NEWS
Super showdown set for Sunday in Fountain of Youth
Posted: Thursday, February 23, 2012 3:57 PM
UNION RAGS
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
by Tim Nichols
The $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) on Sunday will certainly not lack in star power as Algorithms, Union Rags, and Discreet Dancer will be part of a field of eight three-year-olds whose connections have eyes on the first Saturday in May.
The 1 1/16-mile race caps off a stellar weekend of racing at Gulfstream Park, which will host a total of five graded stakes on Saturday and Sunday.
The winner’s share of the Fountain of Youth purse may be enough to guarantee a spot in the field for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), which uses graded earnings to determine the 20-horse field. One Fountain of Youth entrant who will not have to worry about that is Union Rags.
Union Rags will make his three-year-old debut on Sunday after posting wins in the Champagne (G1) and Saratoga Special (G2) Stakes and a runner-up finish in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) as a juvenile. Phyills Wyeth’s homebred Dixie Union colt currently ranks second among all Triple Crown nominated horses by graded earnings with $830,000.
Much like his run in the Breeders’ Cup, Union Rags will have to contend with an outside post as he will break from post seven in the field of eight for trainer Michael Matz. Union Rags broke from post ten in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, won by eventual champion Hansen.
Unbeaten Holy Bull Stakes (G3) winner Algorithms will try to improve to four-for-four on his career in the Fountain of Youth. He easily navigated the one-mile Holy Bull in his first start beyond 6 1/2 furlongs on January 29.
Trained by Todd Pletcher for Starlight Racing, Algorithms won his first three starts by a total of 11 1/4 lengths. The Holy Bull came at the immediate expense of Hansen.
A wild card in the race may be the unbeaten Discreet Dancer, who will make his stakes debut in his third career start in the Fountain of Youth.
An E. Paul Robsham Stables homebred, Discreet Dancer demolished the competition in his first two starts. He won his debut by 9 3/4 lengths in a track-record time of 1:36.32 for 5 1/2 furlongs on December 3 at Gulfstream and followed with a 5 1/2-length romp in a one-mile optional claiming race on January 7, also at Gulfstream.
Also entered is Fort Loudon, a Jacks or Better Farm homebred who swept the Florida Stallion Stakes series as a juvenile but has failed to place in two attempts in graded stakes.
Gulfstream Park Derby runner-up Casual Trick, Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) fifth-place finisher Neck ‘n Neck, allowance winner Csaba, and maiden winner News Pending complete the field of eight.
Stakes entries available at Thoroughbred Times
Tim Nichols is Internet content editor of Thoroughbred Times.
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Hansenlover, Horseland, IL on February 25, 2012 at 04:21 PM
Very excited about this race! Rooting for discreet dancer!
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