Gulfstream Park Championship Season: March 2026

February 26 - March 1

What a whirlwind Saturday was! And to be honest, while I would have enjoyed the big day anyway, the way the first part of the week went and then the first part of the day - well, that just made the final half of the day all the more sweeter. So....here's how Fountain of Youth Week 2026 played out. I began the week in Ohio where the temperatures were in the 20's with a feels like in the teens. On Tuesday morning my sister was unable to get out of meetings at work so I had an Uber pick me up at my Mom's and take me to the airport. The flight seemed to go so, SO much faster than the flight up - go figure since they were both direct flights of about 2 1/2 hours. I had handicapped the Thursday and Friday cards while in Ohio so I could devote two plus full days to the races for the big day on Saturday. The first three (of four) races on Thursday saw me run 3rd at 9/5, 2nd at 1/2 and 2nd again at 9/5. The last bet of the day on Thursday was a Starter Optional Claiming route on the Tapeta. Ashima towered over the field and was a prohibitive 3/5 in the program. I felt lucky to get 1/5 at post time. Drew off thru the final furlong and I finally had a win on the page. Friday was an 0-for day - 2nd at 4/5, 2nd at 8/5, 2nd again at 2/1 and finally 3rd at 2/1. Not the kind of momentum I wanted to build heading into the big day.

Saturday's forecast seemed foreboding according to the weather people. The early part of the week saw the extended forecast call for a 40%-to-50% chance of not only rain but thunderstorms they said. Then on the Friday night 6pm telecast the weather guy said there would be heavy storms, gusty winds and a high likelihood of hail. What...hail? I watched the 11pm news and the forecast had not changed. As Keith and I drove out to the races it was cloudy but lots of blue sky and I noted that I'd heard forecasts like this, well maybe not that bad! - and often nothing came of it at the track. The first post at Gulfstream was at 11:30 am. To set the stage for the stories of the day, take note of the prices paid by the winners of the first ELEVEN races:

$13.20 / $15.60 / $19.40 / $24.80 / $38.60 / $24.20

$2.40 / $9.80 / $19.20 / $20.00 / $13.60

As you might imagine, I did not have hardly any of those. But was also interesting was that in six of the eight races I lost I had the lead at some point and in four of them I had the lead in the stretch....three times I looked to be confidently the winner, but then....no. I was also playing races from the Fair Grounds and Aqueduct. Beginning with the opener at 11:30 locally through first eleven races at GP, the 8th in NY and the 5th in New Orleans, which took us to almost 4:30pm I went a dismal 2-for-17. And one of those was the $2.40 winner above. Just, W-O-W. When I finally did get on the board it was in R7 at Gulfstream, the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Mile. On paper Knightsbridge looked formidable. But last year in a spot here he had looked as clear cut a winner but ran second. The difference this year was he'd put three races together, the last two locally and had the look of a budding superstar. I went "Prime Time" on the bet. He stalked the pace while well in hand into the turn. Ran right by the front runner who's jockey was pleading for more while K'bridge's rider sat motionless. Jogged through the final furlong winning by a pole in hand. A WOW performance. And as I said to my ticket girl Darlene, "I'll take any price at this point."

The next race for me was the 8th at Gulfstream, a conditioned allowance on the turf. Lightly raced Cruise the Nile had won two in a row and looked to be on or near the lead. As a side note, not that it had anything to do with racing but often times this does seem to be a "thing." In my fictional book I'm writing, the characters are in the midst of a Nile River cruise. That could be a coincidence, or the racing gods reaching out to me. All I know is that he went right to the front, cleared easily and set sail for the wire turning for home and was never threatened. The best part, he paid a healthy $9.80 so I cashed on my second race in a row for nearly $25.

Missed on the next five - hey, I thought I was going on a roll? Guess not. The 9th at Aqueduct was a second level allowance going a one-turn mile. Todd Pletcher's Donegal Surges was being ridden by top NY rider Manny Franco. He'd earned a big 99 Beyer two back at this trip in allowance company and if he ran back to that he should win I thought. Otherwise it was a "go figure" event, so I went in for just the minimum. Right to the front and never looked back as the 7/5 favorite.

Two of the three graded turf stakes had favorites that I thought looked really strong. To be fair to myself, in the 6th, the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Sister Trioenne had been just crushing her rivals and I just had the sense that maybe today was her "off day," but on paper she looked way too good. She was one of those that was clear at the furlong marker before being nailed on the wire. Fast forward to the 12th for older and it was the Grade 3 Honey Fox. Lush Lips was a quality runner but didn't, in my opinion lay over the field like 'Sister did. Still I was "proud" of myself that despite my lack of wins I stuck with my bet and tripled the bet on her. Turning for home she was wide and looked to have too much ground to make up. But inside the 16th pole she hit another gear and I thought, "Oh this is going to be close....." Our seats were right on the finish line and while it was a photo finish I was pretty sure she'd finished in front. Just :)

The prices weren't posted yet as I headed into the breezeway and looked up on the big screen as the horses went into the gate at the Fair Grounds for the Louisiana Stallion Stakes slated to go a mile-70 on the main track, limited to 3yo's. Creole Chrome had not gone two turns before but his Beyers had improved with each start and top jockey Jose Ortiz was on board. The Tomlinson ratings said he could get the trip and I thought he'd probably try to wire the field. Right to the front as expected and widened with every stride impressively through the stretch. Three in a row....whoooo hoooo.

I turned to the other side of the breezeway and watched the horses approaching the gate in New York for the featured Grade 3 Gotham which carried fifty points to the winner towards a berth in the Kentucky Derby. Chad Brown's Iron Honor was my pick. The bad news was I anticipated him being a shorter than he should be price....he was stepping up off a debut maiden win.....and was stretching out from 6f to a one-turn mile at 8f. The good news was his 95 figure was much the best in here....he was a son of Derby champion Nyquist (so the distance shouldn't be a problem), and top rider Manny Franco was on board. Have to give the colt a lot of credit....he dueled between runners down the backstretch. Put a head in front on the turn, then was confronted by another turning for home. Dueled and fought gamely to the 16th pole and then edged clear to score as the 4/5 favorite. That makes four in a row :)

No where to be found when 7th in the Grade 3 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream. The Black Gold at the Fair Grounds saw two Brad Cox debut winners leading the way in this 3yo stakes going two turns on the grass. I preferred Touch of Fire and he left the gate at 2/5. Coasted all alone on the front end...had a daylight lead inside the furlong marker and then suddenly out of nowhere he came a late runner. "This will be close......" No, beat on the wire ;( The BIG race of the day was next, the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth worth $425K in prize money and fifty points towards a Derby berth. Unlike so many races, even a lot of the stakes events here at Gulfstream, this one looked to be a field filled with talent. I listed four on my selection sheet but settled on Commandment for Brad Cox. The runners were so evenly matched that the only angle I had was that Commandment was the lone contender KEEPING his rider. He was behind a trio of runners through the far turn while in the two path. The leader turned for home and two pressers made their move on the outside. Keith, sitting beside me cried out, "It's the horse on the outside that's going to win!" I replied, "Don't say that .... I'm coming up the rail and I AM going to win!" Commandment shot through, caught the front runner...dueled and looked to be just in front in the final strides! Great way to wrap up the day as he paid over $6 and I will collect over $30. Keith asked if we were staying for the last race from the Fair Grounds and I said no. But as we left, on the big screen in the breezeway, there was my horse, Broken Poppa standing in the winner's circle to complete my rush to finish and close the day with six wins in the last eight bets. That brought my final numbers to 8-for-25 - a nearly identical percentage to my usual win rate. You just never know at the races. But I HAD said to my teller-girl Kimberly in the midst of the losing, "I know one thing - I will be winning eventually!" And right I was.