Locked, Born Noble set for works ahead of Fountain of Youth

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Todd Pletcher said he plans to send out two of his potential candidates for the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 2 at Gulfstream Park – Locked and Born Noble – for key workouts Friday at his winter headquarters at the Palm Beach Downs training center.

Locked, currently listed among the top 10 leading Kentucky Derby candidates on this week’s Daily Racing Form Derby Watch, missed a scheduled start in the Sam F. Davis Stakes last Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs due to a fever. Locked, winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, has not started since his third-place finish behind stablemate Fierceness as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile nor worked since breezing five furlongs in 1:02 on Jan. 26 at Palm Beach Downs.

Born Noble has started just twice, winning his maiden impressively at first asking with a 93 Beyer Speed Figure here going seven furlongs on Dec. 30 before finishing second as the odds-on favorite stretching to a mile five weeks later when run down in late stretch by Real Macho after setting a hotly contested pace. Real Macho also is expected to make his next start in the 1 1/8-mile Fountain of Youth.

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“We’re still working it out regarding plans for the Fountain of Youth, but both these horses are candidates depending on how their next couple of works turn out,” Pletcher said Wednesday.

Pletcher also noted that reigning juvenile champion Fierceness is doing well exiting his disappointing third-place finish in the Grade 3 Holy Bull and is scheduled to have his first work since that outing on Feb. 23 at Palm Beach Downs.

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“At the moment, we’re still focused on the Florida Derby with Fierceness,” Pletcher confirmed.

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