Shotski Remains in Florida to Target UAE Derby

Grade 2 winner Shotski, who was fourth in the Feb. 29 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), will remain at Gulfstream Park before leaving this month to head overseas for a planned start in the $2.5 million UAE Derby (G2) at Meydan.

Laurel Park-based trainer Jerry O'Dwyer said March 5 that Shotski, beaten a neck and a head for second in three-way photo finish with Candy Tycoon and As Seen On Tv behind frontrunning winner Ete Indien, came out of the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth in good order.

O'Dwyer plans to work Shotski once at Gulfstream and ship to Dubai for the 1 3/16-mile UAE Derby run March 28 at Meydan. The UAE Derby, won last year by Plus Que Parfait, offers 170 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

"He seems in good form, full of himself at the moment. Our primary plan is to keep him here in Florida with the plan to go to Dubai," said O'Dwyer, who trains Shotski for Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Pantofel Stable, and Howling Pigeon Farms. "That's what we're looking at right now. We've been talking about it. We're going to fly out of here on the 17th of March, so we'll keep him here, give him one breeze, and then head over there, all things being well."

Shotski drew post 9 in the Fountain of Youth, outside all but Ete Indien. With a short run to the first turn, Shotski was unable to move closer inside under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and encountered a wide trip while racing midpack, closing to within 2 1/2 lengths of the lead after a half-mile in :46.72.

"We're very happy with his performance, getting the trip that he got. He was stuck wide the whole way," O'Dwyer said. "They talked about how much further he had to run than the winner and all the other horses. I do feel we were the second-best horse in the race on the day. In racing, things don't always go your way. He ended up being fourth, and all things being equal, he probably should have been second."

Shotski, sent off at 15-1, found himself carried even farther out as he approached the stretch but continued on strong to the wire.

"We're a little disappointed in that, but we're proud of the horse's big effort. He had to fight for it the whole way," O'Dwyer said. "Johnny had to work pretty hard on him, and he got pushed out a little bit on the turn for home and couldn't get going and battled those other two horses. It's tough, tough racing with these 3-year-olds."

Shotski broke his maiden in his second start Oct. 3, the only race on his home track at Laurel Park. He was fourth in the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs four weeks later and then won the Dec. 7 Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack to close his 2-year-old season. He began his sophomore campaign running second in the Feb. 1 Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct before his Fountain of Youth bid.