80th Fountain of Youth Offers 50-20-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby Points To Top-Five Finishers

The 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth is the next step on Gulfstream's road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 28, following the one-mile Mucho Macho Man Jan. 3 and Holy Bull (G3) Jan. 31, also at 1 1/16 miles. It offers 105 Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 basis to the first five finishers.

The Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park is one of the most significant Kentucky Derby preps on the calendar, with the 2025 edition won by Sovereignty continuing its tradition of identifying serious classic contenders - a crucial stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

2026 Fountain of Youth Nominations List

Feb 18 - The undefeated trio of Grade 1 winner Napoleon Solo, multiple stakes winner Solitude Dude and Jackson Hole, and Grade 2 winner Further Ado head a list of 23 3-year-olds nominated to the $425,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) February 28 at Gulfstream Park.

Gold Square's Napoleon Solo has yet to make his sophomore debut after winning both his starts at 2, capped by the Champagne (G1) going a one-turn mile Oct. 4 at Aqueduct. He has been breezing steadily since mid-January at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, for his season opener.

Chris Fountoukis' Solitude Dude has won his three career starts by 21 1/4 combined lengths but has yet to race beyond the seven furlongs of his 3-year-old debut, a front-running 3 3/4-length triumph in the Jan. 31 Swale at Gulfstream. He won the six-furlong Inaugural by eight lengths in December at Tampa Bay Downs.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Fountain of Youth four times, most recently with champion Forte in 2023. He is expected to run WinStar Farm, CHC, Inc. and First Go Racing's Jackson Hole, who went unraced at 2 but has captured both his starts this year at Gulfstream including a 5 1/2-length wire-to-wire allowance score Jan. 17 going 1 1/16 miles. Pletcher also nominated Swale runner-up Class President.

Spendthrift Farm's Brad Cox-trained Further Ado also has yet to run in 2025, racing four times at 2 and winning two straight by following up his 20-length maiden triumph with a 1 3/4-length victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), both going 1 1/16 miles. Cox also nominated Wathnan Racing's Commandment, a seven-furlong maiden winner Nov. 1 who hasn't run since a 6 3/4-length romp in the Mucho Macho Man.

Also prominent among nominees are stakes winners Bravaro, second in the Holy Bull; Diciassette, fourth last out in the Swale; and Two Out Hero, most recently third in the Summer (G1) last fall on the Woodbine turf; Champagne runner-up Talkin; Roger That Dana, second in the Mucho Macho Man; impressive Gulfstream debut winners Chief Wallabee (seven furlongs Jan. 10) and Canaletto (one mile Jan. 25); Project Ace and Global Aviator, respectively third and fifth in the Holy Bull; Rockies Balboa, a winner of two straight at Gulfstream by 10 3/4 combined lengths; and maiden The Puma, third in the Feb. 7 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs.

Godolphin homebred Sovereignty won last year's Fountain of Youth, ran second in the Florida Derby and then won the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes (G1) and Travers (G1) and was named champion 3-year-old male and Horse of the Year. Hall of Famer Bill Mott was voted the Eclipse Award as champion trainer and Godolphin was named champion owner and breeder.

The Feb. 28 program features nine stakes, eight graded, worth $2.025 million in purses. Topping the undercard is the $225,000 Davona Dale (G2) presented by Inglis Digital USA for 3-year-old fillies, which offers 105 Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points to the first five finishers on a 50-25-15-10-5 basis.

Nineteen sophomore fillies were nominated to the Davona Dale, Gulfstream's third stop toward the March 28 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) following the one-mile Cash Run Jan. 1 and seven-furlong Forward Gal (G3) Jan. 31.

Albaugh Family Stables' On Time Girl has won four of her five starts, the most recent a popular three-length decision in the Forward Gal for trainer Brad Cox while LNJ Foxwoods and NK Racing stablemate Sneaky Good, winner of the Dec. 6 Sandpiper, was third just a neck out of second. Cox also nominated Sticker Shock, a 1 1/16-mile maiden winner Nov. 29 in Kentucky, and Paradise, a one-mile maiden winner Jan. 4 at Gulfstream.

JSM Equine's Haute Diva has raced seven times with a win and three seconds in four tries over Gulfstream's main track, the most recent a rallying 14-1 upset of the Cash Run by a neck over Nycon, who is also nominated and similarly unraced since. Jim Gladden's Omaha Bay won her lone start sprinting six furlongs Dec. 28 at Gulfstream.

Woodland Way's Imperatrice graduated by 1 1/4 lengths in her second start and first at Gulfstream Dec. 13, returning with a runner-up finish in the Forward Gal for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who also nominated Calumet Farm homebred She Be Smooth. The Lexitonian filly won her lone start, a one-mile maiden special weight, Jan. 23 at Gulfstream.

Other nominees include Tampa debut winners Always a Runner (one mile, 40 yards Feb. 6) and Current Yield (6 1/2 furlongs, Jan. 31); Blazing Brat, second in the Sandpiper in her fifth start and first on the dirt; and Swing Vote, who broke her maiden Jan. 24 at Gulfstream sprinting six furlongs.

The 2025-2026 Championship Meet resumes Thursday at Gulfstream Park with a 10-race program starting at 12:20 p.m. The 20-cent Rainbow 6 begins anew following Sunday's multiple mandatory payouts of $31.679.80.

Pletcher Trained Jackson Hole On Track for 2026 Fountain of Youth

Feb 12 - Pletcher reported Thursday that WinStar Farm LLC, CHC Inc. and First Go Racing LLC's undefeated Jackson Hole is on track for a start in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Feb. 28.

"He's doing very well. He's scheduled to breeze [Friday], and we're pointing for the Fountain of Youth," Pletcher said.

Jackson Hole, a $1.3 million purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September sale, debuted at Gulfstream Dec. 13 with a rallying one-length victory in a seven-furlong maiden special weight. The son of Nyquist shipped to Fair Grounds for his two-turn debut Jan. 17 in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance, in which produced an impressive 5 ½-length front-running score.

"I thought he ran very well. He made a comfortable lead and it seemed like he had plenty left at the end," Pletcher said. "It was a good performance in his second start for shipping out of town and making his first start around two turns."

The timing is still right for Holy Bull (G3) hero Nearly to race next in the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park, Pletcher said.

"We felt like we'd give him a little time. He had four races fairly close together. We thought we'd give him the chance to get a little breather," Pletcher said. "We like the spacing of that. Hopefully, if he were to run well in the Florida Derby, it would be five weeks back to the Derby."

Centennial Farms' Nearly, who was a disappointing sixth in his Oct. 26 debut at Aqueduct, has won three races in a row at Gulfstream. The son of Not This Time graduated by 9 ¼ lengths in a six-furlong maiden special weight Nov. 22 and came right back to draw off to a five-length victory in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance Jan. 2. Negotiating two turns for the first time proved to be no problem for Nearly, who pressed the pace before drawing off to a 5 ¾-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull Jan. 31.

Napoleon Solo Possible for Fountain of Youth (G2)

Feb 5 - Gold Square's undefeated Grade 1 winner Napoleon Solo continues to train forwardly toward his 3-year-old debut which could come in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) Feb. 28 at Gulfstream Park.

Working for the fourth time in South Florida since mid-January and first in company, Napoleon Solo went four furlongs in 48 seconds over the main track at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. It was the fastest of 19 recorded works at the distance.

Trainer Chad Summers said he caught the son of Liam's Map galloping out in 1:00 4/5. Napoleon Solo's workmate, unraced but well-regarded 3-year-old Maxfield colt No Rain No Flowers, was timed in 49.10 seconds.

"It went very well. I was very happy with it," Summers said. "We're right on pace for where we need to be, [and] very excited about where we are. We'll go one day at a time, see how he is tomorrow, and get with Gold Square and try and figure out a plan."

Napoleon Solo has not run since a 6 ?-length upset of the Oct. 4 Champagne (G1) going a one-turn mile last fall at Aqueduct. In his only other start, he captured his unveiling by 5 ? lengths last August sprinting six furlongs at Saratoga.

"He's doing well. I'm very thankful to be down here at Palm Meadows. You see what the weather has been like up and down the East Coast, so we're very thankful to be down here and training the horse every day," Summers said.

"We came down here with a plan of getting six works into the horse before his first race. That's what Sovereignty did last year," he added. "I have all the respect in the world for Hall of Fame [trainer] Bill Mott, so we'll try and kind of mimic that plan a little bit."

Sovereignty made his sophomore debut winning the Fountain of Youth last March and suffered his only loss of the season when second in the Florida Derby (G1) before going on to win the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont (G1) and Travers (G1) and be named champion 3-year-old and Horse of the Year.

Napoleon Solo previously worked three furlongs in 36.45 seconds Jan. 14 and 21 and went a half in 49.11 Jan. 28. Both the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth and Aqueduct's one-mile Gotham (G3), also on Feb. 28, are under consideration for the season opener.

"We're down here for a reason, it's not just for the sunshine," Summers said. "We'll leave it up to the boss and Gold Square and we'll see. I think he's on target to be ready for the Fountain of Youth or the Gotham. Obviously it's a one-turn mile as opposed to two-turn, mile and a sixteenth. We'll see who goes to what race."

Napoleon Solo was among 367 horses nominated to the Triple Crown by the initial Jan. 28 deadline and one of three for Gold Square. One is stakes winner Two Out Hero, a last-out third in the Summer (G1) Sept. 13 at Woodbine for trainer Kevin Attard, and the other is Toga Twist. Third in the Funny Cide for New York-breds last summer, Toga Twist was bred by Gold Square and runs for Legion Racing, GenSax Racing, Flash Toga Farm, Echo Sam and Steven Lovelette.

Summers also trains and co-owns Triple Crown nominated Game for It, winner of his lone start Dec. 10 at Aqueduct, with breeders Tim and Nancy Hamlin of Wynnstay Inc. Game for It is entered in Saturday's Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs.

Arkansas Derby (G1) and Haskell (G1) winner Cyberknife, trained by Brad Cox, represented Gold Square in the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

"To see our name on the list among the elite of the elite is a lot of fun. For Gold Square to have three horses nominated to the [Triple Crown] and a horse they bred is a big salute to the program that Al Gold and Gold Square have established.

"Running in the Derby a few years ago with Cyberknife wasn't maybe the outcome they wanted. To win the Arkansas Derby and the Haskell after that and be second in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile [G1] is nothing to sneeze at. Going to the Kentucky Derby, it's got to be on everybody's list. We'd definitely love the opportunity to get back there again, hopefully this year."

Fountain of Youth May be Next for Bravaro

Albert Ciuffetelli, Steffani Brennan, Shining Stables LLC, BAG Racing Stables and Paul Braverman's Bravaro, who finished second in the Holy Bull, is likely to return in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Sunday. The New York-bred son of Upstart was closest in pursuit of the dueling pacesetters and held well in the stretch to finish second, 2 3/4 lengths ahead of late closing Project Ace, who was 1 1/4 lengths ahead of a late-fading Cannoneer.

Bravaro was undefeated in two starts in New York-bred company at Aqueduct and had been inactive since winning the Oct. 25 Sleepy Hollow

"We wanted him to show up around two turns off the layoff, and he did," Joseph said. "He's a very nice horse and should move forward off that race."

Bravaro's sire Upstart captured the 2015 Holy Bull before finishing second in the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby.

Joseph raised the possibility that Chris Fountoukis' Solitude Dude, whom he saddled for a 3 3/4-length victory in the Swale, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds, could join Bravaro in the Fountain of Youth. However, he continued to express doubts about the son of Yaupon's breeding for two turns.

"Nothing yet as far as we're we'll go. If he did stretch out it would be the Fountain of Youth," Joseph said.

Undefeated Solitude Dude is 3-for-3 around one turn. He entered the Swale 2-for-2 by a combined 17 1/2 lengths.

"I think he's an upper-level talent. Two turns is a question mark, but I think he's an upper-level talent," Joseph said.

Swale Victor Solitude Dude Possible for Fountain of Youth

Jan 31 - Chris Fountoukis' Solitude Dude more than lived up to the expectations of the bettors with his dominating victory Saturday's $175,000 Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park while greatly enhancing his chances of becoming a participant on the Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1).

The Swale, named in tribute to the 1984 Florida Derby (G1), Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner, was one of five stakes for 3-year-olds featured on Saturday's 12-race program headlined by the $275,000 Holy Bull (G3), a key prep for the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 28 at Gulfstream.

Sent to post as the 1-5 favorite in a field of six after winning the first two races of his career by a combined 17 ½ lengths, Solitude Dude broke alertly and took immediate control of the one-turn, seven-furlong stakes. The son of Yaupon set fractions of 23.30 and 46.52 seconds for the first half-mile while racing a few paths off the inside rail and relaxing under leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. Class President, the 9-2 second betting choice ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, made a sweeping move on the turn into the homestretch to momentarily loom as a threat, but Solitude Dude instantly responded when asked by Ortiz and drew off to score by 3 ¾ lengths.

"The horse is a good horse. I think the horse is a high quality horse. I think he has Grade 1 ability," trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. "Will he win a Grade 1 around two turns? I don't know about that. Time will tell if we'll even try it, but he has Grade 1 ability at a mile or less."

Should Joseph decide Solitude Dude deserves a chance to prove himself around two turns in his next start, the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) Feb. 28 at Gulfstream is a likely target.

"The Fountain of Youth is the most realistic. Before this race it was: go in this race and decide whether to run in the Fountain of Youth," Joseph said. "That was the plan. It depended on how he ran. If we do try two turns, it would be the Fountain of Youth I think."

The only reservation Joseph may have about trying two turns is the undefeated colt's breeding.

"If he is going to handle distance, the one thing he has is that he's relaxed. That would get him to go further," Joseph said. "The sire, Yaupon, it does knock distance limitations into you."

Solitude Dude ran seven furlongs in 1:23.46.

"It was a beautiful trip. He did everything, honestly. He made it look easy. He broke so sharp and I just let him be him and he came back to me so easy. I was just waiting for the time to go," said Ortiz, who rode Solitude Dude for the first time Saturday. "He looks like a really nice one. I saw his first two races, and he did the same thing that he did today. He broke on top and he took care of the rest."

Solitude Dude, a $300,000 purchase at the 2025 OBS June sale, debuted at Gulfstream Nov. 1 with a 9 ½-length victory going 6 ½ furlongs. He came right back to win the six-furlong Inaugural by eight lengths Dec. 6 at Tampa Bay Downs. His owner was especially happy to witness his Swale victory in person after missing the Inaugural.

"I was driving with my truck and the battery dropped dead on me. I spent 6 hours on tow trucks and all kinds of stuff," Fountoukis said. "I saw the race on my phone."

Class President, who was coming off a 3 ¼-lengths debut victory Dec. 27 at Gulfstream for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, finished second, 1 ¾ lengths in front of Joseph-trained Hammond.

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