Youngest of Five goes long for first time

Youngest of Five will try to be the fastest of nine when he stretches out around two turns for the first time while facing winners for the first time in Thursday’s featured ninth race at Gulfstream Park, an optional claimer for older horses going 1 1/16 miles.

Youngest of Five, a 4-year-old gelding, had several interruptions to his career at both ages 2 and 3, which is the reason he did not make his debut until Feb. 27, trainer Stan Hough said Monday. But Youngest of Five is trying to make up for lost time. He was second in his debut going 6 1/2 furlongs, then came back 17 days later to easily defeat maidens in a one-turn mile while earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 79.

On Thursday, he goes long while facing several opponents – such as Admire and Moretti –who were stakes class earlier in their careers and are trying to get back to that form.

Youngest of Five landed post 2, an inside draw often invaluable with the abbreviated run to the first turn when going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream. Youngest of Five is a half-brother to the filly Tell a Great Story, who in 2013 won the listed Go for Wand at Delaware and was third in the Grade 2 Delaware Oaks.

“I think he’ll do well. He seems like he’ll like it,” Hough said of the extra distance.

Youngest of Five, a Sagamore Farms homebred by Super Saver, was close to racing several times at ages 2 and 3, but had setbacks that prevented him from starting. Hough said Youngest of Five had a chip taken out of a knee at age 2, then last year had hiccups early in the year at Palm Meadows and later in the year in Kentucky that forced the reset button to be hit.

“He’s a big, strong horse. Fortunately we were able to give him all the time he needed,” Hough said. “It’s important to give a horse that opportunity.”

Admire comes off a sharp second-place finish in a similar spot on March 15. This will be the third start off the layoff for the colt, who ran in the Withers, Tampa Bay Derby, and Blue Grass last year.

Moretti is part of a group of horses trainer Todd Pletcher moved to Florida after racing was suspended in New York. He comes off a second-place finish as the odds-on favorite in a first-level allowance at Laurel.

Pletcher also sends out Blewitt, who has disappointed in his two starts following a nine-month layoff.

The oldtimer To Dare, 8, is facing tougher company than in recent starts but is at his favorite track, where he has won six times. He is one of three horses in the race entered for a $25,000 claiming tag.

The 10-race card, with a listed post time of 1 p.m. Eastern, concludes with a mile maiden race on turf for 3-year-old fillies that features the debut of $1 million 2-year-old buy Mighty Road.