Signalman Works in Advance of Fountain of Youth

Graded stakes winner Signalman breezed five furlongs in 1:01.75 at Gulfstream Park Feb. 23, turning in a "solid" tuneup for next Saturday's $400,000 Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), the 1 1/16-mile final prep for the $1 million Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1) March 30.

"It was a nice, solid workout. We wanted a maintenance breeze. We didn't want to work too fast at this point in the season. We still have a couple months for the big races. This is a prep," trainer Kenny McPeek said. "This will be his first race of the season. This is a nice horse. He galloped out good."

Owned by Tommie Lewis, David Bernsen, and Magdalena Racing, Signalman worked in company with Harvey Wallbanger, whom McPeek saddled for an upset victory in the $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Holy Bull Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Feb. 2. Harvey Wallbanger was also clocked in 1:01.75.

"We're going to wait on Harvey. He still needs to get a little bigger and stronger for that next step," McPeek said. "We've got plenty of time. We're going to wait probably for the Florida Derby."

Signalman closed his 2018 campaign with a victory in the Nov. 24 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, where, three weeks earlier, he had closed from 12th to finish third in the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).

Dale Romans-trained Fountain of Youth nominees Everfast and Admire also breezed at Gulfstream Park Saturday morning.

"I'm not sure which one is running, but I'll figure it out in the next day or two," Romans said. "They both worked well enough to run."

Calumet Farm's Everfast breezed five furlongs in 1:02.52 in his first workout since finishing second, a length behind Harvey Wallbanger, in the Holy Bull at 128-1.

"He's just a little push-button horse. He goes out there and takes care of business," said Romans. "He doesn't wow you, but he just does things right."

Working in company with maiden winner Come On Gerry, who finished eighth in the Holy Bull, Admire was clocked in 1:00.82 for five furlongs.

"I just wanted him to show good energy and wanted him to do something and work kind of fast, and he did," Romans said.

Owned by Albaugh Family Stables, the son of Cairo Prince  finished fifth in the Feb. 2 Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack after breaking his maiden at Churchill Downs Nov. 24.