Litfin: Gulfstream to Serve Up Deep Card March 4

The Road to the Kentucky Derby continues to heat up with two more 85-point qualifying races March 4 when  the $300,000 Gotham Stakes (G3) is run for the 65th time at Aqueduct Racetrack, and the 71st edition of the $400,000 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth (G2) caps a sensational card at Gulfstream Park.

Gulfstream's 13-race program—the deepest of the 2017 season anywhere to date—includes eight other stakes, seven of them graded, notably the 30th running of the $200,000 Davona Dale Stakes (G2), which drew a full gate of 14 3-year-old fillies.

A host of grade 1 winners make either their first or second appearance of the year: Catch a Glimpse and Celestine in the Sand Springs Stakes; Greenpointcrusader in the Fred W. Hooper Stakes (G3); and Wake Forest in the Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2). If that's not enough, a Rainbow 6 sequence with a $400,000 guaranteed jackpot payout begins with race 8, a loaded-looking maiden special weight where Fayeq, a half-brother to champion mare Rachel Alexandra, is slated to begin his career.

In addition to the Gotham, the Big A also puts on the $150,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational Stakes for older fillies and mares.

Gotham (Aqu, race 8, 4:50 ET): Everyone knows El Areeb (#4) is the one to beat as he comes off four consecutive victories by nearly 30 lengths, the last two romping wins in the Jerome (G3) and Withers (G3) stakes. Three of the horses he trounced in the Withers are back for more. It's difficult to envision the rematch going much better for runner-up True Timber (#6), who stumbled at the start but was able to set a slow pace. However, third-finisher J Boys Echo (#1) was coming off an 11-week layoff and caught wide early from post 10; he figures to be tighter and moves to the rail.

The new shooters to consider are So Conflated (#8), Cloud Computing (#9) and Action Everyday (#10).

So Conflated was re-routed here after drawing post 14 for last week's Risen Star (G2), and the California Derby winner is the only other stakes winner in the Gotham field. The Santa Anita Park-based son of Eskendereya is somewhat reminiscent of I Want Revenge, who was coming off a third in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) on the defunct synthetic surface, and blew up the 2009 Gotham by 8 1/2 lengths. Unlike that horse, though, So Conflated already has experience on dirt, running competitively against the likes of Sham (G3) runner-up American Anthem; Dabster, a $1 million Curlin colt; and Law Abidin Citizen, recently second in the San Vicente (G2).

Cloud Computing overcame a slow start to win his debut at six furlongs. Whether he can make the jump to 1 1/16 miles in a graded stake three weeks later remains to be seen, but his trainer, Chad Brown, won last year's Gotham with Shagaf, who was making just his third start.

Action Everyday makes his third start as well, but as we've seen recently, talent sometimes trumps experience: One Liner (like Action Everyday trained by Todd Pletcher) took the Southwest (G3) off two sprints Feb. 18; a week later, Girvin upset the Risen Star (G2) as a third-time starter.

Action Everyday gets blinkers after wandering around unfocused through the late stages of his allowance win at Tampa Bay Downs.

A - 4

B - 1

C - 8, 10

Fountain of Youth (GP, race 13, 6:05 ET): Irish War Cry (#8) puts his unblemished 3-for-3 record on the line after running onto everyone's short list of Triple Crown contenders with an eye-catching performance in the Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes (G2) four weeks ago, for which he earned a sharp 110 Equibase Speed Figure.

Things are much different this time, however. The scratch of Fact Finding in the Holy Bull left Irish War Cry as the controlling speed against just six opponents, and third-finisher Classic Empire, who was washy and plainly out of sorts prior to the start, came out of his puzzling sub par effort with a foot abscess. Now, Irish War Cry will have to deal with the speedy Takaful (#10), who was "Takawful" when basically eased in the Jerome at even money, but who will likely use his ample speed to try and clear the field in the very short run to the first turn. 

Three Rules (#7) was a solid second in the seven-furlong Swale Stakes (G2) a few races before the Holy Bull on the Feb. 4 card, and he has tactical speed as well.

Even if Irish War Cry can surmount these initial obstacles, there will still be late challenges forthcoming from Gunnevera (#2) and Practical Joke (#6).

Gunnevera probably wasn't beating Irish War Cry in the Holy Bull anyway, but he was clearly second best despite steadying and altering course late on the far turn. The two-time graded stakes winner is much improved since two sprint tries against Three Rules to begin his career last summer.

Dual grade 1 winner Practical Joke suffered his first loss when third in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). He is just getting started in this, his seasonal debut, but bear in mind his connections had Favorable Outcome ready to roll off the bench to take the Swale.

Whether he can handle dirt is a mystery, but due to circumstances (slow pace, traffic), Made You Look (#9) had absolutely no chance in the Kitten's Joy last time out as the 1-2 favorite, and he'll be more like 12-1 in this spot. The Fountain of Youth anchors a $300,000 pick five and a $600,000 pick four, and he's in the mix provided enough things go right beforehand.

A - 2, 6

B - 7, 8

C - 9

Davona Dale (GP, race 10, 4:34 ET): Getting alive in this opening leg of the pick four may be easier said than done, because despite their accomplishments, the two-time stakes winners Miss Sky Warrior (#7) and Pretty City Dancer (#12) haven't exactly busted any stopwatches thus far. The former ran basically the same figures winning three starts in front-running fashion last fall: a maiden graduation at six furlongs, followed by the one-mile Tempted (G3) and the 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle (G2) stakes. She can win, sure, but the presence of the stretch-out sprinter Yes I'll Go (#5) complicates matters for her up front.

As for Pretty City Dancer, whose first outing since a dead-heat win in the Spinaway Stakes (G1) was a grinding rally for second in the Forward Gal Stakes (G2) last month, the addition of blinkers may prove just what the doctor ordered.

As mentioned, Yes I'll Go is stretching out. The OBS Sprint winner will be on the lead as far as she goes, and it's worth noting her big-figure debut victory last fall remains her only start on a fast dirt track.

Eloquent Riddle (#9) was starting for only the second time when she ran third to Miss Sky Warrior in the Tempted, and her only subsequent outing came less than three weeks later when second in the Furlough Stakes, an effort that looks better now that the winner, Yorkiepoo Princess, has since taken the Ruthless and the Busher as well.

Modacious (#3) is light on seasoning, but as we've discussed, sometimes that doesn't matter when enough talent is there. In the case of this Uncle Mo   filly, she wouldn't have to improve more than a couple lengths based on her recent comeback behind Ghalia, a $600,000 filly who is 2 for 2 for Todd Pletcher.

A - 7, 12

B - 9

C - 3, 5