Medal Count Likely for Fountain of Youth
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Trainer Dale Romans said he is leaning toward running Medal Count in the $400,000 Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park Feb. 22.
Owned by Spendthrift Farm, the son of Dynaformer rebounded from an unplaced effort in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. II) Nov. 2 to win an allowance on the Gulfstream grass in a dead heat Jan. 12.
Medal Count has breezed four times since that effort, most recently covering five furlongs in 1:01.02 Feb. 15 at Gulfstream.
"I think we're going to run," Romans said. "He worked great going five-eighths. He's a good horse and does everything right."
A $360,000 yearling purchase, Medal Count aired by 6 1/4 lengths in his off-the-turf debut at Ellis Park Sept. 1. He followed that with a close fifth in the Bourbon Stakes (gr. III) that was washed onto the Keeneland Polytrack a month later. He completed the year with an 11th-place finish in the Breeders' Cup, fading after racing too close to a fast pace.
Medal Count would be part of a large field expected for the Fountain of Youth, Gulfstream's major prep for the Besilu Stables Florida Derby (gr. I) March 29.