Mohaymen and Zulu, the one-two finishers in the Fountain of Youth Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, both came out of the race in good condition, their trainers reported on Sunday morning, and both could meet again in the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby on April 2, a race that is also the next scheduled start for last year’s champion 2-year-old male, Nyquist.
Saturday at Gulfstream Park, Mohaymen knocked Zulu and Awesome Banner from the ranks of the unbeaten when they met in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes. And now, in his final start before the Kentucky Derby on May 7, he’ll put his unbeaten record on the line against another undefeated colt, Nyquist, last year’s champion 2-year-old male, in the Florida Derby here on April 2.
Owner Richard Keith's chase for the Kentucky Derby intensifies next month at Oaklawn, where he will be represented by American Dubai in the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel on March 19.
Trainer Mark Casse said Conquest Big E can’t stand the heat, so he plans to get him out of south Florida. Casse said Thursday that Conquest Big E likely will make his next start in the Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 5.
Mohaymen has established himself as the favorite for the Kentucky Derby, but to retain that position he will need to step up his game yet again on Saturday in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, a race his trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin, believes will be his biggest challenge yet.
Conquest Windycity has put himself under consideration for the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel Stakes at his Oaklawn Park base after winning his first start of the year last Friday.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin woke up Wednesday morning to find email and text messages from his brother Neal, who is nearly halfway around the world in Dubai with Grade 1 winner Frosted. Hours later, McLaughlin oversaw the gallop of Mohaymen, the current Kentucky Derby favorite, who is entered to run Saturday in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. These are heady, challenging days for McLaughlin.
Only a handful of challengers were entered on Wednesday to face Mohaymen on Saturday in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, and the field could be even smaller by race day, because trainer Stanley Gold was contemplating whether to run both Awesome Banner and Fellowship, or merely go with Fellowship and re-route Awesome Banner to the Tampa Bay Derby on March 12.
The lone newcomer to this week's Derby Watch top 20 is Forevamo, who finished second in the Risen Star Stakes last Saturday at Fair Grounds. He is 30-1 on the Kentucky Derby future line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form's national handicapper.
From a bloodstock standpoint, Mohaymen is one of the horses who ticks all the boxes on this year's Kentucky Derby trail. By a leading sire who also is a commercial juggernaut and out of a graded stakes winner who had already produced a Grade 1 winner, Mohaymen co-topped the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale.
