Victory Avenue to make next start in Fountain of Youth

Victory Avenue, second as the favorite in his career debut, will make his next start in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park on March 2, Ramiro Restrepo, who represents part of the colt’s ownership group said Wednesday.

Restrepo, of course, was part-owner of Mage, who won last year’s Kentucky Derby. Victory Avenue, like Mage, is trained by Gustavo Delgado.

Victory Avenue, a New York-bred son of Arrogate, was beaten 1 3/4 lengths by Speak Easy in a race where the final time was a sharp 1:21.96. In defeat, Victory Avenue earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure.

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“How many times did you run a 97 Beyer, run seven furlongs in 1:21-and-change and lose?” said Restrepo, who represents JR Ranch, one of many ownership interests in the horse. “The horse came out of it really well which is the most important thing.”

Restrepo pointed out that Mage, coming off a maiden win, ran fourth in the Fountain of Youth but those points – plus his runner-up finish in the Florida Derby – helped him earn enough points to get into the field.

“He doesn’t have to win it, he just has to keep improving,” Restrepo said. “The horse is showing all the right signs. How cool would it be to strike with another one?”

Victory Avenue will need a new rider for the Fountain of Youth. Luis Saez rode Victory Avenue in his maiden race, but is committed to ride Dornoch, the potential favorite coming out of a win in last December’s Grade 2 Remsen Stakes, in the Fountain of Youth. Dornoch is a full-brother to Mage.

Uncle Heavy returning to Parx

Uncle Heavy is expected to return to Parx Racing on Sunday morning to continue preparations for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 6, trainer Butch Reid said.

Uncle Heavy was forced to stable at a farm about 20 minutes from Parx immediately following his nose victory in the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct on Feb. 3. A quarantine of a barn at Belmont Park due to a suspected – and ultimately confirmed – case of equine herpesvirus that was announced mid-day Feb. 3 prompted Parx and other Mid-Atlantic tracks and training centers not to allow horses who trained or raced in New York to return to their facilities. A 21-day quarantine of that Belmont barn is set to expire on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Reid said considering the two-month spacing between the Withers and Wood Memorial, the inability to keep Uncle Heavy on a regular training schedule the last three weeks was not a big deal.

“If anything, it did him a little good. It got him away from the rigamarole of the racetrack,” Reid said. “I saw him the other day. He looks fantastic, he was fresh and alert.”

Reid said he will likely have time to get three works into Uncle Heavy leading up to the Wood Memorial.

Meanwhile, Reid said Maximus Meridius “had a beautiful breeze the other day” as he prepares for a start in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 2. On Feb. 16, Maximus Meridius worked five furlongs in 1:01.09, the fastest of 19 moves at the distance.

The Gotham, run as a one-turn mile, is the next Derby qualifying points race on the New York circuit.

Maximus Meridius, a son of Maximus Mischief, has won 2 of 3 starts. His lone loss was a third-place finish behind Frankie’s Empire in an allowance at Parx on Dec. 26. Frankie’s Empire came back to win the Swale Stakes at Gulfstream on Feb. 3.

Among those expected for the Gotham are Withers runner-up El Grande O and potentially a quartet of runners from the Brad Cox barn including Air Cav, Bergen, Just a Touch, and Lightline. Deposition and Khanate, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Withers; and Capital Idea and Deterministic, both from the barn of Christophe Clement, are others likely for the Gotham.

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