Mage Camp Ponders Options for Talented Victory Avenue

OGMA Investments, JR Ranch, Upland Flats Racing, Morplay Racing, and High Step Racing's well-regarded 3-year-old maiden Victory Avenue , beaten as the favorite in his debut last month, returned to the work tab Feb. 9 at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Gustavo Delgado, Victory Avenue went four furlongs in :48.76 over a fast main track before offering a strong gallop-out. It was the first timed breeze since finishing second as the favorite in a seven-furlong maiden special weight Jan. 27 on the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) undercard.

Delgado's son and assistant, Gustavo Delgado Jr., was pleased with Friday's work and said the Arrogate colt could return in a 1 1/8-mile maiden special weight for 3-year-olds Feb. 24 at Gulfstream. Jockey Luis Saez, who was aboard in debut, will be riding in Saudi Arabia that day, however.

"He went good this morning. It was everything you want to see in a horse," Delgado Jr. said. "We're stretching him out a little bit. Wherever he's running, whether it's going to be the maiden race or whatever, he's going to go long. That's what we're looking for. I think he's a nice horse. He's a little bit green still, but he came out of his race that good. He ran so good. How many times you run a 97 Beyer (Speed Figure) and you get beat? It happens.

"Luis is not going to be here to ride him if we decide to go on the 24th ... so that's why we're (undecided)," he added. "I'm excited. He's a nice horse. I think he's still developing, and we don't know where he's going to end."

Delgado Jr. hinted another possibility is the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) going 1 1/16 miles one week later, March 2. Last year, the same connections saw Mage win his debut on Pegasus Day at Gulfstream, run fourth in the Fountain of Youth and second in the Florida Derby (G1) before winning the Kentucky Derby (G1).

In his debut, Victory Avenue broke inwardly but set the pace for a half-mile through splits of :22.64 and :44.61 before he was overtaken by eventual winner Speak Easy  entering the stretch. He wound up 1 3/4 lengths behind Speak Easy at the wire in a race in which the latter sizzled seven furlongs in 1:21.96.

"We're going to keep an eye on (the Fountain of Youth)," Delgado Jr. said. "Last week we were expecting the horse to win. Look at the time and look what happened. If you want to make it to the Derby, you can't depend on one single race to get the points. Last year we learned that with Mage. He ran fourth and he got 10 points and then ran second in the Florida Derby. If he had only been in the Florida Derby, maybe at the end because of the scratches, he would have made it but not in the original 20.

"(Victory Avenue) will tell us whether he's ready to run," he added. "But the way he did it today, he is."