Practical Joke tunes up for Fountain of Youth with half-mile breeze

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Practical Joke turned in his final prep for this Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Sunday morning at the Palm Meadows Training Center, where he breezed an easy half-mile in 48.19 seconds in company with stablemate Shagaf.

According to Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Vesce, Practical Joke went his opening quarter-mile in 24.80, galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.60, and pulled up three-quarters of a mile in 1:14.

“He worked great,” trainer Chad Brown said a short while later . “It was just a maintenance move. He’s ready to go. He’s really strengthened and become a much better work horse as a 3-year-old and I’m really excited to get him started.”

Practical Joke has not raced since finishing third behind Classic Empire in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He will face a strong field in the Fountain of Youth that is also expected to include Irish War Cry and Gunnevera, who finished one-two in the Grade 2 Holy Bull, Three Rules, Takaful, and Made You Look.