Couple of changes might put Simplification over the top in Fountain of Youth

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Having undergone a change in running style and a change in rider since walking into the starting gate for the Grade 3 Holy Bull four weeks earlier, Simplification will try to prove a little change has done him a lot of good Saturday at Gulfstream in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, the major local prep for the $1 million Florida Derby on April 2. Simplification is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a full field of 12 3-year-olds set to vie for a $400,000 purse and 85 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

The 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth is one of nine stakes, eight of them graded, on Saturday’s 13-race program at Gulfstream Park, which begins at 12:10 p.m. The Fountain of Youth will be shown live as part of a two-hour broadcast on CNBC that begins at 4 p.m. Gulfstream Park and its sister track Santa Anita also will combine forces on a promotion called 1/ST Saturday, offering 15 stakes races between the two tracks and two all-stakes cross-country pick five wagers.

The Fountain of Youth lost its original morning-line favorite on Wednesday when trainer Todd Pletcher announced Mo Donegal would be scratched after coming down with a slight temperature that morning. The defection of Mo Donegal, who drew post 12, allows Galt to run. Galt set the pace before finishing a tiring fourth in the Holy Bull.

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Simplification was expected to set the pace in the Holy Bull after cruising to a wire-to-wire 4 1/2-length victory under Javier Castellano in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man on New Year’s Day. But after Simplification tossed his head at the break and came away last in the field of nine in the Holy Bull, Castellano wisely allowed him to settle a half-dozen lengths off the leader before asking him to commence a bid leaving the backstretch. Simplification responded with a big effort, rallying wide to a second-place finish behind runaway winner White Abarrio despite not switching off his left lead during the stretch run.

Castellano was slated to have the mount back in the Fountain of Youth. But Castellano, who had worked the colt in the weeks leading up to the Holy Bull, was unable to work Simplification on Feb. 19, and trainer Antonio Sano opted to make a change. He handed the reins over to Jose Ortiz for both the colt’s final breeze last Saturday and the Fountain of Youth.

“I was very happy with the way [Castellano] rode our horse in both races,” Sano said. “The decision to change riders had nothing to do with that. One thing we learned from his last race is that he can come from behind if need be. There is a lot of speed in the race, but now we have options. If he breaks well and can make the lead, I told Jose to make the lead. If not, he’ll be fine coming from off the pace.”

Pletcher may have lost one key player in Mo Donegal, but he has another in the undefeated and untested Emmanuel, who has won his two starts by a combined 11 lengths. Both of those victories came in wire-to-wire fashion, including a 4 1/2-length allowance win going a mile and 40 yards four weeks ago at Tampa Bay Downs.

“He broke his maiden impressively here, we know he likes the track, and we like the timing of the Fountain of Youth,” Pletcher said. “It puts us in a good position if he runs well enough to look at the Florida Derby.”

Trainers Dale Romans and Bill Mott could each have two starters in the Fountain of Youth should Mott opt to start Galt, who would have to break from post 12. He would join stablemate High Oak in the lineup, while Romans counters with Giant Game and Howling Time.

High Oak and Howling Time are two of three top contenders coming off extended vacations, along with Grade 1 winner Rattle N Roll, who has not started since capturing Keeneland’s 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Futurity by 4 1/4 lengths on Oct. 9.

High Oak easily won the Grade 2 Saratoga Special at 2, but has not raced since his fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Hopeful last September because of a minor ankle issue. Howling Time, winner of the Street Sense last fall at Churchill Downs, has not run since finishing a tiring fifth after surprisingly setting the pace in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club on Nov. 27. He missed a scheduled start in Tampa’s Grade 3 Sam Davis several weeks ago because of a cough.

Giant Game, who finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, will try to bounce back from an eighth-place finish in the Holy Bull, after which he underwent minor throat surgery.

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Leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who has opted to bypass the Fountain of Youth and await the Florida Derby with Holy Bull winner White Abarrio, will be represented by A. P.’s Secret, a winner of 2 of 3 starts, including a one-mile allowance race here Jan. 9.

“I think he’s a high-quality horse,” Joseph said. “He’s got tactical speed. We just want to get a clean trip and see how good he is. I really believe the added distance is going to help him.”

In Due Time also looms a major player off a 5 3/4-length allowance win Feb. 4, for which he earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure. In Due Time will be trying two turns for the first time in his stakes debut.