Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Fire At Will might transition to dirt in Fountain of Youth

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A decision on whether to give the Kentucky Derby trail a shot is pending as Fire At Will continues to work back into shape after upsetting the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in his latest start.

“We’re still talking about it,” said Mike Maker, who trains Fire At Will for the Three Diamonds Farm of Kirk Wycoff.

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Fire At Will won three races, all stakes, in four starts at 2 last year. He won the off-the-turf With Anticipation at Saratoga as a maiden, then back-to-back turf stakes, the Grade 2 Pilgrim at 13-1 and the Grade 1 BC Juvenile Turf at 30-1. The Declaration of War colt had a different jockey for every race.

Following a short break, the colt has been on a steady work pattern at Gulfstream. On Saturday, he had his third breeze since returning, going a five-furlong bullet in a 1:00.

Maker said Fire At Will most likely will return Feb. 27 at Gulfstream in either the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, a major Derby prep on dirt, or the Grade 3 Palm Beach on turf. Both go at 1 1/16 miles.

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Meanwhile, Maker said that Tide of the Sea and Temple, his 1-2 finishers in the W.L. McKnight here Saturday, will resurface on the Fountain of Youth undercard in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida, while Cross Border, his third-place finisher in the Pegasus World Cup Turf, has rejoined his Fair Grounds string to target the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial on March 20.

Besides being active on five fronts – Gulfstream, Fair Grounds, Turfway, Oaklawn, and Aqueduct – Maker also is sending eight horses to Sam Houston for the Texas track’s biggest card of the year on Sunday.