FOY Third O Captain a Late Nomination to Triple Crown
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
O Captain breaks his maiden at Gulfstream Park
The connections of O Captain are planning to seize the day with their Carpe Diem colt, and have made him eligible for the Triple Crown races with a $6,000 late nomination.
Trainer Gustavo Delgado further confirmed March 12 that the third-place finisher from the March 5 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park—an 87-1 shot in that race—will next contest the April 2 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at the South Florida track.
O Captain was 10th at the start of the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth and raced wide into the stretch, where he made a mild rally to finish third, a length by runner-up In Due Time . Simplification won by 3 1/2 lengths in a race marred by the falls of High Oak under Junior Alvarado and Galt with Joel Rosario aboard. The horses escaped serious injury, though Alvarado has not ridden since after injuring an ankle.
Racing for OGMA Investments and Jack Hardin Towell Jr., O Captain was a $17,000 purchase by Delgado's GDS Racing Stable from Woodford Thoroughbreds' consignment to the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He broke his maiden by 9 1/4 lengths going 5 1/2 furlongs in August 2021, then returned to the races this January to finish third in the six-furlong Limehouse Stakes, 8 1/2 lengths behind the winner. That race preceded the Fountain of Youth.
Late nominations to the Triple Crown series close March 28.