Contenders' connections make plans after controversial Fountain of Youth

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The day after a controversial running of the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, the only certainties were that Itsaknockout was going to return in the Florida Derby, the trainer of Upstart still was smarting over being disqualified, and the trainer of Frosted still was baffled as to how his horse wound up fourth after looking like a winner.

Itsaknockout crossed the wire second but was placed first on the disqualification of Upstart. That allowed Itsaknockout to remain unbeaten in three starts, all here at Gulfstream. On Sunday morning, his trainer, Todd Pletcher, said Itsaknockout would return March 28 in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream.
“I don’t see any point in getting cute now,” Pletcher said. “He seemed to come back in good order so far.”

On Sunday morning, Rick Violette Jr., the trainer of Upstart, said his colt had come out of the race well but tired and called the disqualification a “very, very questionable decision.”

“Obviously, it was very disappointing,” Violette said. “The horse ran his guts out – and then to have the victory taken away – but we’ll move on, adjust, and get ready for the next race.”

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The adjustment and the next race are tied together. Violette said he now is leaning toward the Wood Memorial on April 4 at Aqueduct as a final Kentucky Derby prep for Upstart. He originally had penciled in the Florida Derby one week earlier here at Gulfstream.

Asked if it was the hard race, the stewards’ decision, or a little of both that prompted the move to the Wood, Violette replied: “A little of both.”

“It was a very tough, tiring racetrack. Everybody was staggering,” Violette said.

Kiaran McLaughlin, the trainer of Frosted, said on Sunday morning he was “licking his wounds” after Frosted disappointed in the Fountain of Youth and stablemate Imperia ran fifth in the Risen Star on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Frosted wound up fourth in the Fountain of Youth after cruising to the lead on the final turn. McLaughlin said Frosted had come out of the race well, and he was as puzzled as anyone as to why Frosted didn’t finish well.

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“I haven’t had that happen to me much,” McLaughlin said. “I’m sure everybody in the country was saying, ‘How far is he going to win by?’ It’s a tough one to swallow this morning.”

As for Imperia, McLaughlin reported that jockey Mike Smith told him “he was traveling well, and at the quarter pole, he went to ‘swimming.’ That was the word Mike used. He said the track was dry and he didn’t handle it great.”

McLaughlin said Imperia would return to the Palm Meadows training center in south Florida, and he and Jimmy Bell, who oversees the interests of owner Godolphin Racing in the U.S., would map out plans for both Frosted and Imperia.