2025 Fountain of Youth Entries at Gulfstream Park

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

Pre-Draw News

2025 Fountain of Youth Nominations List

Feb 17 – Burnham Square (Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC), an impressive winner of the Feb. 1 Holy Bull (G3), leads a list of 32 3-year-olds nominated to the $415,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) March 1 at Gulfstream Park.

The Ian Wilkes-trained son of Liam’s Map overcame early bumping to rally from seventh under Edgard Zayas to win going away by 1 ¾ lengths in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull to establish himself as a prominent player on the Road to the Triple Crown. The 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth is the final local prep for the March 29 $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream.

Burnham Square entered the 2025 Holy Bull Stakes off a sharp nine-length maiden victory at the 1 1/16-mile distance Dec. 28 at Gulfstream while equipped with blinkers for the first time. He had run twice previously, finishing second in his debut at Keeneland Oct. 26 and third Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs, both times finishing less than a length behind the winners.

Wilkes confirmed Saturday following Burnham Square’s first breeze since his Holy Bull score that the Fountain of Youth was the goal for the up-and-coming gelding.

Barnes (Zedan Racing Stables Inc), undefeated in two starts, is also prominent among the Fountain of Youth nominees. Trained by Bob Baffert, the son of Into Mischief debuted at Churchill Downs Nov. 27, rallying in the stretch to prevail by a head at 5 ½ furlongs. He came right back at Santia Anita Jan. 4 to win the seven-furlong San Vicente (G2), in which he pressed the pace and drew off to score by 5 ½ lengths.

Baffert is also represented on the Fountain of Youth nominations list by SF Racing LLC and partners’ Rodriguez, who is coming off a second-place finish behind Baffert-trained Citizen Bull in the Feb. 1 Robert B. Lewis (G2) at Santa Anita.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who has saddled four Fountain of Youth winners, has nominated WinStar Farm LLC and CHC Inc.’s undefeated River Thames to the Grade 2 feature, along with three others. River Thames rallied to win his Jan. 17 debut at six furlongs by 4 ¾ lengths before stretching out to a mile with an 8 ½-length romp in an optional claiming allowance on the Holy Bull undercard.

WinStar Farm LLC, CHC Inc. and Siena Farm LLC’s Tappan Street, who finished second in the Holy Bull, and four other Brad Cox trainees have been nominated to the Fountain of Youth. The son of Into Mischief, who was favored at 8-5, raced wide before taking the lead in the stretch but was unable to hold off Burnham Square. Tappan Street had won on debut at Gulfstream Dec. 28.

Juddmonte’s Burning Glory, whom Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott saddled for a third-place finish in the Holy Bull, and Jr Ranch, Marquee Bloodstock, High Stop Racing and OGMA Investments Inc.’s Ferocious, the Hopeful (G1) and Breeders’ Futurity (G1) runner-up who finished fourth in the Holy Bull, are also Fountain of Youth nominees.

Mott is also represented on the Fountain of Youth nominations list by Godolphin’s Sovereignty, who hasn’t raced since capturing the 1 1/16-mile Street Sense (G3) at Churchill Downs Oct. 24.

Cyclone State (Gold Square LLC, George Messina and Michael Lee) has been nominated to the Fountain of Youth on a three-race winning streak at Aqueduct that includes a 3 ½-length score in the mile Jerome Jan. 4. Trainer Chad Summers is also represented on the nominations list by Gold Square LLC’s Filoso, who finished third in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland last year and is training sharply at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

The Fountain of Youth will offer 50 Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points to the winner while headlining a blockbuster program with nine stakes, including three other Grade 2 events and four Grade 3 features.

The $215,000 Fasig-Tipton Davona Dale (G2), a mile stakes for 3-year-old fillies that offers 50 Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points to the winner, attracted 17 nominations, including five Brad Cox trainees – Stonestreet Stables LLC’s Eclatant, who won the Forward Gal (G3) at Gulfstream last time out; LNJ Foxwoods and Church Street Stable’s Stunner, who finished second in the Forward Gal; Godolphin’s Good Cheer, who extended her undefeated streak to five races with a victory in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds; Shadwell Stable’s Muhimma, undefeated in three starts, including the Demoiselle (G2) at Aqueduct; and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Velvet Vortex, a recent debut winner at Fair Grounds.

The $215,000 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) for 4-year-olds and up received 16 nominations. Cox is again well-represented by five nominees, including FMQ Stables Inc’s Saudi Crown, a Grade 1 winner who finished sixth in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream last time out.

The $215,000 Mac Diarmida (G2), a 1 3/8 turf stakes for 4-year-olds and up, fielded 23 nominations, including Frankly Speaking LLC’s Dashman, whom trainer Brian Lynch saddled for a victory in the Jan. 25 McKnight (G3) at Gulfstream.

The $215,000 Herecomesthebride (G3), a mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies, received 28 nominations, including D. J. Stable LLC and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Vixen, a 2 ½-length winner of the Feb. 1 Ginger Brew at Gulfstream for Hall of Fame Trainer Mark Casse.

The $165,000 Canadian Turf (G3), a turf stakes for 4-year-olds and up to be run at 1 1/16 miles, attracted 22 nominations, including Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb and Richard Schermerhorn’s Spirt of St. Louis, the winner of the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream.

The $165,000 Honey Fox (G3), a mile turf feature for older fillies and mares, drew 23 nominations, including Resolute Racing and Miller Racing LLC’s In Our Time and Shadwell Racing’s Raqiya, who finished third and sixth, respectively, in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2) at Gulfstream.

The $165,000 The Very One (G3), a 1 3/8-mile turf stakes for older fillies and mares, received 19 nominations, including Dixiana Farms LLC’s Forever After All, whom Brendan Walsh saddled for a victory in the Jan. 25 La Prevoyante (G3) at Gulfstream.

The $215,000 Colonel Liam, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds, attracted 23 nominations, including Gary Barber’s Mi Bago, who is coming off back-to-back victories in the Pulpit and Dania Beach Stakes for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse during the Championship Meet.

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Undefeated 3-Year-Old River Thames Eyes Fountain Of Youth

Feb 6 – WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.’s undefeated 3-year-old colt River Thames bounced out of his Feb. 1 optional claiming allowance victory in good order and will have plenty of options moving forward, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said.

River Thames, a bay New York-bred son of Maclean’s Music, romped by 6 ½ lengths as the favorite going one mile in 1:36.34 on the undercard of the $265,000 Holy Bull (G3), Gulfstream’s latest stop on the road to the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) March 29.

Next up is the $415,000 Fountain of Youth (G2), also going 1 1/16 miles, March 1. It would be the first time around two turns for River Thames, who debuted with a 4 ¾-length triumph sprinting six furlongs Jan. 11 at Gulfstream before wheeling back three weeks later.

“I was a little concerned about coming back quick off a strong debut,” Pletcher said. “There weren’t too many options. There was a mile and an eighth [race] on Feb. 27, but we didn’t want to wait that long and we didn’t want to go from six to mile and an eighth. Other options were to go in the Holy Bull at a mile and a sixteenth or the Sam Davis. When the allowance race going a mile went, it seemed like a good natural progression.

“He came back great. I’ll talk to [WinStar’s] Elliott [Walden] a little bit and see how the horse trains the next couple weeks and come up with a game plan,” he added. “We ran back in three weeks. It gives you four weeks to the Fountain of Youth from that race, eight weeks to the Florida Derby. There’s obviously other prep races, as well. We’re going to kind of just sit back and see, let him kind of guide us on when we think he wants to run back.”

The situation is similar for Donegal Racing’s Gate to Wire, rallying five-length winner of the seven-furlong Swale for 3-year-olds on the Holy Bull undercard. It was his first race on dirt after trying both turf and synthetic in four prior starts including a second in last fall’s Futurity (G3) at Aqueduct.

“Same thing, we’re weighing all our options,” Pletcher said. “I talked to [Donegal’s] Jerry Crawford [Wednesday] and over the next couple weeks we’ll decide whether to consider the Fountain of Youth or keep him around one turn one more time. The Gotham is the same day up in New York, and the Tampa Bay Derby is a week later.”

Meanwhile, Pletcher said no decision has been made on whether Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm’s Grade 1-winning millionaire Locked, most recently second in Gulfstream’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 25, would run back in the Saudi Cup (G1) Feb. 22 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.

“We’re just kind of monitoring everything, getting a line on the field, see how he’s doing, probably give him a breeze Friday or Saturday. We’re still looking at it,” Pletcher said. “It’s back in four weeks. We’re going to wait as long as we can. We’ve done everything that we need to do to go if we decide to go.”

Pletcher said the 1 ¼-mile Santa Anita Handicap (G1) March 1 could be a possibility if Locked stays home, as could some time off.