Uncertain Mo Donegal Favored in Fountain of Youth

A glance at the entries for the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park showed an highly interesting entrant in its 5-2 morning-line favorite, Mo Donegal .

But looks can be deceiving.

As much as Donegal Racing's son of Uncle Mo   was entered Feb. 28 in the 1 1/16-mile stakes at Gulfstream Park, the Remsen Stakes (G2) winner may not be on hand March 5 when the field breaks from the starting gate.

Jerry Crawford, Donegal's CEO, said Monday he will converse with trainer Todd Pletcher March 1 after entries are announced to decide on whether or not Mo Donegal will run Saturday.

In a perfect world, Crawford would prefer a different race for Mo Donegal, who was third by 4 1/2  lengths while making his 3-year-old debut in the Feb. 5 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park. But the other options are limited.

"If I could, I would like to run Mo Donegal longer than a mile-and-a-sixteenth," Crawford said. "I would like to run in a race without a short stretch. I would like to run over a track that is not speed favoring. Let's just say, the Fountain of Youth is not the perfect scenario for our horse."

Not helping the decision was landing post 12 when a field of 13 (with one also-eligible entrant) was drawn Monday.

But if not the Fountain of Youth, then what? Especially with Crawford hoping to use the April 9 Wood Memorial Presented by Resorts World Casino (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack as Mo Donegal's final prep for the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

The March 12 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) is also at 1 1/16 miles and, with just 12 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, training up to the Wood could be risky for the $250,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

"If we train up to the Wood and something goes a little wrong we could be wishing we had picked up some more (Kentucky Derby) points before it," Crawford said.

Mo Donegal, who was bred in Kentucky by Ashview Farm and Colts Neck Stables, is currently 10th on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard. His 12 points is a total unlikely to crack the Top 20 in normal years, but this is hardly the typical Triple Crown chase with a total of 83 points already vacated by ineligible Bob Baffert-trained horses and much more than that likely to come in the weeks ahead.

A total of 85 Kentucky Derby qualifying points will be up for grabs in the Fountain of Youth, with 50 going to the winner, which would assure that 3-year-old of a spot in the Run for the Roses.

In the end, Mo Donegal was scratched from the Fountain of Youth due to a fever.

Even without Mo Donegal, the Fountain of Youth drew a solid field that also includes another entrant from Pletcher in the undefeated Emmanuel . Owned by WinStar Farm and Siena Farm, the son of More Than Ready   will be tested in stakes company for the first time after posting an allowance optional claiming win at Tampa Bay Downs and a maiden victory at Gulfstream Park.

"He broke his maiden here. We know he likes the track," Pletcher said about the 9-2 third choice in the Fountain of Youth. "We like the timing of the Fountain of Youth. It puts him in a good position, if he runs well enough, to take a look at the Florida Derby (G1).

"He has a bit of a larger physical presence than a lot of the More Than Readys we've had," Pletcher added. "He's a good-sized, strong colt with a really good More Than Ready disposition. He's a very straightforward, very professional, smart colt."

The field also includes Tami Bobo's Simplification  (7-2) who was second in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull, a head in front of Mo Donegal.

"The bad news in his last race, he didn't win. The good news, we know he can run from behind and run in the front," trainer Antonio Sano said. "Each day, he is a more serious horse. Maybe before he was a little green, but right now, he has more concentration. He's a different horse of all the horses I have."

Edge Racing's In Due Time  (6-1) will also make his stakes debut for trainer Kelly Breen, trying two turns for the first time after an impressive Feb. 4 allowance optional claiming win over the highly regarded American Icon  at Gulfstream Park.

The starters also include a pair of promising grade 1 and grade 2 winners at 2 making their 3-year-old debut.

Lucky Seven Racing's Rattle N Roll  (12-1) will be making his first start since a 4 1/4-length victory in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) in October.

"He's a beautiful horse to be around. He's a bit of a set-up horse," trainer Kenny McPeek said. "He needs pace in front of him. That's out of our control, but we're looking to get two races into him before Kentucky and go from there."

LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's High Oak  (8-1) won the Saratoga Special Stakes Presented by Miller Lite (G2) before closing out his juvenile campaign with a fourth in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) for trainer Bill Mott.

Trainer Dale Romans will send out a pair in Albaugh Family Stables' Howling Time  and West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables' Giant Game , who was third in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1).

Howling Time (15-1) has not raced since a fifth in the Nov. 27 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2), while Giant Game (15-1) was a well-beaten eighth in the Holy Bull.

Also among the entrants are Gentry Farm's A. P.'s Secret , who has won 2 of 3 career starts, all at Gulfstream, for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., and OXO Equine's Galt , a full brother to Songbird trained by Mott, who is on the also-eligible list in post 13 and will need a scratch in order to run.

Entries: Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. (G2)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 05, 2022, Race 12

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo
• 5:42 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Markhamian (FL)	Marcos Meneses	120	Juan Carlos Avila	20/1
2	Simplification (FL)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	Antonio Sano	7/2
3	Howling Time (KY)	Joseph Talamo	120	Dale L. Romans	15/1
4	In Due Time (KY)	Paco Lopez	120	Kelly J. Breen	6/1
5	Dean Delivers (FL)	Miguel Angel Vasquez	118	Michael Yates	15/1
6	Rattle N Roll (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	123	Kenneth G. McPeek	12/1
7	A. P.'s Secret (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	120	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	20/1
8	Emmanuel (KY)	Luis Saez	120	Todd A. Pletcher	9/2
9	High Oak (KY)	Junior Alvarado	120	William I. Mott	8/1
10	Giant Game (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Dale L. Romans	15/1
11	O Captain (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Gustavo Delgado	30/1
12	Mo Donegal (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	123	Todd A. Pletcher	3/1
13	Galt (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	William I. Mott	12/1