Ete Indien dominates Fountain of Youth Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A Frenchman, more than anyone, understands déjà vu. So when Florent Geroux sized up the task presented to him with Ete Indien in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, he thought back to a similar predicament in the 2018 Pegasus World Cup with Gun Runner.

Like Gun Runner, Ete Indien had drawn post 10 with an abrupt run to the first turn in a two-turn race here. Gun Runner was sent hard from the start to not get caught wide, and scored a resounding victory.

Geroux utilized the same strategy with Ete Indien, and got a similar result. After bounding away from the outside stall, Ete Indien crossed over while under aggressive handling and was in front and on the rail in less than a furlong. He never looked back, rolling to a runaway, 8 1/2-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile race while earning 50 points toward the May 2 Kentucky Derby.

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“Kentucky Derby, he’s guaranteed a place now,” Geroux said as he rode into the winner’s circle astride Ete Indien.

Geroux said the 2018 Pegasus was the template for the Fountain of Youth.

“Same thing, same technique,” he said after the winner’s circle ceremonies concluded. “But the horse needs to cooperate. If you end up five or six wide, you look like an idiot. You need to focus on the start.”

Patrick Biancone, who trains and co-owns Ete Indien, agreed with Geroux that the break was paramount.

“There are two ways you can do it,” he said. “Jump super well and go, or miss the start and stay behind and come later. You don’t want to jump slow and then end up five wide.”

Ete Indien originally had drawn post 11 in a field of 12, but moved in one spot when Makabim, originally number 2, was withdrawn earlier Saturday. That development was not enough to convince trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. to go with Chance It, who originally had drawn post 12. Faced with the prospect of going from gate 11, outside Ete Indien, he decided to scratch Chance It midday Saturday in favor of next week’s Tampa Bay Derby.

So, 10 3-year-olds went to the post, with Ete Indien ($8.60) the third choice behind Dennis’ Moment and As Seen On Tv.

Ete Indien went 23.14 seconds through the opening quarter, and 46.72 seconds for the half. By the time he got to the backstretch, “He was on cruise control,” Geroux said.

“He was flipping his ears,” Geroux said.

Ete Indien had a 1 1/2-length lead after six furlongs in 1:11.30, then widened on his opposition the rest of the way. He drifted out a bit through the lane but was so far in front coming to the first finish line that it didn’t matter. He completed 1 1/16 miles on the fast main track in 1:43.02. He got a Beyer Speed Figure of 97.

Candy Tycoon, eighth early, rallied for second, proving best in a four-horse photo. He was a neck in front of As Seen on Tv, who most recently had finished second to Chance It in the Mucho Macho Man.

Shotski was fourth, then came, in order, Country Grammer, Masterday, The Falcon, Gear Jockey, Liam’s Lucky Charm, and Dennis’ Moment, who was never a factor and had no punch beginning three furlongs out. His rider, Flavien Prat, allowed him to coast to the wire when all was lost.

“The jock told me he grabbed a quarter,” said Dale Romans, who trains Dennis’ Moment. “I don't know, I want to go back and see if I can see it. It's obviously disappointing there for sure. Everything looked good, he was training good going into it.

“Getting beat is one thing, but to get beat like that, something has to be bothering him. He said he had horse to the five-eighths pole and he just suddenly dropped the bit on him.”

Ete Indien was coming off a second-place finish behind Tiz the Law, the current Derby favorite, in the Holy Bull Stakes on Feb. 1. Tiz the Law passed this race to await the Florida Derby on March 28, which likely could be the next spot for Ete Indien.

Ete Indien, a colt by Summer Front, earned $235,600 on Saturday. He is owned by a partnership that includes Linda Shanahan, Sanford Bacon, Dream With Me Stable, Horse France America, the D P Racing of Deron Pearson, and Biancone.

Biancone has another top Derby prospect in Sole Volante, the Sam F. Davis winner who is scheduled to run in the Tampa Bay Derby next week. Biancone will team there again with Geroux, who picked up the mounts on both Ete Indien and Sole Volante when their regular rider, Luca Panici, suffered a fractured collarbone earlier in February.

– additional reporting by Mike Welsch