Hidden Scroll Has Plenty to Prove in Fountain of Youth

In just more than a minute and a half, so much changed for the connections of Hidden Scroll.

During the undercard of the biggest racing day of the early 2019 racing season, Juddmonte Farms' Hard Spun  colt went from an unknown, unraced 3-year-old to the "it" horse of the moment in the ever-present discussion about Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) prospects.

Moments after Hidden Scroll romped by 14 lengths on a sloppy Gulfstream Park main track ahead of the Jan. 26 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), the calls started to flood in.

Juddmonte general manager Garrett O'Rourke was in Ireland on the day of the race and said his cell phone "erupted," which may or may not have been the reason his phone crashed and stopped working that day.

"It was the same for us as it was for everybody else," O'Rourke said of the excitement surrounding Hidden Scroll's debut win. "(Trainer) Bill (Mott) said he was nice, and he always seemed like a nice horse when he was (at Juddmonte) and (training as a 2-year-old) at Churchill Downs, but I don't think the expectation was there for anybody that he'd do what he did.

"It went from a hope that he would win to, 'My God, is that for real?' But once the dust settles, you have to go back and figure out if there is an explanation for it. Could it really be that good? Could the mud have moved him up and moved others back? But he came out of it in good shape, and he's worked as well on a dry track. Touching wood saying this, but all the pointers have been positive."

Road to the Kentucky Derby Points Standings

So with those signs apparent, Hidden Scroll will attempt to make another leap in racing's consciousness in the $400,000 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) March 2 at Gulfstream—from hyped maiden winner to serious Derby contender.

But even after the debut romp, the tone from his connections is cautiously optimistic, even if there is an undercurrent of excitement ready to burst.

"The expectation is that Saturday everything comes closer together, with the unknown of the dry track and his ability level," O'Rourke said. "But even for everyone back at the farm, for everyone who was around him, it raises the buzz and excitement. Everyone is thinking about a Derby prospect."

Of the 10 other colts entered in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream, the most accomplished is Tommie Lewis, Steve Crabtree, Dean Demaree, David Bernsen, Jim Chambers, and Magdalena Racing's Signalman. The Kenny McPeek-trained son of General Quarters won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) last time out Nov. 24 at Churchill and placed in a pair of grade 1 events—the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (second) and the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (third).

WINCZE HUGHES: Signalman Breaks Through in Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes

"I think my colt, Signalman, is certainly the most experienced at the highest level," McPeek said. "He's already beaten some of them that are running back in there, and there are other ones that are unknown quantities. But you got to get them ready and bring them over there and get the job done. I'm pretty confident going over there, but we'll find out Saturday."

The only other graded winner in the field is R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables' undefeated Vekoma, who enters the Fountain of Youth off a 1 3/4-length score in the Nashua Stakes (G3) Nov. 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack for trainer George Weaver.

BLOODHORSE STAFF: Nashua Gives Vekoma Graded Win in Second Start

Another undefeated colt, Sagamore Farm and WinStar Farm's Global Campaign, lacks stakes experience but brings recent quality form. The Curlin  colt trained by Stanley Hough debuted Jan. 5 at Gulfstream and took the seven-furlong dirt test by 5 3/4 lengths, then came back Feb. 9 to win a 1 1/16-mile first-level allowance by 2 1/4 lengths.

The final last-out winner in the field is Bourbon War, who took a Gulfstream allowance by 2 1/4 lengths Jan. 18 and finished fourth in his only stakes start—the Dec. 1 Remsen Stakes (G2).

Entries: Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. (G2)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 02, 2019, Race 13

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo
• 5:32 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Code of Honor (KY)	John R. Velazquez	116	Claude R. McGaughey III	6/1
2	2Epic Dreamer (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	116	Kelly J. Breen	20/1
3	3Gladiator King (KY)	Jorge Solorzano	120	Jaime Mejia	50/1
4	4Bourbon War (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	116	Mark A. Hennig	10/1
5	5Vekoma (KY)	Manuel Franco	122	George Weaver	7/2
6	6Signalman (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Kenneth G. McPeek	9/2
7	7Hidden Scroll (KY)	Joel Rosario	116	William I. Mott	9/5
8	8Global Campaign (KY)	Luis Saez	116	Stanley M. Hough	10/1
9	9Everfast (KY)	Chris Landeros	116	Dale L. Romans	20/1
10	10Frosted Grace (KY)	Jonathan J. Gonzales	116	Katherine Ritvo	30/1
11	11Union's Destiny (KY)	Leonel Reyes	116	Juan Carlos Avila	30/1