Weekend GamePlan for Feb. 29, 2020: Picks for Fountain of Youth, Palm Beach, Hutcheson

Sometimes a horseplayer or racing fan might wish tracks spread out their high-quality races over a series of cards, but the clustered, multi-race stakes day appears to be here to stay, and even the most jaded railbird would be hard-pressed to find fault with the Saturday program at Gulfstream Park.

There are not three, not six, but nine graded-stakes races on this marathon card, headlined by the Fountain of Youth Stakes, so let’s dive in.

Fountain of Youth

It’d be a real shame if Chance It winds up being scratched from this race because he drew post 12. The Falcon, a two-race maiden, is the least-qualified entrant, but you’d be hard, hard-pressed to make any sort of case for Masterday or Makadim, either. Yes, big fields are nice, but when they’re larded with no-hopers that compromise the real horses, that’s not so nice.

Here’s hoping Chance It runs, in part because he’ll take betting, but also to see how he fares on the heels of a game score in the one-turn-mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes, where he came back after being headed to beat As Seen On Tv, who also returns in the Fountain of Youth – with a much better draw in post 6. My immediate response to the Mucho Macho Man was skepticism, but that race now seems rock solid, as third-place Sole Volante came back to win the Sam Davis Stakes with aplomb.

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Chance It has worked well from the appearance of breeze videos, and the one work I could find from As Seen On Tv suggested he continues to grow and develop. His early races hinted at more sprint than route, but sire Lookin At Lucky often imparts stamina and As Seen On Tv certainly stayed the one-turn mile.

Both these will be longer prices than favored Dennis’ Moment, who’s set for his first start since a throw-out Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, where he began the race with about as bad a stumble as you’ll see. Dennis’ Moment’s pre-BC form stamped him as one of the leading members of his generation. At 2, Dennis’ Moment looked like a man among boys – which can lead to struggles at 3, when the later-maturing horses begin to catch up physically. Yes, this colt could absolutely wind up a leading Triple Crown hope, but to be frank, all his workouts leading to this start have left me cold, and at the expected price, I’ll play against him.

Ete Indien drew poorly in post 11, but his price figures to be square enough to chance that draw. Ete Indien showed high-level ability from the start; his career debut, a turf sprint where he appeared to have no chance at the quarter pole, is worth watching. He really appeared to struggle over the Keeneland grass course in the Bourbon, though he still posted the second-fastest finish in that race, and given his running style in those two grass starts, his forward placement in a pair of strong dirt showings this year has been a revelation. Ete Indien failed to change leads and drifted late when he turned back the decent Toledo in a one-turn mile allowance, but his staying-on second to top-shelf Tiz the Law looked considerably more professional. His turf work Feb. 16 in company with the very good Diamond Oops really caught the eye, and the strong supposition is that if there’s a pace battle brewing, Ete Indien can ease off the lead and still race effectively.

Palm Beach

Trainer Mike Maker rarely wins with first-time starters, so we can guess Fancy Liquor wasn’t pushed into his very encouraging winning debut. There were no fractions for this maiden route and Fancy Liquor might’ve controlled a slow pace, but he showed heart and ability coming back to win going away after the runner-up headed him in midstretch. Fancy Liquor has returned with two works and it won’t be a surprise if he can run just as well, if not better, with a target to chase.

Hutcheson

King Snake was a talking horse (a jockey’s valet touted him to me before the card!) when he debuted at Arlington last summer. He was very live, too, and probably would have won that race had his rider not appeared to assume victory was assured in the final furlong. He went to Prairie Meadows for his second start, ran all right, but simply didn’t stay two turns. Now’s it’s back to six furlongs, and King Snake’s work pattern at Fair Grounds ticks all the boxes. His debut Beyer came pretty early in the year, and if you project maturation and improvement atop that, he can easily run fast enough to win this at a decent price.