Fountain Of Youth Draws Field Of 8 To Top Stakes-Heavy $2.15M Saturday Card At Gulfstream
Today at 07:17 PM
The GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth, the final prep for the GI Curlin Florida Derby held March 29, will headline a program laden with nine stakes, of which eight are graded, worth $2.15 million in purses next Saturday. The 79th running of the Fountain of Youth offers qualifying points for the GI Kentucky Derby on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale.
Burnham Square, the GIII Holy Bull winner, is scheduled to clash with seven other 3-year-olds entered for next Saturday's feature. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is represented in the Fountain of Youth field by River Thames and Gate to Wire, both of whom are scheduled to make their two-turn debuts. Godolphin's Sovereignty (Into Mischief) is set to make his 2025 debut next Saturday after concluding his 2-year-old campaign with a five-length maiden-breaking score in the GIII Street Sense Oct. 27 at Churchill Downs. Keep It Easy will make his first start of 2025 after winning the Ed Brown Stakes at Churchill Downs Nov. 30 in his 2-year-old finale. Ian Pasard, Shining Stable LLC, and Stefania Farms LLC's Neoequos (Neolithic), a sharp optional claiming allowance winner Jan. 23 who was twice placed in Florida Sire Stakes events last season, will make his first start in an open stakes. Leon King Stable Corp.'s McKellen (McKinzie) will seek to rebound from a sixth-place finish in the Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man for trainer Jose D'Angelo.
The GII Fasig-Tipton Davona Dale drew a field of seven 3-year-old fillies for next Saturday's 39th edition of the mile stakes that will offer GI Kentucky Oaks qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale.
Tracy Farmer's La Cara (Street Sense), who captured the GIII Pocahontas at Churchill Downs last year before concluding her 2024 campaign with a fifth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar, enters the Davona Dale off a 6 1/4-length romp in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay.
The Queens M G (Thousand Words) will also bring graded-stakes credentials into the Davona Dale having captured the GIII Adirondack last season at Saratoga, where she won the Schuylerville Stakes in her previous start. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained daughter of Thousand Words is coming off a third-place finish in the GIII Forward Gal Feb. 1 at Gulfstream in her 2025 debut.
Rodeo Creek Racing LLC's Ballerina d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) is slated to make her 3-year-old debut in the Davona Dale after concluding her 2024 campaign with a second-place finish in the GII Demoiselle at Aqueduct.
Lugamo Racing Stable LLC's Frida, Just for Fun Stable Inc.'s My Denysse (Neolithic), and Baron Thoroughbreds LLC's Quinn's Promise (Promises Fulfilled) and Madeline's Promise (Promises Fulfilled), round out the field.
The GII Gulfstream Park Mile, a mile stakes for 4-year-olds and up, attracted nine entries including Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution), a Pletcher-trainee who hasn't competed since back-to-back second-place finishers in the GI Belmont Stakes and GI Haskell Invitational last year, and Godolphin's Encino (Nyquist), a winner of four of five races for trainer Brad Cox.
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