Fountain of Youth Stakes 2024 Picks

By Jarrod Horak

The road to Kentucky Derby 2024 continues at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, March 2, and I have included Fountain of Youth Stakes 2024 picks below. The Grade 2 event for 3-year-olds has a $400,000 purse and the nine entrants will be journeying 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The Fountain of Youth is the 14th race on March 2 and the top five finishers will earn Kentucky Derby points (50-25-15-10-5).

 

 

Fountain of Youth Stakes 2024 Picks & Final Time Ratings

Speak Easy battled on the pace from the inside post and edged away to graduated by 1 3/4 lengths in his local seven panel bow at 8-1 odds on Jan. 27. Todd Pletcher’s Constitution colt is also entered in an optional-claiming dirt route on March 1 (Race 7).

Victory Avenue is a $375k Arrogate maiden for Gustavo Delgado. He dueled with Speak Easy on Jan. 27 and was clearly second best. This barn shows a profit with first route starters and he should continue to develop.

Dornoch stalked the pace and landed the place in his first two starts last year. He set the pace and cruised by 6 1/2 lengths as the heavy favorite at Keeneland in October, and his final start last year was in the Remsen (G2) in December. The Aqueduct track was wet and speed favoring that day, and he set a pressured pace, was caught and passed by closer Sierra Leone, and he came again to prevail but a nose. That race looks even better now after runner-up Sierra Leone returned to win the Risen Star (G2), and show finisher Drum Roll Please won his next start in the Jerome Stakes. This $325k Good Magic colt has breezed five times for this and Danny Gargan excels with 90+ day layoff runners.

Locked rallied from far back to finish a clear third in his dirt sprint bow at Saratoga. He stretched out to a mile and romped as the favorite second time out, and overcame a wide trip from the outside post to win the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) by a half-length. He found his best stride late in a solid show finish in the BC Juvenile (G1), and that race did not set up for patient types. He was supposed to begin his sophomore campaign in the Sam F. Davis (G3) on Feb. 10, but a fever knocked him out of that race. After the temperature subsided, he worked on Feb. 16 and Feb. 24, and should make his presence felt in the lane.

The Fountain of Youth field also includes Swale runner-up Le Dom Bro, Real Macho, Merit (cross-entered March 1), Swale winner Frankie’s Empire, and Dancing Groom.

Fountain of Youth Stakes 2024 Picks

The Fountain of Youth is my 23rd video on the road to Kentucky Derby 2024, and my top choices have seven wins, four runner-up finishes, and five show finishes. I will cover each points race on the Kentucky Derby trail. Check out my Fountain of Youth Stakes 2024 picks video below.