Real Macho, Victory Avenue get in drills for Fountain of Youth

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A pair of potential candidates for next Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, Real Macho and Victory Avenue, got in their final major preps at Gulfstream Park on Friday morning.

The Rohan Crichton-trained Real Macho, who upset the odds-on Born Noble in a one-mile allowance race to kick off his 3-year-old season, open-galloped to the half mile pole before picking up the pace and ultimately completing his next seven furlongs in 1:28.68 seconds, the final three-eighths from the wire around the clubhouse turn, when sharply roused, in 38.20.

Victory Avenue, a well-graded second behind Speak Easy in his only previous start, breezed an easy five furlongs minutes later in 1:01.15 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.28 and easing up after a mile in 1:41.78 for trainer Gustavo Delgado.

John Velazquez has been confirmed to ride Victory Avenue in the Fountain of Youth, according to Ramiro Restrepo, representative for part-owner JR Ranch.

Also, Restrepo said that Mike and Jules Iavarone as well as Sheila Rosenblum's Lady Sheila Stable have purchased interests in the colt.

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At Palm Beach Downs, trainer Todd Pletcher sent out two of his plethora of Kentucky Derby candidates – reigning Juvenile champion Fierceness and Sam F. Davis runner-up Agate Road, to breeze a half-mile in company in 48.54, the fastest of 27 works at the distance on Friday’s tab. Fierceness is currently penciled in to make his next start in the $1 million Florida Derby here on March 30 with Agate Road likely to head back north for the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 9.

Just F Y I clinched the champion 2-year-old filly title with this neck victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

-- additional reporting by David Grening

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