W•E•E•K•E•N•D RESULTS LIL'S LAD COMES UP BIG IN FOUNTAIN OF Saturday, Gulfstream Park: YOUTH He was just a big kid winning his first two FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH S.-Gll, $194,000, GPX, 2-21, starts of the year, speeding out of the gate and running 3yo, 1 1 /16m, 1 :42 3/5, ft. as fast as he could to the wire to take a pair of allow­ 1-@#LIL'S LAD, 112, c, 3, Pine Bluff--Totemic (GSW, ance tests by a combined 22 3/4 lengths. But Lil's lad $138,438), by Vanlandingham. ($160,000 yrl '96 (Pine Bluff) is growing up. Cast as the 4-5 favorite in KEESEP). 0-Centennial Farm & Durst L & Farish W; yesterday's Gii Fountain Of Youth S. at Gulfstream, the B-Shortleaf Stable (KY); T-Neil J Howard; J-J D big bay colt put up a powerful performance to capture Bailey; $120,000. Lifetime Record: GISP, 6-4-1-0, his very first stakes by 2 1 /4 lengths. Second choice $265,400. Coronado's Quest (Forty Niner) was quickest away from 2--Coronado's Quest, 119, c, 3, Forty Niner--Laughing the gate, but Lil's Lad soon strode to the lead and never Look, by Damascus. O/B-Janney Stuart S Ill (KY); lost it, turning back a challenge from that rival at the top $40,000 .. of the stretch to draw off under jockey Jerry Bailey. "It 3--Halory Hunter, 112, c, 3, Jade Hunter--Halory, by was a great race," said winning trainer Neil Howard, Halo. ($135,000 2yo 1997 KEEAPR). 0-Celtic Pride who is now three-for-three with Lil's Lad. "It was nice Stable; B-Elmendorf Farm, Inc (KY); $22,000. to see him respond the way he did under pressure." Margins: 2 1 /4, 3/4, 8. Odds: 0.90, 1 .40, 13.40. Bailey added, "He was very relaxed going into the first Also Ran: Cape Town. turn today. Last time he didn't relax until he opened up Lil's Lad was sent off the 4-5 favorite in this short seven or eight lengths. Today, as soon as he had a half­ four-horse field after posting a pair of monster allow­ length on Coronado's Quest, his ears went up. He re­ ance victories at Gulfstream in January. The son of laxed and came off the bridle a little bit. That is a tre­ 19912 Preakness S. winner Pine Bluff demolished an mendous sign. When Coronado's Quest came to him, I allowance field at 6 1 /2 furlongs Jan. 4 by 1 6 1 /2 thought I'd find out something. Not only did he hold him lengths, then returned to win by 6 1 /4 lengths at the off, he widened the gap. The closer a horse gets to him, Fountain of Youth distance of 1 1 /16 miles Jan. 31. the harder Lil's Lad fights." The runner-up, who threw a With regular jockey Jerry Bailey in the irons once tantrum in the paddock before his last start but still again here, Lil's Lad broke out of the gate behind Gii managed to finish second in the Gii Hutcheson S. Janu­ Hutcheson runner-up CORONADO'S QUEST, took a ary 31 , was saddled in the tunnel underneath the grand­ short lead from that rival on the first turn, fought off stand yesterday and took to the track before the rest of a serious challenge from him entering the stretch then the four-horse field left the walking ring. Excused from drew clear in the drive for a convincing victory. the post parade, he made it to the gate without incident HALORY HUNTER, who raced 1 6 1 /2 lengths behind but came up short in the stretch, just holding off Halory the leader down the backstretch, launched his cus­ Hunter (Jade Hunter) to get the place. "He ran a good tomary late run to overtake CAPE TOWN for the race," said his rider, Mike Smith. "He got a little hot, but show spot. he was a whole lot better before the race than last time. I thought he could run past Lil's Lad right up until he couldn't do it." Trainer Shug McGaughey, who had STAKES CLOSINGS schooled his colt in the paddock nearly every day since TODAY, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22: the Hutcheson, felt that his concentration on Saddling 3-8 $500,000 New Orleans H.-G/11, FG, 101 took away from Coronado's Quest's on-track prep­ 4yo/up, 9f ($100) aration. "He was so bad last time, I couldn't really 4-4 $200,000 Flamingo-GI/I, Hia, 3yo, 9f worry about his training," he said. "It was his afternoon ($300) TOMORROW, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23: • deportment we were worried about. He acted a lot better. I was very pleased with the race. He was giving !3-14 $300,000 Fair Grounds Oaks-GI/I, FG, 3yo, f, 8.5f the winner seven pounds, and he started to get a little ($100) tired. He just wasn't ready to run by (Lil's Lad). But if 4-4 $500,000 Ashland-GI, Kee, 3yo, f, 8.5f ($250) everything goes as planned, I think he'll be double-tough 4-7 7 $700,000 Toyota Blue Grass-GI/, Kee, 3yo, 9f in the Florida Derby." The top two will meet again in the ($350) GI Florida Derby at Gulfstream March 14. PAGE 2 • THOROUGHBRED DAILY NEWS • 2-22-98 News Continued. SKIP AWAY DEFINITE FOR GULFSTREAM PIMLICO JOINS MILlLION DOLLAR BIDDING PARK HANDICAP After weeks of speculation about The Maryland Jockey Club and Maryland's Thorough­ whether or not Sonny and Carolyn Hine would send bred horsemen have agreed to increase the purse of their champion Skip Away (Skip Trial) to California for the 1 998 Pimlico Special to $1 million if three Grade I the March 7 Santa Anita H., it has been decided that winners compete. The three they're hoping for are the five-year-old gray will remain in Florida to compete Gentlemen (Arg) (Robin des Bois), Silver Charm {Silver in the GI $500,000 Gulfstream Park H. Feb. 28. Skip Buck) and Skip Away (Skip Trial). This initiative fol­ Away, second in last year's Gulfstream Park H., won lowed Oaklawn Park's announcement Thursday of the GI Donn H. at Gulfstream Feb. 7 in his first start of '98. "He's doing super. Knock on wood," said trainer "America's Million Dollar Dare"-$1 million to the Sonny Hine. "He had a great work Monday (breezing winner of the Oaklawn H. April 4 if the three big five furlongs in :59 4/5). He'll work again this Monday." horses compete. In effect, that would swell the purse of the Oaklawn race to $1.3 million ($300,000 would be divided among the non-winners). "I don't know if PREVIEW we can go that strong," said Lenny Hale, vice presi­ Today,• Gulfstream Park: • dent of racing for the Maryland Jockey Club. "But we can go back and address that." The 1 1 /4-mile Pimlico DAVONA DALE S.-Gll, $100,000, 3yo, f, 1 m 70yds, Special is set for May 9, the Saturday between the post time 5: 10 p.m. EST Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Worth $600,000 last PP HORSE TRAINER JOCKEY ODDS 1 Angel of a Mom Alter Boulanger 4-1 year, a $1 million Special would be Maryland's sec­ 2 Dixie Melody Zito Castillo Jr. 6-1 ond million-dollar race in seven days. The purse for 3 Diamond On the Run Hough Day 3-1 the May 16 Preakness already has been increased to 4 Cotton House Bay Pletcher Velazquez 10-1 $1 million. 5 Sazarac Jazz Goldberg Davis 10-1 6 Uanme Stewart Smith 5-1 SILVER CHARM WORKS TOWARD BIG 'CAP 7 Holy Capote Jimenez Rivera 20-1 Silver Charm (Silver Buck), four-length winner of the 8 Maragold Princess Pletcher Bravo 8-1 Gii Strub S. in his most recent outing at Santa Anita 9 Salt Lake Dancer Violette Luzzi 8-1 Feb. 7, breezed six furlongs in 1: 13 2/5 at the Arca­ 10 Nancy's Glitter Knibbs Martin 12-1 dia, California track Saturday morning. The 1997 Diamond On the Run (Kris S.), runner-up in last year's Champion Three-Year-Old Colt is pointing toward a GI Matron and GI Frizette, was second by a head in the probable encounter with Gentlemen (Arg) (Robin des Jan. 28 Giii Forward Gal S. at Gulfstream in her three­ Bois) in the $1 million Santa Anita H. March 7. Trainer year-old debut. "Our ultimate goal right now is the Ken­ Bob Baffert actually called an "audible" during Silver tucky Oaks, although I think her best running will be on Charm's workout yesterday, electing to send his star the turf," trainer Stanley Hough said. Unanme (Marque­ pupil an extra furlong during the planned five-furlong try) is two-for-two over this track, including a win in the drill. "There was nothing in front of him and he's lazy Forward Gal S. last time out. Angel of a Mom (Jolie's when that happens," Baffert said. "I wanted to get a Halo), winner of a Jan. 29 Gulfstream allowance in her really good work into him, so I sent him another fur­ prior start, comes in with a 3-for-4 lifetime record and long. He just does what he has to do, no more." The will be trying graded stakes company for the first time.