Mohaymen Trying to Stay Undefeated in Fountain of Youth
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After winning two straight graded stakes races, Mohaymen comes into the Fountain of Youth as the favorite. (Photos by Eclipse Sportswire)
The 74th running of the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes offers a pretty nice $400,000 purse, but at this point on the Road to the Kentucky Derby points may be more important. In 2015, the cutoff point for the 20th horse eligible to run in the Derby was 20 points. Mohaymen not only is a perfect four-for-four in his career but also has 20 points under his belt, so even a third place finish (worth 10 points) may be good enough to secure his spot. However, having won the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes, the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes and the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes in succession, Mohaymen appears more likely to get the first (50 points) or second (20 points) place prize.
Two other recent stakes winners and a fast-improving horse making his third career start all have potential to win as well. Recent Grade 2 Swale Stakes winner Awesome Banner and recent Mucho Macho Man Stakes winner Awesome Speed attempt two turns for the first time but combined are six-for-seven in their careers. Zulu is two-for-two to date and also runs in a route for the first time but has shown a lot of ability. Golden Ray and Fellowship round out the field.
In a short field of six, the race becomes one of strategy as much as ability. As such, Awesome Banner may be able to control the tempo on the front end and place the other runners at a disadvantage. A perfect three-for-three to date and improving in each race, Awesome Banner won the Swale Stakes last month over the track in a breeze by five lengths with a career-best 102 Equibase Speed Figure. He ran the first three-quarters of a mile in 1:09.57 when winning the Hutcheson Stakes before that, then 1:08.88 in the Swale. No other horse in the Fountain of Youth field has experienced an early pace of that nature. It is likely the others will either be going faster than is comfortable for them in the early stages trying to stay in contact with Awesome Banner, resulting in their tiring late, or they will be much father back early and unable to make up the ground necessary to catch a lone frontrunner. In either scenario, Awesome Banner wins.
AWESOME BANNER RUNNING AWAY WITH THE SWALE
Mohaymen has also improved in every race since his debut last summer, culminating in a 106 Equibase Speed Figure when winning the Holy Bull Stakes last month over the track. In the Holy Bull, Mohaymen overcame trouble early in the race and once again displayed a lot of physical and mental ability, the kind that a horse needs to win the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May. There is no knocking him in any way except one, pace, as he closed into a 1:12.52 six furlong time in the Holy Bull and a 1:13.73 six furlong time before that in the Remsen. It could very well be Mohaymen can sit one to two lengths off the likely 1:10 - 1:11 six furlong fraction Awesome Banner is likely to set and still go by for the win, given how professional and athletic he has been to date.
Awesome Speed lost the first race of his career last August and is a perfect three-for-three since, improving to a 100 figure last month in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes. Being a son of Awesome Again, Awesome Speed has the breeding to stretch out just fine, and like Mohaymen he has shown the ability to come from off the pace, so if Awesome Banner can't lead all the way, Awesome Speed could be moving as a team with Mohaymen for a very exciting finish.
The rest of the field, with their best representative Equibase Speed Figures: Fellowship (97), Golden Ray (84) and Zulu (95).
My selections:Awesome BannerMohaymenAwesome Speed
$400,000 Xpresbet.com Fountain of Youth Stakes
Saturday, Feb. 27, Gulfstream Park, 5:30 p.m. ET
1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds, dirt
PP
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Odds
1
Fellowship
Jose Lezcano
Stanley Gold
Jacks or Better Farm
TBD
2
Zulu
John Velazquez
Todd Pletcher
Stonestreet Stables, Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier and Derrick Smith
TBD
3
Golden Ray
Miguel Angel Vasquez
Juan Andres Rodriguez
Golden Legacy Stable
TBD
4
Awesome Speed
Irad Ortiz Jr
Alan Goldberg
Colts Neck Stables
TBD
5
Awesome Banner
Jose Caraballo
Stanley Gold
Jacks or Better Farm
TBD
6
Mohaymen
Junior Alvarado
Kiaran McLaughlin
Shadwell Stable
TBD