Fountain of Youth Stakes entries: Violence headlines large field of 11

The unbeaten Violence, winner of the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) and Nashua Stakes (gr. II) last year, will face ten rivals when making his three-year-old debut in the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Violence has drawn gate three of eleven, and excellent post position given the short run to the first turn. Javier Castellano has the mount on the son of Medaglia d'Oro, who is owned by Black Rock Thoroughbreds.

Also entered in this very deep race are Falling Sky, winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III); He's Had Enough, runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) and most recently third in the Sham Stakes (gr. III); Cerro and Sky Captain, the 1-2 finishers in a recent nine-furlong allowance race; Majestic Hussar, who beat the highly-regarded Palace Malice in a recent seven-furlong allowance race; Orb, who overcame a troubled start to win a nine-furlong allowance race last month; and Speak Logistics, winner of the Florida Stallion In Reality Stakes last year and most recently fourth to Falling Sky in the Sam F. Davis Stakes despite a troubled trip.

Post Positions:
1 Orb
2 Joshua's Compromise
3 Violence
4 Majestic Hussar
5 Elmutahid
6 Cerro
7 Sky Captain
8 Speak Logistics
9 He's Had Enough
10 Falling Sky
11 Sr. Quisqueyano

-Keelerman

A Three-Year-Old to Watch: Cerro

It seems that Team Valor International has found themselves another good Kentucky Derby contender! Cerro, an Irish-bred colt trained by Graham Motion, showed a great deal of promise in winning a nine-furlong allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park by 2 1/2 lengths.

Ridden to victory by Javier Castellano, Cerro got off to an excellent start and quickly assumed command of the lead, setting fractions of :23.69 and :46.64 while being tracked by Wild Billum. El Gran Joyful, Sky Captain, and El Duro were next in line, while Craving Carats trailed the field.

Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.65 seconds, Sky Captain moved up to challenge Cerro for the lead, but the front-running colt had something left in the tank, turning back Sky Captain's challenge and opening up a 2 1/2 length lead, which he maintained to the wire. The final time was 1:50.29 seconds.

Sky Captain finished second by three lengths over El Duro, while Wild Billum, El Gran Joyful, and Craving Carats completed the order of finish.

The winner, a son of Mr. Greely out of the Giant's Causeway mare Ballette, has now compiled a record of 2-0-1 from five starts, with earnings of $46,125.

-Keelerman