Tips and Analysis for the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream
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The South Florida road to the Kentucky Derby goes through Gulfstream Park on Saturday, when a competitive field of 12 contest the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes.
The field will not include morning-line favorite Mo Donegal, who will scratch from the race because of a minor illness. Mo Donegal, who had drawn a difficult outside post, will point instead toward the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 9.
Simplification, who ran second in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream last month, will likely inherit the betting favorite role in the Fountain of Youth, which is run at the same 1-1/16 mile distance. Trainers Dale Romans (Howling Time and Giant Game) and Bill Mott (High Oak and Galt) each have two entries in the race.
The Fountain of Youth offers 85 Kentucky Derby points to the top four finishers (50-25-10-5). The winner will be amply rewarded — in addition to the winner’s share of the purse, 50 points is enough to earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate on the first Saturday in May.
The Fountain of Youth is the middle leg of Gulfstream Park’s Derby stakes program. White Abarrio ($14) won the Holy Bull in February and is skipping the Fountain of Youth to prepare for the more lucrative $1 million Florida Derby on April 2.
Five horses have won the Fountain of Youth and the Kentucky Derby, but none since Orb in 2013.
The Road to the Kentucky Derby
This race is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series. Forty-eight races comprise the series, and points are awarded to the top four finishers. More points are available in the most important graded stakes races leading up to the Kentucky Derby on May 7.
This series began on Sept. 18 with the Iroquois for 2-year-old thoroughbreds at Churchill Downs. It will conclude with the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 16, three weeks before the Run for the Roses.
The winner of this week's race is awarded 50 points, the runner-up gets 25, the third horse earns 10 points and the fourth-place finisher gets five.
The field is limited to 20 horses, and we will be covering the series race by race. We will update the 2022 Kentucky Derby odds on an ongoing basis, so you should bookmark this page.
Current 2022 Kentucky Derby Qualifier Standings
| Rank | Horse | Points | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Epicenter | 64 | $340,000 |
| 2 | Un Ojo | 54 | $655,00 |
| 3 | Smile Happy | 30 | $314,410 |
| 4 | Ethereal Road | 20 | $200,000 |
| 5 | Barber Road | 18 | $339,700 |
| 6 | Classic Causeway | 16 | $246,100 |
| 7 | Pappacap | 14 | $562,000 |
| 8 | Zandon | 14 | $90,000 |
| 9 | White Abarrio | 12 | $186,850 |
| 10 | Mo Donegal | 12 | $161,500 |
| 11 | Rattle N Roll | 10 | $300,000 |
| 12 | Make It Big | 10 | $240,000 |
| 13 | Slow Down Andy | 10 | $184,000 |
| 14 | Major General | 10 | $177,525 |
| 15 | Dash Attack | 10 | $175,834 |
| 16 | Early Voting | 10 | $137,500 |
| 17 | Call Me Midnight | 10 | $123,500 |
| 18 | Courvoisier | 10 | $83,750 |
| 19 | Kavod | 7 | $248,500 |
| 20 | Commandperformance | 6 | $200,000 |
Fountain of Youth Stakes Distance, Purse, Date
2022 Race Date: Saturday, March 5
Track: Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida
Inaugural Race: 1945
Distance: 1 1/16 miles
Surface: Dirt
Status: Grade 2
Purse: $400,000
2021 winner: Greatest Honour
Fountain of Youth Field with Opening Lines and Odds
| Position | Horse | Trainer | Rider | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Markhamian | Juan Carlos Avilia | Marcos Meneses | 20-1 |
| 2 | Simplification | Antonio Sano | Jose L. Ortiz | 5-2 |
| 3 | Howling Time | Dale L. Romans | Joseph Talamo | 15-1 |
| 4 | In Due Time | Kelly J. Breen | Paco Lopez | 6-1 |
| 5 | Dean Delivers | Michael Yates | Miguel Angel Vasquez | 15-1 |
| 6 | Rattle N Roll | Kenneth G. McPeek | Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. | 8-1 |
| 7 | A.P.'s Secret | Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. | Tyler Gaffalione | 15-1 |
| 8 | Emmanuel | Todd A. Pletcher | Luis Saez | 3-1 |
| 9 | High Oak | William I. Mott | Junior Alvarado | 8-1 |
| 10 | Giant Game | Dale L. Romans | Corey J. Lanerie | 15-1 |
| 11 | O Captain | Gustavo Delgado | Javier Castellano | 30-1 |
| | | | ||
| 13 | Galt | William I. Mott | Joel Rosario | 15-1 |
NOTE: No. 12 Mo Donegal has been scratched
Picks and Analysis for 2022 Fountain of Youth Stakes
Simplification lost all chance at the start in the Holy Bull Stakes when he missed the break and was unable to utilize his tactical early speed. Yet he still ran a credible second and posted a solid speed figure. Looks formidable here with a better trip.
High Oak has been idle since September and could be dangerous at generous odds if he’s ready. The Bill Mott-trained colt won his first two career starts, including the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, then was a non-factor in the Grade I Hopeful. Don’t overlook.
With the withdrawal of Mo Donegal, trainer Todd Pletcher still has a formidable entry in Emmanuel, who is unbeaten in two career starts by a combined 14 lengths. This is a major step up in class, but Emmanuel may be that good and has several recent bullet workouts.
Final Recap
The Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream is another pivotal race in what already is an exciting 2022 sprint to the Triple Crown.
Since you are interested in the sport of kings, you should check out our horse race betting page. It contains a lot of great information, and we will be tightly focused on the Road Kentucky Derby every step of the way, so you should come back to visit us.
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