Tuesday, February 25, 2025
HALLANDALE BEACH - Whitham Thoroughbreds’ Burnham Square, a most impressive winner of the Gr. III Holy Bull (G3) on Feb. 1, is scheduled to clash with seven other 3-year-olds entered for next Saturday’s $415,000, Gr. II Coolmore Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park.
The Fountain of Youth, a key prep for the March 29, $1 million, Gr. I Curlin Florida Derby, will headline a program with nine stakes, eight graded, worth $2.15 million in purses. The 79th running of the Fountain of Youth will offer qualifying points for the May 3 Kentucky Derby on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale.
Burnham Square will seek his third straight victory of the Championship Meet in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth after graduating by nine lengths at 1 1/16 miles and winning the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull by 1 ¾ lengths going away.
The Ian Wilkes-trained gelded son of Liam’s Map was equipped with blinkers for his two dominant victories at Gulfstream after finishing second in his debut at Keeneland and third at Churchill Downs. Edgard Zayas, who was aboard Burnham Square for his two recent victories, has the return call.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is represented in the Fountain of Youth field by CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm’s River Thames and Donegal Racing’s Gate to Wire, both of whom are scheduled to make their two-turn debuts.
Late-developing River Thames debuted at Gulfstream on Jan. 11 with a 4 ¾-length romp at six furlongs before stretching out to a mile for a 6 ½-length score on Feb. 1. Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the return mount aboard the son of McLean’s Music.
Gate to Wire is coming off a strong-closing five-length upset victory in the seven-furlong Swale on the Holy Bull undercard. Dylan Davis has the return call aboard the son of Munnings.
Godolphin’s Sovereignty is set to make his 2025 debut after concluding his 2-year-old campaign with a five-length maiden-breaking score in the 1 1/16-mile, Gr. III Street Sense on Oct. 27 at Churchill Downs. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the son of Into Mischief will be ridden by Junior Alvarado.
St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Thoroughbreds’ Keep It Easy will make his first start of 2025 after winning the 6 ½-furlong Ed Brown at Churchill Downs in his 2-year-old finale. Trainer Dale Romans awarded the return mount to Corey Lanerie. Ian Pasard, Shining Stable and Stefania Farms’ Neoequos, a sharp optional claiming allowance winner Jan. 23 who was twice placed in Florida Sire Stakes events last season, will make his first start in an open stakes. Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to ride the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained son of Neolithic for the first time. Leon King Stable Corp.’s McKellen will seek to rebound from a sixth-place finish in the Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man for trainer Jose D’Angelo. No rider was named at the time of entry.
The $215,000, Gr. II Fasig-Tipton Davona Dale drew a field of seven 3-year-old fillies for the 39th edition of the mile stakes that will offer Kentucky Oaks qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale.
Tracy Farmer’s La Cara, who captured the Gr. III Pocahontas at Churchill Downs last year before concluding her 2024 campaign with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, enters the Davona Dale off a 6 ¼-length romp in the Suncoast at Tampa Bay. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the homebred daughter of Steet Sense will be ridden by Dylan Davis.
C2 Racing Stable and Mathis Stable’s The Queens M G will also bring graded-stakes credentials into the Davona Dale having captured the Gr. III Adirondack last season at Saratoga, where she won the Schuylerville in her previous start. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained daughter of Thousand Words is coming off a third-place finish in the Gr. III Forward Gal at Gulfstream in her 2025 debut. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the return mount.
Rodeo Creek Racing’s Ballerina d’Oro is slated to make her 3-year-old debut in the Davona Dale after concluding her 2024 campaign with a second-place finish in the Gr. II Demoiselle at Aqueduct. Tyler Gaffalione is scheduled to ride the Chad Brown-trained daughter of Medaglia d’Oro for the first time.
Lugamo Racing Stable’s Frida, Just for Fun Stable’s My Denysse, and Baron Thoroughbreds’s Quinn’s Promise and Madeline’s Promise, round out the field
The $215,000, Gr. II Gulfstream Park Mile, a mile stakes for 4-year-olds and up, attracted nine entries, including Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Mindframe, a Pletcher-trained son of Constitution who hasn’t competed since back-to-back second-place finishers in the Belmont Stakes and Haskell Invitational last year, and Godolphin’s Encino, a winner of four of five races for trainer Brad Cox.
The $215,000 Mac Diarmida, a 1 3/8-mile turf stakes for 4-year-olds and up, drew a field of 12, including Frankly Speaking’s Dashman, who captured the 1 ½-mile, Gr. III McKnight over the Gulfstream turf last time out.
The $215,000, Gr. III Herecomesthebride, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds fillies, fielded a group of 10, including a trio trained by Casse – D. J. Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Vixen, who captured the Sweetest Chant as the odds-on favorite last time out, Gary Barber, Blue Diamond Racing and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Classic Q, and D. J. Stable’s Smudge.
The $215,000 Colonel Liam, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds, attracted a field of 10, including Gary Barber’s Mi Bago, a Casse-trained son of Vekoma who is coming off victories in the Pulpit and Dania Beach Stakes during the Championship Meet.
The $165,000 Honey Fox, a mile turf stakes for older fillies and mares, drew a field of 12, including Resolute Racing and Miller Racing’s In Our Time, who finished third last time out in the $500,000, Gr. II Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational.
The $165,000, Gr. III Canadian Turf, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 4-year-olds and up, drew 10 entries, including Spendthrift Farm LLC’s Major Dude, who captured the Dec. 21 Fort Lauderdale (G2) prior to a sixth-place finish in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).
The $165,000 The Very One, a 1 3/8-mile turf stakes for older fillies and mares, attracted nine entrants, including Dixiana Farms’s Forever After All, who captured the Gr. III La Prevoyante last time out over the Gulfstream turf.
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