South American import Huracan Americo possible for Fountain of Youth

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Among the paddock schoolers at Gulfstream Park on Wednesday was Huracan Americo, a Group 1 winner in his native Chile at 2 who is currently being pointed toward a possible start in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 4.

Huracan Americo, a son of 2010 Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer, won the 1 1/2-mile Derby Nacional on Nov. 6 in Lima. He arrived at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 20 and is being trained by Dante Zanelli Jr., who brought another Peruvian Group 1 winner, Tomcito, here nine years ago to finish third, a dozen lengths behind Big Brown, in the 2008 Florida Derby. Tomcito ultimately finished sixth in the Grade 2 Lexington but never ran in any of the Triple Crown races that year.

Huracan Americo has worked once since arriving locally, five furlongs in 1:02.60, with jockey Edgar Prado aboard.

“We just wanted to give him an easy work and let him do a little bit the last quarter-mile, and he finished up well,” Zanelli said.