Dennis' Moment early Fountain of Youth favorite

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A sensational card is shaping up for next Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes will take center stage among nine graded stakes.

Dennis’ Moment figures as a solid favorite when making his eagerly awaited 3-year-old debut in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth, which is worth 85 qualifying points (50-20-10-5) toward the May 2 Kentucky Derby. He’s one of a handful of confirmed starters for the race, while the connections of several more are seriously considering it, according to Gulfstream racing officials.

Dennis’ Moment “has made the steady progress we’ve planned for and hoped for,” trainer Dale Romans said earlier this week at Gulfstream. The Tiznow colt has maintained a regular local work pattern since Jan. 11 and was scheduled to have his final pre-race breeze here Saturday, a week out from his return.

:: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Dennis’ Moment will be making his first start since losing all chance at the start of the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, for which he was an odds-on favorite.

As of Friday, other known Fountain of Youth prospects were Chance It, Ete Indien, Gear Jockey, and Shotski, while Structor is foremost among four or five more said to be on the fence. Structor, trained by Chad Brown, would be making his dirt debut after winning all three starts last year on turf, ending with the BC Juvenile Turf.

Meanwhile, many of the supporting events on the Saturday card are shaping up with lineups of genuine depth and quality. Here’s a quick rundown:

◗ Grade 2, $300,000 Gulfstream Park Mile: Romans was trying to decide whether to enter Mr Freeze, the Pegasus World Cup runner-up, in a race for which Bodexpress, Diamond Oops, Hog Creek Hustle, Phat Man, True Timber, and a few others are expected.

◗ Grade 2, $200,000 Davona Dale: Spice Is Nice, fresh from a 12-length debut win, is among a sizable Todd Pletcher contingent set to race here. She could be favored over Tonalist’s Shape, Maedean, Bayerness, and a few other 3-year-old fillies in a one-mile race worth 85 qualifying points (50-20-10-5) toward the May 1 Kentucky Oaks.

◗ Grade 2, $200,000 Mac Diarmida: An outstanding 25th running of this 1 3/8-mile turf race not only will get Zulu Alpha, winner of the Pegasus Turf, but also A Thread of Blue, Sadler’s Joy, and Spooky Channel. Channel Maker and Admission Office are among the notables being considered.

◗ Grade 3, $150,000 The Very One: Empressof the Nile, La Signare, and Lemon Zip are among the fillies and mares likely for this 1 3/16-mile counterpart to the MacDiarmida.

◗ Grade 3, $150,000 Canadian Turf: Caribou Club and the Mike Maker duo of Mr Dumas and Hembree head the prospective lineup for this one-mile turf race.

◗ Grade 3, $150,000 Honey Fox: Munchkin Money, La Feve, and Vow to Recover are intended for this filly-mare counterpart to the Canadian Turf.

◗ Grade 3, $150,000 Palm Beach: Vitalogy is perhaps the most notable 3-year-old known for this 1 1/16-mile turf race.

◗ Grade 3, $150,000 Herecomesthebride: Grade 1 winner Abscond is among those expected in this filly counterpart to the Palm Beach.

Extensive television coverage of the day will be available on both TVG and Fox Sports 2.