Jose Ortiz picks up Fountain of Youth mount on Holy Bull runner-up Simplification

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Simplification, who overcame a slow start to finish a game second in the Grade 3 Holy Bull, will have a new rider when he goes postward among the favorites in next Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park.

Simplification turned in his final prep for the mile and one-sixteenth Fountain of Youth just minutes after the renovation break on Saturday, breezing an easy five furlongs from the half-mile pole in 1:02.60 with jockey Jose Ortiz aboard. Shortly thereafter trainer Antonio Sano confirmed Ortiz would replace Simplification’s regular rider Javier Castellano in the Fountain of Youth.

“Javier has a chance to ride a horse for Todd Pletcher in the Fountain of Youth, if he is entered in the race,” Sano explained. “I told him I could not wait for a firm commitment, so we decided to go with Jose instead. This is no way any reflection on how Javier has ridden Simplification. He did a great job for us.”

Simplification, who worked five furlongs in 58.53 last Saturday in his first drill since finishing second behind White Abarrio in the Holy Bull, was under no such hurry with Ortiz in the irons this morning. He posted splits of 25.20 and 49.42 to the wire before continuing out strongly into the turn while going easily throughout, ultimately galloping out six panels in 1:15.74.

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“It was a very good work, better than last week, he relaxed very nicely,” said Sano.

Simplification was one of a handful of potential Fountain of Youth starters to work at Gulfstream Park on a very busy Saturday morning.

Trainer Dale Romans sent out his pair of Howling Time and Giant Game to work five furlongs in 58.54 and 59.04, respectively, just minutes apart, the former galloping out with considerably more energy, easing up after six furlongs in 1:12.52.

Romans said Howling Time, who missed a potential start in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs due to a mild illness, will definitely run in the Fountain of Youth barring a poor post-position draw. He remained undecided on Giant Game’s status for the race.

Entries for the Fountain of Youth will be drawn on Monday.

Earlier, the Ken McPeek-trained Rattle N Roll zipped five furlongs in 34.98 and 58.77. He came out slightly second best to the wire outside an unraced mate before galloping out in 1:12.42.

Strike Hard worked five furlongs in 35.93 and 1:00.30, under pressure to finish, for trainer Matt Williams.

At Palm Beach Downs, the undefeated Emmanuel worked a bullet half-mile in 48.05 and is the one 3-year-old trainer Todd Pletcher has definitely committed to the Fountain of Youth, pending the post-position draw. Pletcher said Mo Donegal and Grade 3 winner Major General might also be entered. Castellano will ride Major General, Pletcher confirmed, if he does run here.

“Emmanuel breezed great, I’m very pleased with him,” Pletcher said later Saturday afternoon. “One of my concerns is that it looks like it’s going to be a big field, you might enter and draw a bad post.

“We might take a look at entering both Mo Donegal and Major General, with the idea, all things being equal, that Major General will probably go to the Tampa Bay Derby.”