Itsaknockout Breezes for Fountain of Youth

Undefeated 3-year-old Itsaknockout turned in his final breeze the morning of Feb. 15 in preparation for his stakes debut in the upcoming $400,000 Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth (gr. II) for trainer Todd Pletcher.



Breezing at Palm Beach Downs, Starlight Racing's Itsaknockout went four furlongs in company with maiden winner Khozan. They were both clocked in :48 4/5, the ninth-best of 18 works at the distance.



Itsaknockout will face his biggest test Feb. 21 in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. He is 2-for-2 in his brief career, opening his 2015 campaign with a 5 1/4-length romp Jan. 4 at Gulfstream in a mile allowance/optional claiming test.



"I thought he breezed well,"Pletcher said. "Pretty much everything has gone according to plan since his allowance win."



A son of Lemon Drop Kid  , Itsaknockout made his debut over the Gulfstream oval Dec. 7, prevailing in a stretch duel and holding off a late surge from stablemate Old Mountain Lane to score a nose victory. Pletcher said he was encouraged by the progress Itsaknockout has made since then.



"We were hoping (to see a performance like that) based on the way he trained," Pletcher said, reflecting on the runaway allowance win. "We thought he would run well. It was every bit as good as we'd hoped for."



Pletcher said since that race, Itsaknockout has continued to improve.



"I think he's developed well physically," he said. "He's done well mentally. He's always been a straightforward horse. He's gotten a little bit bigger and stronger. He's actually gained weight since his last race. He's a pretty easy horse to train. He does whatever you ask him to do. He's push button to that point. This will be the class test that will kind of define where he is."



The Fountain of Youth will be Itsaknockout's debut around two turns, but the colt is bred to go the distance. Lemon Drop Kid won the 1999 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) at 1 1/2 miles.



"I'm not concerned about the distance at all," Pletcher said.

 

Out of the winning Cherokee Run mare Stormy B, Itsaknockout was bred in Kentucky by Brookfield Stud. Starlight Racing, through bloodstock agent Frank Brothers, acquired the bay colt for $350,000 from the Dromoland consignment at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga select yearling sale.