COMMANDMENT (inside) - Fountain of Youth - Photo: Gonzalo Anteliz Jr.
Wathnan Racing’s Commandment passed the two-turn test in Saturday’s $425,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park, employing an edge in experience to fight off Chief Wallabee and eke out victory by a neck.
The Brad Cox-trained 2-1 favorite in a field of nine 3-year-olds successfully negotiated two turns in the 80th running of the important 1 1/16-mile stakes on the Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1). Commandment’s victory in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth, which closed out a 14-race program featuring nine stakes, eight graded, was worth 50 qualifying points for the first jewel of the Triple Crown.
Commandment, who captured the one-turn mile Mucho Macho Man by 6 ? lengths Jan. 3 at Gulfstream in his previous start, settled in fifth as 50-1 longshot Rockies Balboa showed the way around the first turn and along the backstretch, stalked by the undefeated trio of Solitude Dude, Napoleon Solo and Jackson Hole. After setting fractions of 23.16 and 46.89 seconds, Rockies Balboa retreated heading into the far turn as Solitude Dude moved to the lead under Flavien Prat, chased by Napoleon Solo as Commandment and Chief Wallabee moved into contention in tandem.
With Solitude Dude under urging on the turn into the homestretch, Irad Ortiz Jr. cut the corner into the stretch aboard Commandment while Junior Alvarado swung three wide on Chief Wallabee. Commandment took a narrow lead mid-stretch, where he was quickly engaged by Chief Wallabee, and gamely held off his less experienced challenger to the wire.
Commandment notched his third victory in four starts to become one of the top prospects for the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 28 at Gulfstream – the premier prep for the Kentucky Derby won last year by Cox-trained Tappan Street.
“I thought he was getting a good trip. Turning for home, it looked like Irad obviously put him in a great spot. He had the inside path and finished up well. He had to fight to win, and he galloped out well again. Irad said he had to ask him to gallop out past the second wire and he had plenty of horse,” Cox said. “He passed the two-turn test. Now it’s a mile and a sixteenth to a mile and an eighth, whether it’s the Florida Derby or the Blue Grass (April 4 at Keeneland). We’ll talk it over with the Wathnan team and come up with a game plan.
“[The Florida Derby] is the logical spot. You just want to make sure he comes out of it in good order, and we don’t need another week or something with him,” Cox added. “You always put the trainer hat on. That’s where we are.”
The son of Into Mischief ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.33 to narrowly defeat Chief Wallabee, who was making only his second career start Saturday off a strong debut victory in a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream Jan. 10.
“He’s been doing everything so good since day one, honest. I’m excited and happy to see him win today. It’s a good prep and the first step in going to the race we all dream about, so it’s pretty exciting. I love him,” Ortiz said. “I was keeping his attention on the turn, but he was doing well. He never gave me a bad feeling. I trust him and when the space came he was ready to go.”
Michael and Katherine Ball’s homebred Chief Wallabee impressed Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott while more than holding his own in a graded-stakes in only his second start.
“Of course, when you get beat like that, I’m disappointed. But he ran really well. I mean, to run against horses that have much more experience, I think he showed up,” Mott said. “We’re trying to get going late in the game. Now you’ve got four or five races to choose from, so you’ve got to decide which one of those.”
Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Solitude Dude finished two lengths farther back in third to incur his first loss after winning three straight races around one turn.
“I had a good trip. He really jumped well and from there got a good position. He rated nicely and I thought after that he ran a good race. He held his own,” Prat said. “I think he’s going to have distance limitations regardless. But I thought it was a really good effort.”
Solitude Dude finished 8 ? lengths ahead of stablemate Bravaro in fourth.
Winning Time: 1:43.33
Winning Margins: neck, 2, 8 ¾
Winning Payoff: $6.80
Fractions: :23.16, :46.89, 1:1;1.47, 1:36.67
Order of finish: Commandment, Chief Wallabee, Solitude Dude, Bravaro, Napoleon Solo, Jackson Hole, Bull by the Horns, Lost Money, Rockies Balboa
Scratches: Talkin, Global Aviator
“[The Florida Derby] is the logical spot. You just want to make sure he comes out of it in good order and we don’t need another week or something with him. You always put the trainer hat on. That’s where we are.”
“Turning for home I thought about it [being on the inside path] but I thought he was moving well enough and I thought we had Saffie’s colt measured. I also saw Bill’s horse on the outside on, as a rule, the better part of the track. It looked like we were getting to him and he had run, and he responded.”
“He was very similar behavior to the Mucho Macho Man, kind of pranced through the tunnel. Once he got into the saddling area he took a deep breath, chilled out, didn’t get hot. He was feeling good, but not over the top. Everything was positive. We actually left the halter and shank on him until we got to the track and he presented himself very, very well. Very classy.”
Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Commandment): “He’s been doing everything so good since day one, honest. I’m excited and happy to see him win today. It’s a good prep and the first step in going to the race we all dream about, so it’s pretty exciting. I love him. I was keeping his attention on the turn, but he was doing well. He never gave me a bad feeling. I trust him and when the space came he was ready to go.”
Trainer Bill Mott (Chief Wallabee, 2nd): “Of course, when you get beat like that, I’m disappointed. But he ran really well. I mean, to run against horses that have much more experience, I think he showed up. We’re trying to get going late in the game. Now you’ve got four or five races to choose from, so you’ve got to decide which one of those.”
Jockey Junior Alvarado (Chief Wallabee, 2nd): ““I had an OK trip. It wasn’t probably the best. He broke OK, then I had to kind of had to hang wide the first turn. I had to make a little premature move just to get my position forward since it’s the first wire with a horse going that far for the first time. I hesitated a little to make that move but I had no choice. Then I saw Irad coming through at the three-eighths pole and I had to make a premature move once again. I have to say it might have cost me the race but this is something we’re building on for next time. I doubt if those horses will beat me again.”
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. (Solitude Dude, 3rd, Bravaro, 4th, Bull by the Horns, 7th): “Solitude Dude ran well. He got beat by two good horses at a trip that’s probably not going to be his best trip. But he ran good anyway, had no excuse, got a perfect trip. Bravaro didn’t really get a trip. He had to take up early in the race and then he was far back after that so he was kind of compromised.”
Jockey Flavien Prat (Solitude Dude, 3rd): “I had a good trip. He really jumped well and from there got a good position. He rated nicely and I thought after that he ran a good race. He held his own. I think he’s going to have distance limitations regardless. But I thought it was a really good effort.”
Jockey Tyler Gaffalione (Bravaro 4th): “Being drawn in the middle didn’t really help our case. He was fighting the kickback most of the way and didn’t really have the smoothest of trips, but I was very impressed with the way he finished up even after everything early on. He finished up good to the wire. I like this horse. I think he has a bright future. I wasn’t expecting to be buried inside. It’s not the best part of the track but that’s just where we were.”
Three stakes wins Saturday – “I’m very proud of the horses for showing up today. Obviously, it’s great to win on these days but it’s even better with those kinds of people.”
Trainer Chad Summers (Napoleon Solo, 5th): “It’s all good. Like we said, first step in a three-part plan.”
Jockey Micah Husbands (Bull by the Horns, 7th): “I had a good trip. I was following Chief Wallabee and he left at the half-mile [pole] and I didn’t have the horse to go with him. But he tried. Unfortunately he couldn’t match the rest.”
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