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Fountain of Youth (GII)

Gulfstream Park • Hallandale Beach, FL, USA 50-25-15-10-5
March 2, 2024

Fountain of Youth Stakes History

Spectacular Bid, Tim Tam, Kauai King, Bet Twice, Forty Niner, Proud Truth, Thunder Gulch—you might assume any race with such an illustrious roster of winners is a Triple Crown race, or at least a Grade 1. This decorated list of champions actually belongs to the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), a historic Kentucky Derby prep race held at Gulfstream Park.

First run in 1945 and currently contested over 1 1⁄16 miles, the Fountain of Youth has been producing Derby contenders for generations. It was Calumet Farm’s Tim Tam who first put the race on the map by completing the Fountain of Youth/Kentucky Derby double in 1958, a feat subsequently replicated by Kauai King (1966), Spectacular Bid (1979), Thunder Gulch (1995), and Orb (2013).

Few Fountain of Youth winners have been more spectacular than Spectacular Bid. A Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee, Spectacular Bid crushed his rivals by 8 1⁄2 lengths and stopped the timer in 1:41.20, just 0.20 off the stakes record set by Sensitive Prince in 1978.

Beaten Fountain of Youth runners have also enjoyed strong success in the Kentucky Derby, a testament to the quality of competition the race attracts. Derby winners Carry Back (1961), Forward Pass (1968), Dust Commander (1970), Cannonade (1974), Pleasant Colony (1981), Swale (1984), Unbridled (1990), and Go for Gin (1994) all came up short at Gulfstream before reaching the winner’s circle on the first Saturday in May.

The Fountain of Youth produced just one Kentucky Derby winner during the first two decades of the 21st century, though the race remained deeply relevant as a steppingstone toward the Triple Crown. Derby runners-up Ice Box (2010), Good Magic (2018), and Code of Honor (2019) all contested the Fountain of Youth, as did Preakness (G1) winner Shackleford and Belmont S. (G1) winners Jazil (2006) and Union Rags (2012).

As part of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, the Fountain of Youth awards 50 Derby qualification points to the winner, essentially making the race a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Derby.

By J. Keeler Johnson/TwinSpires.com

Results

Win

Place

Show

5

Dornoch50

$2.40

$2.10

$2.10

2

Le Dom Bro25

$7.40

$3.40

7

Frankie's Empire15

$2.60

4

Real Macho10

9

Dancing Groom5

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Entries

Jockey

Owner

Trainer

Current odds

Wagers

1

Speak Easy

Irad Ortiz Jr.

WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC

Todd Pletcher

2

Le Dom Bro

Edwin Gonzalez

Vicente Stella Stables LLC

Eniel Cordero

3

Victory Avenue

John R. Velazquez

OGMA Investments, LLC, JR Ranch, Upland Flats Racing, Morplay Racing LLC, High Step Racing LLC, Lady Sheila Stable, Michael and Jules Iavarone

Gustavo Delgado

4

Real Macho

Tyler Gaffalione

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Rohan Crichton, Daniel L. Walters and Dennis G. Smith

Rohan Crichton

5

Dornoch

Luis Saez

West Paces Racing LLC, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, Two Eight Racing, LLC and Pine Racing Stables

Danny Gargan

6

Merit

Edgard Zayas

Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC

Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.

7

Frankie's Empire

Miguel Angel Vasquez

Frank DeLuca

Michael Yates

8

Locked

Jose Ortiz

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm

Todd Pletcher

9

Dancing Groom

Javier Castellano

Alex Andres, LLC

Antonio Sano

Road to the Kentucky Derby

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