Eleven will line up in Saturday's Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park © Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com
The Todd Pletcher trained Violence drew the three post for Saturday’s $400,000 Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park and was installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite in the race, which drew a field of 11.
The race, along with the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds are the first races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby series that are worth 50 points to the winner. The previous races earned winners 10 points.
Violence is perfect in three career starts and will be making his three-year-old debut on Saturday. The son of Medaglia d’Oro won the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity at Betfair Hollywood Park on Dec. 15 in his last outing.
“We got him back here to Palm Meadows right after the CashCall,” said Pletcher. “He’s done really well so far and everything has gone according to plan while we’ve focused on getting him ready for the Fountain of Youth. The main thing in choosing to run him in the CashCall was the timing and the fact that Hollywood, although it is a synthetic track, plays more like dirt than any of the other synthetics.”
The colt was one of seven runners trained by Pletcher that were separate betting interests in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager and closed at betting odds of 13-1.
The second choice on the morning line is the Graham Motion trained Cerro (4-1). The colt makes his stakes debut after winning an allowance optional claimer in his last outing at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26.
The Fountain of You serves as a final prep for the marquee event of the Gulfstream Park meeting, the $1 million Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 30.
Saturday’s card at Gulfstream Park also features the $250,000 Grade 2 Davona Dale for three-year-old fillies and the $150,000 Grade 3 Canadian Turf for four year olds and upward.
Gulfstream Park Grade 2 $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes Post Time: 5:35 ET
| Post | Horse | ML | Jockey | Wt | Trainer |
| 1 | Orb (KY) | 12-1 | J. Velazquez | 116 | C. McGaughey III |
| 2 | Joshua’s Comprise (FL) | 30-1 | E. Prado | 116 | B. Rose |
| 3 | Violence (KY) | 9-5 | J. Castellano | 122 | T, Pletcher |
| 4 | Majestic Hussar (KY) | 6-1 | L. Saez | 116 | E. Kenneally |
| 5 | Elmutahid (KY) | 20-1 | J. Bravo | 116 | K. McLaughlin |
| 6 | Cerro (IRE) | 4-1 | J. Rocco Jr. | 116 | G. Motion |
| 7 | Sky Captain (KY) | 10-1 | P. Husbands | 116 | M. Casse |
| 8 | Speak Logistics (KY) | 12-1 | J. Rosario | 116 | E. Plesa Jr. |
| 9 | He’s Had Enough (KY) | 8-1 | M. Gutierrez | 116 | D. O’Neill |
| 10 | Falling Sky (PA) | 6-1 | J. Espinoza | 120 | J. Terranova II |
| 11 | Sr. Quisqueyano (FL) | 30-1 | C. Olivero | 118 | L. Olivares |
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