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FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH STAKES G2 - 1 1/16-Miles PURSE $400,000

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1 Code of Honor 6-1 5 Vekoma 2 Epic Dreamer 20-1 7 Hidden Scroll 3 Gladiator King 50-1 8 Global Campaign 4 Bourbon War 10-1 6 Signalman 5 Vekoma 7-2 $40 WIN 6 Signalman 9-2 7 Hidden Scroll 9-5 5 Vekoma ($40) 8 Global Campaign 10-1 $10 EXACTA KEY BOX 9 Everfast 20-1 5 with 6, 7, 8 ($60) 10 Grace 30-1 11 Union’s Destiny 30-1 powered by brisnet.com

The Road to the (G1) will be full swing at on Saturday when the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) will be run. A field of 11 will contest the 1 1/16-mile race on the main track with a $400,000 purse and 50 Derby eligibility points available to the winner, 20 points for second, 10 points for third and 5 points for fourth. The main track should be dry and fast.

#5 VEKOMA is undefeated in two starts and gets the perfect set up today. The son of Candy Ride broke his maiden first time out at Belmont Park going six furlongs in fast time sitting off a hot pace and coming home in 23 and change. Next was the Nashua Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct where he stumbled at the start, recovered nicely, then drew off to a sharp win going a one-turn mile. The Nashua is rarely a predictor for future success in big races but Vekoma earned a BRIS Speed rating of 101. Wisely, trainer George Weaver passed up the Remsen Stakes (G2) and now shows up off a 118-day layoff. He’s been burning up the Palm Beach Downs training track, adds Lasix for the first time, and draws perfectly for a trip behind the early speed.

#7 HIDDEN SCROLL looks hard to beat but we will try to poke a few holes in him. Unlike many Bill Mott-trained debut runners, he romped by 14 lengths on a sloppy track here in blazing-fast time. Mott brings him back five weeks later and it is hard for me to believe that he will move forward on a dry track going two turns. The son of Hard Spun did show a terrific turn of foot in his debut and he has the pedigree to do it. But unless he is the second coming of Justify, I can only see him going backwards. He went off at 8/1 in his debut so he outran his expectations that day and as great a trainer as Mott is, he is not known for developing young horses into Classic runners. The horse to beat, sure, but the price will be low.

#8 GLOBAL CAMPAIGN has the advantage of two wins over the track here. He broke his maiden first out by almost six lengths going seven furlongs here then he came back and beat first-level allowance foes going this distance in decent time. The son of Curlin is out of a dam by A.P. Indy who has already produced two-time Grade 1 stakes winner Bolt d’Oro. will have to use some gas going into the first turn but he has tremendous cruising speed. The issue is can he beat this group while racing wide every step of the way?

#6 SIGNALMAN is a one-dimensional closer who got up for third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and then came back to win the Kentucky Club Stakes (G2) beating a very strong field.

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