Shotski Tunes Up for Fountain of Youth
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Robert Mauhar
Shotski wins the Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Ridden by trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer, Shotski tuned up for the Feb. 29 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park with a four-furlong breeze Feb. 22 at Laurel Park.
Shotski, who won the Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack in December, worked from the gate in company, covering the half-mile distance in :48 2/5, the fourth-fastest of 36 at the distance.
"He's a pretty laid-back horse. We just wanted to make sure that he did a proper piece of work in his final preparation before his next race," O'Dwyer said. "He came out of the gate, broke good. He did it very good. We just let him run away from there and kept them both in hand in company."
Owned by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Pantofel Stable, and Howling Pigeon Farms, Shotski is scheduled to ship to South Florida on Tuesday. He will be stabled in trainer Bill Mott's barn on the Gulfstream backstretch.
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez is scheduled to ride the son of Blame in the 1 1/16-mile prep for the March 28 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream. Shotski won gate-to-wire in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen in his first start around two turns, then set the pace before finishing second in the Feb. 1 Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct in his 3-year-old debut.
"I'm very happy with my horse," O'Dwyer said. "It's hard to be super confident. I never like to get bullish about my horses. I'm just really happy with my horse, the way he breezed this morning, the way he moved, the way he pulled up. I can't do any more. The ball isn't in my court anymore. It's up to the horse and Johnny Velazquez. Hopefully, he's good enough to compete with those nice horses down there."
Shotski is on course to face Dennis' Moment and Chance It in the Fountain of Youth. Dale Romans-trained Dennis' Moment, the Iroquois Stakes (G3) winner who was eliminated from serious contention by a stumbling start in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Park in November, is scheduled to breeze Sunday at Gulfstream Park. Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Chance It, who won the Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream, is also expected to breeze Sunday.