Kentucky Derby: General Jim misses a day of training for Fountain of Youth

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey sounded pessimistic about the chances of running General Jim in the Fountain of Youth Stakes after the colt missed a scheduled workout.

“He had a little cough and missed a day of training,” McGaughey said in his Gulfstream stable office Wednesday morning. “He’s back training, but I’m not sure whether we’re running. I’ve just been playing it by the day.”

General Jim, owned by the Courtlandt Farm of Donald Adam, was assigned post 1 in a field of 10 3-year-olds in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth, the last of 14 races on a blockbuster Saturday program that starts at 11 a.m. Eastern. The son of Into Mischief is the 6-1 third choice on the morning line, which has reigning divisional champion Forte as the 7-5 favorite.

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General Jim has won three of six starts, the latest a one-length victory in the seven-furlong Swale here Feb. 4.

“If we don’t run, there are a lot of options,” said McGaughey, naming the March 11 Tampa Bay Derby and April 1 Florida Derby as possibilities.

Two years ago, Greatest Honour won the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth for McGaughey and Courtlandt, but was declared off the Derby trail with a minor injury following a third-place finish in the Florida Derby.

The 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth is a 100-point qualifier (50-20-15-10-5) for the May 6 Kentucky Derby. McGaughey said he hoped to determine whether General Jim would run in the Fountain of Youth sometime Wednesday.

From the rail, this is the Fountain of Youth lineup: General Jim, Legacy Isle, Shadow Dragon, Forte, Il Miracolo, Blazing Sevens, Mage, Rocket Can, Cyclone Mischief, Dangerous Ride.

Luis Saez, who has ridden General Jim in all but one of his six races, is named to ride again Saturday.

Post time for the Fountain of Youth, the last of nine stakes (eight graded), is 5:43. Sunny skies and a high near 90 are in the local forecast.

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