NEWS
High Yield in Fountain of Youth
Posted: Saturday, February 26, 2000
Lukas colt wins by 3 1/4 lengths over speed-favoring track
D. Wayne Lukas glanced at the company he was keeping.
To his immediate right on February 19 at Gulfstream Park stood Michael Tabor, owner of 1995 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Thunder Gulch. To his left were Bob and Beverly Lewis, owners of Derby winners Silver Charm (1997) and Charismatic ('99).
"You know, all the people here know their way around Churchill Downs," Lukas smiled. "We'll have no trouble finding our way."
Ten weeks before the Derby, Lukas-who has trained four Derby winners, including Thunder Gulch and Charismatic-was beginning to make plans. This is, after all, Lukas's time of year, when the Racing Hall of Fame trainer starts to think about roses and the first Saturday in May. And on a lovely afternoon at Gulfstream, Lukas took a giant step forward with High Yield, a Storm Cat colt owned by Tabor, the Lewises, and Susan Magnier.
Racing on a fast track that favored inside speed, High Yield led at every call while skimming the rail under jockey Pat Day to win the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G1) by 3 1/4 lengths over Holy Bull Stakes (G3) winner Hal's Hope. Rhythm Stakes winner Elite Mercedes finished third while Champagne (G1) and Remsen Stakes (G2) winner Greenwood Lake closed from another area code to finish fourth.
"The knock on him was that he let horses run by him," Lukas said of High Yield. "But he didn't let anyone run by him today."
High Yield, who finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) over the Gulfstream track on November 6, covered the Fountain of Youth's 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.56. It was his third victory in ten starts, and it stamped him as one of the horses to beat in the Florida Derby (G1) on March 11.
Without question, Gulfstream's racing surface favored horses on the front. In seven races for three-year-olds on the February 19 program, the horse that went to the front never relinquished the lead. In fact, the top three finishers in the Fountain of Youth never changed positions from just after the start to when they crossed the finish line.
"I couldn't have changed positions even if I wanted to," said jockey Jerry Bailey, who rode Elite Mercedes.
Fountain of Youth S. (G1)
Gulfstream Park, February 19, $200,000, 11/16 miles, fast, 1:42.56
1-HIGH YIELD, c. 3, Storm Cat-Scoop the Gold, by Forty Niner.
2-Hal's Hope, c. 3, Jolie's Halo-Mia's Hope, by Rexson's Hope.
3-Elite Mercedes, c. 3, Mercedes Won-Elite Dancer, by Northern Jove
"You can't come from behind," said jockey Mike Smith, who rode Cradle and Hawthorne Juvenile Stakes winner Deputy Warlock to a seventh-place finish in the field of 11 three-year-olds.
"It's very hard for a closer to win here; it's been impossible since the track's existence," said trainer Nick Zito, who saddled Greenwood Lake.
Lukas dismissed the suggestion that the track helped to carry High Yield to the winner's circle. "We can only run over the strip you give us," Lukas said. "We made our adjustments."
Switch to Day
And you could say the adjustments started several weeks ago when Bailey, who rode High Yield in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, "called an audible," Lukas said, and jumped to Captain Steve, the Hollywood Futurity (G1) winner trained by Bob Baffert. Meanwhile, Corey Nakatani, who had ridden High Yield to second-place finishes in the Hollywood Futurity on December 18 and the Santa Catalina Stakes (G2) on January 30, committed to ride Greenwood Lake. It was then that Lukas decided Day-who rode another Storm Cat colt, Cat Thief, to victory in the Breeder's Cup Classic (G1) for Lukas-was the perfect fit.
"Storm Cats, as a rule, don't like to be cowboyed," Lukas said. "Pat has a marvelous set of hands; he sits very still. I thought it'd be like peanut butter and jelly when you hooked these two up."
With the track favoring speed, Lukas and Day agreed that if High Yield broke sharply, Day would not fight to rate the colt. "Just milk it," Lukas told Day. Sure enough, High Yield went right to the front. Hal's Hope, who was bumped at the start, was moved into second by jockey Roger Velez.
And around they went in that order. With Hal's Hope never more than 1 1/2 lengths behind, High Yield and Day cruised on the front through fractions of :23.25, :46.01, and 1:09.88 for six furlongs. Approaching the final turn, Velez inched Hal's Hope alongside High Yield, and the two entered the final turn together.
"I wasn't concerned when Hal's Hope came alongside," Lukas said. "I was just a little concerned with the 1:09 and change."
Pulls away in stretch
But with Day riding the fence and the front, Lukas had nothing to be concerned about. Despite a game effort by Hal's Hope, High Yield began to pull away from his closest challenger just before the eighth pole. By the time Day hit the sixteenth pole, he was safely on his way to a victory aboard High Yield. "He was well within himself all the way," Day said.
The Rose Family Stable's Hal's Hope, who washed out a bit before the race and acted up in the starting gate, "fought hard," Velez said. "The track was helping speed, and I didn't get a clean break. But I think he'll improve off this."
The sentiment was echoed by W. Elliott Walden, who saddled WinStar Farm's and Peter Wittmann's Elite Mercedes, who made his first start since November 7, when he won the Rhythm Stakes over the Gulfstream track during the Breeders' Cup meet. "He's an always-trying colt," Walden said. "He got a little tired in the end."
Also coming away with an optimistic view was Ken McPeek. Despite not racing since November 13 and breaking from the outside post position, Select Stable's Deputy Warlock made up ground after racing 11th early. "I can't say I'm upset," McPeek said. "He came running at the end. He finished well, and it's still early on."
Even after watching Greenwood Lake's chances get compromised for the second time this winter at Gulfstream-he finished sixth in the Holy Bull on January 15-Zito said he probably would remain at Gulfstream for the Florida Derby.
"We could go to another track," Zito shrugged, "but racing here puts you in a better position for things later in the year. You know, two weekends ago (in the Donn Handicap [G1]) we were blessed with an inside post and a horse on the lead (with Stephen Got Even). That's just the way it goes."
For Lukas, High Yield is another expensive yearling purchase with a chance to deliver a sizable dividend. Tabor, Bob and Beverly Lewis, and the Magniers (Susan's husband is John Magnier, head of Coolmore Stud) all got together and decided to buy High Yield for $1,050,000 at the 1998 Keeneland July sale. John Magnier and Tabor, who frequently buy in partnership, are advised by Demi O'Byrne, a leading international bloodstock agent.
"We were all sitting together," Bob Lewis said. "We decided we liked the horse, and we talked to Sue and John Magnier and said why not be partners."
Lukas smiled. "Demi O'Byrne said, ÔWe're going to buy this s.o.b., and that's it.' " The colt, out of the Forty Niner mare Scoop the Gold, was bred in Pennsylvania by Elizabeth Moran's Brushwood Stable.
Lukas understands many of the top three-year-olds were not in the Fountain of Youth. He also understands, as he says, that "the steps (to Kentucky) get steeper the further you go." But after watching High Yield's performance at Gulfstream-and believing the colt's pedigree will help him into the spring-Lukas said he was optimistic about the road ahead.
"There'll be so much speculation (about the Fountain of Youth), some will put a different slant on it, but that's what makes horse racing-that's what makes the (Kentucky) Derby what it is, such an international event," Lukas said. "But you've got to put (High Yield) up there with the best there is."
Lukas's Cash Run
It turned out to be a huge weekend for Lukas. A day after High Yield's Fountain of Youth victory, Lukas completed a sweep of the weekend stakes-all for three-year-olds-at both Gulfstream and Fair Grounds.
On February 20, Lukas watched Padua Stables' Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Cash Run power away from eight other fillies to win the $100,000 Davona Dale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream by seven lengths. Just a few minutes after witnessing Cash Run's victory, Lukas watched a television monitor as Padua three-year-old colt Exchange Rate won the Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds. A day earlier, Lukas-trained Shawnee Country upset Chilukki in Fair Grounds's Davona Dale Stakes (G3).
Davona Dale S. (G2)
Gulfstream Park, February 20, $100,000, 1 mile 70 yards, fast, 1:40.37
1-CASH RUN, f. 3, Seeking the Gold-Shared Interest, by Pleasant Colony.
2-Regally Appealing, f. 3, Valid Appeal-Regal Pennant, by Banner Bob.
3-Secret Status, f. 3, A.P. Indy-Private Status, by Alydar.
Cash Run, who won the Juvenile Fillies at Gulfstream on November 6 at odds of 32-to-1, seemed to earn no respect off that race. The Seeking the Gold filly was the second betting choice in the Davona Dale behind Secret Status, a two-time winner at the meet. But the Davona Dale served as little more than a showcase for Cash Run, who covered the race's mile and 70 yards in 1:40.37.
"The Breeders' Cup a fluke now?" Lukas asked with a smile.
Purchased by Padua in 1998 for $1.2 million, Cash Run has won four of eight starts. And, despite following up her Breeders' Cup performance with a second-place finish in the Golden Rod Stakes (G3) in November and a fourth-place finish January 23 in the Santa Ynez Stakes (G2), Lukas felt better things were coming.
"I was very critical of her race in California (the Santa Ynez)," Lukas said. "She'd been training beautifully. But the next day she came down with a slight temperature, and I think maybe that was affecting her during the race."
Cash Run's only problem in the Davona Dale appeared to be breaking from the ninth post position. But, despite going four wide around the first turn and three widths off the rail down the backstretch, Cash Run was on the lead after a :46.73 half-mile and a head in front of Forward Gal Stakes (G2) winner Miss Inquistive.
"We got hung a little wide but, with the post, I kind of thought that would happen," Bailey said.
Despite a game effort by Miss Inquistive, who hung tough for trainer Frank Passero Jr., Cash Run opened up on her opponents down the stretch and drove off to an impressive victory. Secret Status finished third over Regally Appealing. "I guess this showed the Breeders' Cup was not a fluke," said Bailey, echoing Lukas's sentiments.
"This filly is very underrated," Lukas said. "I shipped her here because she ran well here in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, and it looks like it was the smart thing to do."
Lukas is smart enough not to mess with success. Cash Run will remain at Gulfstream for the Bonnie Miss Stakes (G2) on March 16, closing day of the meet.
Mr. Livingston's Palm Beach
Bill Kaplan has had some nice horses over the years, and the Calder Race Course-based trainer has another in Teresa and David Palmer's three-year-old colt Mr. Livingston.
A Kentucky-bred son of El Prado (Ire), Mr. Livingston led throughout on February 14 to win the Palm Beach Stakes (G3) by 2 1/4 lengths over Martin Binn's Powerful Appeal. Kennet Valley Thoroughbred's Gateman (GB) was a head behind in third, while Tropical Park Derby (G3) winner Go Lib Go was no factor and finished sixth.
Mr. Livingston, who covered 1 1/8 miles on a firm turf course in 1:48.04 under jockey Shane Sellers, has now won three of six turf starts and has not finished worse than third. After finishing second in the Tropical Park Derby, the colt won a Gulfstream grass allowance race on February 3.
Kaplan, who trained 1996 Spectacular Bid Stakes (G3) winner Seacliff, said: "I think this horse will run on dirt, and maybe we'll try him on dirt in the spring. But for the time being we'll stay on the grass. I don't think he has any distance limitations. I give a lot of credit to (bloodstock agent) Ann Carter, who pointed this horse out to the Palmers from the beginning."
NOTEBOOK-Along with High Yield, some other three-year-olds made noteworthy appearances on the Fountain of Youth card. Dogwood Stable's Trippi, an End Sweep colt, remained undefeated in two starts by winning an allowance. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Bailey, Trippi won for fun-by 9 1/4 lengths-while covering seven furlongs in 1:22.29. Meanwhile, Zito saddled William Condren's Bare Outline for a mild upset in a $75,000 allowance race. A son of Broad Brush who needed four starts to break his maiden, Bare Outline led throughout to win in 1:43.90 for 1 1/16 miles. What a Pleasure Stakes (G3) winner Tahkodha Hills could not close on the winner and finished second. ... The main track was not the only speed-favoring surface at Gulfstream. Arthur Appleton's multiple stakes winner Federal Trial made quite an impression on February 19 when, returning from a five-month layoff, he set a course record for 1 1/16 miles while winning an allowance race. Federal Trail raced to an easy victory in 1:39.08, besting the previous mark of 1:39 1/5 shared by Paradise Creek (1994) and Roman Envoy ('92). ... Debby Oxley's Matron (G1) and Frizette (G1) Stakes winner Darling My Darling came back from a 14-week layoff to win a Gulfstream allowance race on February 20.
Dave Joseph is the Turf writer for the Fort Lauderdale News/Sun-Sentinel.
Summer Note hurt,off classics trail
Greg Besinger's Summer Note became one of the first major casualties of this year's Triple Crown chase when trainer Randy Morse informed Gulfstream Park officials on February 14 that the colt had torn a tendon in his left front leg while training at the Miami-area track.
The son of Notebook, undefeated in three starts, was being pointed toward Gulfstream's Fountain of Youth Stakes (G1), won by High Yield on February 19. In his first start of the year, Summer Note finished in a dead heat for the win with More Than Ready in Gulfstream's seven-furlong Hutcheson Stakes (G2) on January 29.
Summer Note's defection forced Churchill Downs to revise the field for its first Kentucky Derby (G1) future wager on February 14 just hours after the official field for the wager was announced. Summer Note was replaced by San Vicente Stakes (G2) winner Archer City Slew.
