Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Good Magic is set and ready to go for his three-year-old debut on Saturday.. (Photo by Casey Phillips/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup)
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Good Magic, the champion 2-year-old male of 2017, had an easy half-mile breeze by himself Saturday morning, the final prep for his highly anticipated sophomore debut in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) March 3 at Gulfstream Park.
Owned by e Five Thoroughbred Racing and Stonestreet Stables and trained by Chad Brown, Good Magic went four furlongs in 48.30 seconds over the main track at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.
It was the fifth work since late January for Good Magic, a chestnut son of Hall of Famer Curlin that has not raced since his 4 ¼-length triumph Nov. 4 in the Juvenile which, like the Fountain of Youth, is run at 1 1/16 miles. The time ranked fifth of 56 horses at the distance.
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The Fountain of Youth will be only the fourth lifetime start for Good Magic, who ran second in both his maiden special weight debut and the Champagne (G1) last summer and fall, beaten 1 ½ lengths combined, prior to the Breeders’ Cup.
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Good Magic was one of several potential Fountain of Youth horses to work Saturday morning. At Gulfstream Park, Breeders’ Futurity (G1) winner Free Drop Billy; Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) third-place finisher Promises Fulfilled and recent Gulfstream allowance winner Storm Runner all breezed five furlongs for trainer Dale Romans.
Storm Runner was timed in 59.01 seconds, fourth-fastest of 39 horses, while Promises Fulfilled went in 1:00.42 and Free Drop Billy completed the distance in 1:01.55.
“Everybody worked well. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with them all yet, but I’ll make that decision [Sunday],” Romans said. “They’re moving forward all the time. They’re some nice horses, they’re doing well and I’ve just got to pick the right spots for them. They have to step it up now. As long as they step up, we’ll be in good shape.”
Also at Gulfstream, Courtlandt Farms’ undefeated Grade 3 winner Strike Power worked a half-mile in 48.14 seconds in company with 4-year-old gelding Carlino for trainer Mark Hennig, ranking 11th of 85 horses. The son of champion Speightstown was impressive in his unveiling Dec. 23 to win by eight lengths, before coming back with a 2 ¾-length victory in the seven-furlon Swale (G3) Feb. 3, both at Gulfstream.
“I thought he went well. Everything went according to plan. He didn’t work too fast but go something out of it so we were pleased,” trainer Mark Hennig said. “These races are coming up in fairly short order, and we got a good five-eighths last week and we went a half today and galloped out nice. He settled off of Carlino and finished up nice.”
Loooch Racing Stables and Ashley Quartorolo’s Machismo, nominated to the Fountain of Youth off an 11 ½-length maiden triumph Feb. 3 at Gulfstream, breezed five furlongs in a bullet 58.45 seconds at Gulfstream.
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