Friday, February 28, 2020

Fountain of Youth Stakes Racing Roundup


©2020 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby takes us to Florida, Saturday, where DENNIS’ MOMENT will go to the starting gate as the 2-1 morning-line morning favorite in the 74TH running of the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park. Post time is 6:04 p.m. ET.
Dennis’ Moment comes into this race with a 2-0-0 record for trainer Dale Romans including an eighth-place finish last out in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1). He stumbled badly at the start (video) and never recovered, running dead last the entire race.
A win last fall in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs put Dennis’ Moment on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard where he is currently ranked 19th with 10 Derby points. Here’s the video and chart call of the Iroquois Stakes (G3).

DENNIS' MOMENT stalked the pace early from the outside of foes, ranged up three wide nearing the lane, took over command once in the stretch, drew clear near the eighth pole while ridden out and was in hand during the final sixteenths.

Dennis’ Moment stalked the leaders to the far turn when he took command and pulled away to win by 1¾ lengths.
Tiznow, the sire of Dennis’ Moment, was a multiple graded-stakes winner and an outstanding router who compiled an 8-4-2 record in 15 starts with $6,427,830 in career earnings.
Tiznow did not race until he was three years old, making nine starts and compiling 5-3-0 record with $3,445,950 in earnings. His stakes wins include the Affirmed Handicap (G3), Goodwood Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2), the Super Derby (G1) by six lengths and he finished the season with a win in the most 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) where he defeated the European champion Giant’s Causeway by a neck.
As a four-year-old, Tiznow was 3-1-2 in six starts and $2,981,880 in earnings with stakes wins in the San Fernando Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G2), the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and he successfully defended his title of champion in Breeders’ Cup Classic when he defeated the European invader and formidable winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Sakhee, by a nose.
Dennis’ Moment has an F Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior Index makes him competitive in this race.
AS SEEN ON TV (9-2) comes into this race with a 2-2-0 record for trainer Kelly Breen including a second-place finish in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

AS SEEN ON TV raced in tracking mode off the clear leader in early stages, continued racing in the path outside of CHANCE It going by the half mile marker, roused forward three wide leaving the five sixteenths pole and began to match strides with CHANCE IT, battled back along the outside of rival and held a head in front at the furlong marker, kept on gamely with sharp response, refused to give up but got edged out in final strides.

As See On Tv looked good in his first start of the season and just missed victory by a head and the wire.
Lookin at Lucky, the sire of As Seen On Tv, was a multiple graded-stakes winner that compiled a 9-1-1 record in 13 starts with $3,307,278 in career earnings.
Undefeated in four starts, Lookin at Lucky scored impressive stakes victories as a two year old in the Best Pal Stakes (G2), Del Mar Futurity (G1) and Norfolk Stakes (G1), before suffering his first loss by a neck to Vale of York in the 2009 Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1). He came back from that loss to close the season with a win in the CashCall Futurity Stakes (G1).
As a three year old, Lookin at Lucky won the Rebel Stakes (G2) and he finished third in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) en route to a sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Lookin at Lucky went on to earn Classic Champion Thoroughbred honors with a three-quarter length victory in the Preakness Stakes (G1).
As Seen On Tv has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s the best-bred colt in this herd. He should appreciate the stretch out in distance and I look for him to run a good race.
A long shot I like is the Turfway Park shipper, THE FALCON (50-1). He comes into this race with an 0-1-1 in two starts for trainer Anthony Quartarolo including second-place finish last out on January 16. Here’s the chart call:

THE FALCON raced back early on, fanned into the five path entering the lane, was bumped nearing the eighth pole, made a bid three wide under a long drive, was up for place late but not enough to the winner.

The Falcon ran toward the back of the herd early. He gradually made up a ton of ground to duel it out in the stretch with Bird in the Hat but came up three-quarters of a length shy of victory.
Union Rags, the sire of The Falcon, was a competitive colt on the trail to the 2012 Kentucky Derby (G1), compiling an overall 5-1-1 record in eight career starts with $1,798,800 in earnings.
As a two-year-old, he won the Three Chimneys Saratoga Special (G2) and Champagne (G1) stakes and finished second in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) stakes.
At the age of three, Union Rags won the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) stakes and finished third in the Florida Derby (G1) en route to a seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1). He finished his career with a narrow win by a neck over Paynter in the Belmont (G1) stakes.
As a stallion, Union Rags’ leading lifetime runners with career earnings over $500,000 include: Paradise Woods, Free Drop Billy (a yearling we profiled at the 2016 Keeneland September Sale), Union Strike, Dancing Rags, Tequilita, Catalina Cruiser, and No Dozing.
The Falcon has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s the second-best bred colt in this race. The Falcon is stepping way up in class but he’s an improving colt with he breeding to finish in the exotics or, perhaps, upset at a nice price.
CHANCE IT (7-2) comes into this race with a 4-2-0 record in six starts for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. including a win in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

CHANCE IT bumped with foe at the start the took the inside position and rated off the clear leader while racing in range of the second flight, continued in hand and advanced up the inside leaving the five sixteenths pole, matched AS SEEN ON TV for the lead turning for home, battled back gamely from the inside position through the lane, rival held a slight edge at the furlong marker but kept on tenaciously, put a nose in front nearing the wire and refused to give in

Chance It showed a lot of determination and grit in his stretch duel with As Seen On Tv to narrowly win by a head.
Currency Swap, the sire of Chance It, was multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 4-2-1 record in 10 starts with $459,300 in career earnings.
As a two-year-old, Currency Swap was undefeated in two starts with a win in the Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes (G1).
At the age of three, Currency Swap compiled a 2-2-0 record in seven starts with wins in the You and I Stakes and Amsterdam Stakes (G2). He finished second in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G2).
In his only start as a four-year-old, Currency Swap finished third in an Allowance Optional Claiming race at Saratoga.
Chance It has been training well at Gulfstream Park and he has room to improve in his second start of the season.
Honorable mention goes to Country Grammar (15-1), Shotski (10-1) and Ete Indien (8-1).


*****

A total of 35 races comprise the Road to the Kentucky Derby. In addition, there are seven races on the European road to the Kentucky Derby and there three races on the Japan road to Derby glory.

2020 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1. Mr. Monomoy, 52, Brad Cox, $260,00
2. Modernist, 50, Bill Mott, $240,000
3. +Enforceable, 33, Mark Casse, $344,550
4. Storm the Court, 22, Peter Eurton, $1,136,351
5. Tiz the Law, 22, Barclay Tagg, $456,000
6. Silver Prospector, 21, Steve Asmussen, $654,851
7. Thousand Words, 20, Bob Baffert, $181,000
8. Major Fed, 20, Greg Foley, $80,000
9. Independence Hall, 14, Mike Trombetta, $205,000
10. Shotski, 14, Jeremiah O’Dwyer, $193,466
11. Silver State, 14, Steve Asmussen, $80,000
12. +Azul Coast, 14, Bob Baffert, $80,000
13. Shoplifted, 13, Steve Asmussen, $388,500
14. Anneau d’Or, 12, Blaine Wright, $385,000
15. Maxfield, 10, Brendan Walsh, $300,000
16. Eight Rings, 10, Bob Baffert, $200,35
17. Sole Volante, 10, Patrick Biancone, $173,510
18. Gold Street, 10, Steve Asmussen, $141,000
19. Dennis’ Moment, 10, Dale Romans, $137,800
20. +Max Player, 10, Linda Rice, $137,500
24. +Scabbard, 6, Eddie Kenneally, $178,000
31. +Wells Bayou, 4, Brad Cox, $150,000
          + = Enforceable (Hip 76), Azul Coast (Hip 1177), Max Player (Hip 929), Scabbard (Hip 802) and Wells Bayou (Hip 3281) were colts we profiled at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Unlike other companies that provide automatic computer-generated pedigree analysis of yearlings at auction, Classic Champion Thoroughbreds LLC personally handpicks from the sales catalog all yearlings to be profiled at auction based upon their breeding.


EUROPEAN ROAD LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1. Kameko, 14, Andrew Balding, $192,894
2. Innisfree (IRE), 14, Aidan O’Brien, $127,856
3. Victor Ludorum, 10, Andre Fabre, $250,958
4. Royal Donarch (IRE), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $115,813
5. Alson (GER), 4, J.P. Carvalho, $135,572
6. Shekhem (IRE), 4, Dermot Weld, $24,068
7. Year of the Tiger (IRE), 3, Aidan O’Brien $36,086
8. Armory (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $258,793
9. Iberia (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $25,389
10. Gold Maze (GB), 2, Jessica Harrington, $12,034
11. Mogul (GB), 1, Aidan O’Brien, $111,879
12. Ecrivain (FR), 1, Carlos Laffon-Parias, $69.202
13. Camorra (IRE), 1, Ger Lyons, $3,610


JAPAN ROAD LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1. Café Pharoah, 30, Noriyuki Hori, $234,290
2. Vacation (JPN), 20, Kenichi Takatsuki, $499,874
3. Tango Beauty (JPN), 12, Masato Nishizono, $329,346
4. Dieu du Vin (JPN), 10, Yukihiro Kato, $159,609
5. Yaugau (JPN), 6, Naosuke Sugai, $182,385
6. Longonot (JPN), 3, Mizuki Takayanagi, $158,202
7. Daimei Corrida (JPN), 2, Naoyuki Morita, $107,736
0. Iolite (JPN), 8, Yoshinori Muto, $246,008
0. T’s Dunk (JPN), 4, Takashi Mizuno, $143,414
0. Shonan Mario (JPN), 4, Shizuya Kato, $96,526
0. Meisho Tensui (JPN), 2, Katsumi Miani, $255,394
0. Aurora Tesoro, 1, Yoshihiro Hatakeyama, $99,395


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