Prevalence Prepares for Second Start at Gulfstream

Prevalence, an 8 1/2-length maiden winner in his debut Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, breezed five furlongs in 1:01 Feb. 12 at Palm Meadows Training Center toward a planned second race later this month at Gulfstream. 

A homebred Medaglia d'Oro  3-year-old colt owned by Godolphin, he is likely to run next in either the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) Feb. 27 or an allowance optional claiming race scheduled a couple of days earlier. The former is 1 1/16 miles, the latter a sixteenth farther.

A two-turn allowance race scheduled before last month's Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream did not attract sufficient entries to be carded.

Prevalence's work Friday was his second since his exciting first-out victory in which he pressed the pace and drew away to complete seven furlongs in 1:23 under Tyler Gaffalione. The breeze followed an easy half-mile workout in :51 2/5 at Palm Meadows Feb. 6.

"He ran so well at Gulfstream the last time we would probably like to keep him in something at Gulfstream. There's the Fountain of Youth and there's an allowance race there, as well. It's probably going to be one or the other," trainer Brendan Walsh said.

Prevalence was sent off at 7-1 in his unveiling, which drew a full field of 12, including runner-up and fellow first-time starter Stage Raider, a half brother to 2018 Triple Crown champion Justify . 

He was pegged at 20-1 morning-line odds in the pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager that began noon ET Friday and that continues through 6 p.m. Feb. 14. He was 16-1 odds as of 1:45 p.m. ET Friday.

"I thought he was a good horse before he ran, but did I expect him to do what he did? Absolutely not, especially one of mine first time out," Walsh said. "They generally improve, so I would like to think that this guy has some improvement in him. We won't get too carried away. We'll move on to the next one, and he'll be given plenty of chances to prove himself as we go forward."

The 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth is the next step for 3-year-olds on Gulfstream's road to the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1) March 27. The Fountain of Youth is expected to lure some of the top 3-year-olds stabled in Florida, perhaps including graded stakes winners Fire At Will and Greatest Honour.

"We'll just see how he does here over the next few weeks and go from there. We'll let him tell us," Walsh added. "He'll probably have just a little work next weekend at some stage. If we go to the Fountain of Youth or the allowance race, he'll probably do a little bit next Friday or Saturday and that should set him up right."