Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Fountain of Youth supported by strong cast on undercard
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The Fountain of Youth won’t be the only race of consequence Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Not even close.
Eight other stakes are on a blockbuster 14-race card that starts at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, with all but one of them graded. The Davona Dale, with 50 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks to the winner, is perhaps the most important supporting event.
This was the outlook just prior to the races being drawn Wednesday afternoon:
◗ Grade 2, $200,000 Davona
Dale: Fly So High, an impressive allowance winner here in early January, could vie for favoritism in this one-turn mile for 3-year-old fillies with Take Charge Paula, already a four-time stakes winner. Also entered are Alter Moon, Cache, Heavenhasmynikki, Miss Mo Mentum, and Sultry.
◗ Grade 2, $200,000 Mac Diarmida:
The Mike Maker trio of Oscar Nominated, Markitoff, and Run Time were among at least 12 older horses entered in the 23rd running of this 1 3/8-mile turf race. Some of the others are Bernay, Gold Shield, Muqtaser, Nessy, Sadler’s Joy, and Some in Tieme.
◗ Grade 3, $150,000 Canadian Turf: Highland Sky, Shakhimat, Galleon Mast, and Hogy are among a well-matched field of at least eight older horses in this one-mile turf race.
◗ Grade 3, $150,000 The Very One: The 2017 Queen’s Plate winner, Holy Helena, will make her first start in a turf stakes following a sharp allowance triumph in her turf debut here Feb. 4 for Stronach Stables and trainer Jimmy Jerkens. A short field was likely for this 1 3/16-mile race.
◗ Grade 3, $100,000 Gulfstream
Park Sprint: Favorable Outcome, winner of the Swale here last year and most recently third in the Grade 1 Malibu, will make his 4-yearold debut against at least nine others in this 6 1/2-furlong race. Other starters include Extravagant Kid, Mr. Jordan, and Eight Town.
◗ Grade 3, $100,000 Palm
Beach: Speed Franco, winner of the most recent race in the local series for 3-year-old turf horses, the Feb. 3 Dania Beach, is one of at least seven in this 1 1/16-mile race.
◗ Grade 3, $100,000 Herecomesthebride: Thewayiam, already a winner of the Ginger Brew and Sweetest Chant at this meet, figures as a solid favorite for trainer Graham Motion and jockey Jose Ortiz in a field of at least six 3-year-old fillies in this 1 1/16-mile turf race.
◗ $100,000 Sand Springs: Celestine will face at least six other female turf milers when favored to build on a record that includes a Grade 1 victory and more than $1.1 million in career earnings.
Castellano on Sharp Azteca
Javier Castellano has regained the mount on Sharp Azteca for the $1 million Godolphin Mile on March 31 in Dubai. Castellano already had planned on giving up the mount on Audible in the Florida Derby the same day after committing to West Coast in the $10 million Dubai World Cup.
The Todd Pletcher-trained Audible, winner of the Feb. 3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream in his most recent start, now will be ridden by John Velazquez.
Sharp Azteca, trained by Jorge Navarro, was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. when he finished eighth in his last start, the Jan. 27 Pegasus World Cup. Before that, Castellano rode Sharp Azteca in winning the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct in December.
Machismo joins Derby trail
Owner Ron Paolucci and trainer Anthony Quartarolo were seriously considering Machismo for the Gotham at Aqueduct or the Tampa Bay Derby a week from Saturday before they decided to make the More Than Ready colt a lastminute entry in the Fountain of Youth.
Machismo earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure in an 11 1/2length maiden victory at 6 1/2 furlongs here in his fourth career start Feb. 3.
◗ Cicatrix, unbeaten in two starts, was withdrawn as one of the favorites for the Davona Dale after sustaining an unspecified injury this week in her training at Palm Meadows.
“She’s going on the shelf for a while,” said trainer Ian Wilkes. “We’re still evaluating. The best-laid plans sometimes don’t work out.”
◗ Caledonia Road, the 2-yearold filly champion of 2017, had her second breeze since returning from minor ankle surgery, going a half-mile in 50.60 seconds Wednesday at Gulfstream.
“Everything went as planned,” said trainer Ralph Nicks, who is hoping to make the Kentucky Oaks with the filly, with one prep race beforehand.
◗ Bella Tapisserie, a sharp maiden winner last out for trainer Jaime Mejia, is among seven 3-year-olds in the Friday co-feature at Gulfstream, a $51,000 first-level allowance at seven furlongs. It’s the ninth of 11 races on a card that starts at 12:35 p.m. Eastern and includes one other allowance (race 7), a $51,000 first-level mile for older horses.
Before Bella Tapisserie won Feb. 18, Mejia had gone winless from 98 starters at the championship meet.
◗ Three Rules, the standout Florida-bred, has been turned out on a local farm after coming up with a foot issue, according to trainer Jose Pinchin, who had hoped to run the 4-year-old colt Saturday in the Gulfstream Park Sprint. Three Rules has earned $964,160 from 12 starts.