TO HONOR AND SERVE (Bernardini), among the leading winter book favorites for
the Kentucky Derby (G1) off an impressive three-for-four juvenile campaign, will
take his first step toward the Run for the Roses when he breaks from post 7 in
Saturday’s $400,000
Fountain of Youth S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park. The 1 1/8-mile test shapes up
to be the sternest of To Honor and Serve’s brief career thus far, with Grade 3
victors SOLDAT (War Front) and GOURMET DINNER (Trippi) also attempting to
enhancing their classic aspirations.
A $575,000 yearling purchase campaigned by Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak
The winning streak commenced in an October 2 maiden at Belmont, where
To Honor and Serve was weighted at 123 pounds on the Experimental Free
“We’re going into this race with only six works, which isn’t an overabundance
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The 10-1 third individual choice in last week’s first Kentucky Derby Future
Wager pool, To Honor and Serve will be guided for a fourth time by John
Velazquez on Saturday. Also the regular rider for Uncle Mo, Velazquez, is
expected to retain the mount until the two colts paths presumably cross on the
first Saturday in May.
Soldat, the likely second choice in the eight-horse field, enjoyed
success on turf at two but enters off a stunning nine-furlong dirt
allowance win early in the Gulfstream meet. The Kiaran
McLaughlin-trainee, who broke his maiden in the With Anticipation S.
(G3) last summer prior to second-place efforts in the Pilgrim S. (G3)
and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), made his seasonal bow on January
21. On the lead from the start, Soldat turned back a challenge rounding
the far turn then drew off to win by 10 3/4 lengths over the sloppy
going.
Given Soldat’s three main track appearances have occurred on
Gourmet Dinner, who captured three stakes last year including the lucrative
The top three finishers from a course-and-distance February 5 allowance have
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The deep Todd Pletcher bench is noticeably absent from the Fountain of Youth,
but will have the likely favorite in TRAVELIN MAN (Trippi) for the $150,000
Hutcheson
S. (G2) over seven furlongs. The E. Paul Robsham
homebred blitzed six furlongs in 1:09 in winning his January 6 debut at
Gulfstream by 7 1/4 lengths, and earned a 105 BRIS Speed rating. Pletcher will
also be represented by last-out allowance winner RAZMATAZ (Forest Wildcat).
Also making their stakes debuts in the Hutcheson are the Darley-owned
CROSSBOW (Bernardini), whose two scores this season were a maiden at Aqueduct
and an allowance over the Hutcheson course and trip, and FLASHPOINT (Pomeroy), a
recent 6 1/4-length Aqueduct graduate for trainer Rick Dutrow.
Among the stakes veterans are Sapling S. (G3) hero MADMAN DIARIES (Bring in
the Heat), a solid fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in his two-year-old
finale; MANICERO (Mass Media), winner of the Pasco S., Inaugural S. and Jack
Price Juvenile in his last three; and ROYAL CURRIER (Red Bullet), a multiple
stakes winner who finished second in the Jimmy Winkfield S. in his most recent
start.
Holy Bull also-rans LEAVE OF ABSENCE (Harlan’s Holiday) and BLACK N BEAUTY
(Devil His Due), along with the stakes-winning LITTLE DRAMA (Burning Roma), a
half-brother to sprint champion Big Drama (Montbrook), round out the 10-horse
Hutcheson.
Saturday’s
3RD race, a $51,500 first-level allowance for three-year-olds over nine
furlongs, features COOL BLUE RED HOT (Harlan’s Holiday), a distant second to
Soldat last time. He’ll square off against Gulfstream
graduates ARCH TRAVELER (Sky Mesa), HOTHERSAL (Smart Strike), NACHO BUSINESS
(Rahy) and WASHINGTON’S RULES (Roman Ruler), as well as Tropical Park Derby
runner-up PRIVATE PRIZE (Pure Prize).