish the distance as well as any in the field Sunday, and Adriano was very impressive in his seasonal debut on turf last month. His work tab has been rock solid since that big effort and he is very dangerous moving turf-to-dirt here. His big problem will be negotiating a good trip from the dreaded 12-hole with a short run to the first turn. That initial part of the race will be key for Adriano and will determine his success in the race.

So, is it clearer now? ...No?

...not for me either.