Good Magic heads prospective Fountain of Youth field

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A field of at least seven 3-year-olds, led by reigning divisional champion Good Magic, is shaping up for next Saturday’s Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Good Magic, based at the Palm Meadows training center with Chad Brown, was on schedule to have his final pre-race breeze Saturday toward the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth. It was to be the sixth timed workout since the Curlin colt got a break following his 4 1/4-length victory in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar.

Besides Good Magic, the lineup for the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth is expected to include Free Drop Billy, Strike Power, Marconi, Storm Runner, Promises Fulfilled, and Belle Tapisserie. Another longshot or two could enter the picture by the time entries are taken Wednesday.

:: The Road to the Kentucky Derby Player's Package

The Fountain of Youth, with 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points awarded to the winner, is effectively a Win and You’re In toward the May 5 Derby. In all, 85 points are available for the top four finishers.

The Fountain of Youth is the centerpiece of what will be another huge Saturday of stakes at Gulfstream. Eight other stakes will be carded, all but one graded. Here’s an early look at a few:

Grade 2, $200,000 Davona Dale: Fly So High, an impressive winner of a Jan. 4 Gulfstream allowance for the Phipps Stable and Shug McGaughey, will have Jose Ortiz back aboard as the likely favorite in this Kentucky Oaks points race. Other probables for the one-mile race include Alter Moon, Cache, Cicatrix, and Dictate Cool.

Dictate Cool will be making her first start for Brown after winning her lone prior start in a Jan. 13 maiden race at Laurel Park.

Grade 2, $200,000 Mac Diarmida: Trainer Mike Maker, a major force in this division in recent seasons, said he intends to enter three horses in this 1 3/8-mile turf race – Markitoff, Oscar Nominated, and Run Time. Other probables include Big Bend, Durocher, Nessy, One Go All Go, and Sadler’s Joy.

Grade 3, $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint: Mind Your Biscuits was scheduled to breeze Saturday at Palm Meadows to determine whether or not he will use this as a stepping-stone toward a title defense in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 31.

With or without him, this 6 1/2-furlong race for older horses is expected to get Three Rules, Noholdingback Bear, Extravagant Kid, Unbridled Outlaw, and a few more.

Grade 3, $100,000 Herecomesthebride: Thewayiam will be going for her third Gulfstream stakes victory of the new year in this 1 1/16-mile turf race, having already won the Ginger Brew and Sweetest Chant for Jose Ortiz and trainer Graham Motion. A medium-sized field appears likely.

$100,000 Sand Springs: Celestine, an earner of more than $1.1 million, could be making her final career start as the favorite in this one-mile turf race.

The other stakes on tap are the Grade 3, $150,000 The Very One; the Grade 3, $150,000 Canadian Turf; and the Grade 3, $100,000 Palm Beach.