HALLANDALE, Fla., Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Trust N Luck became the latest horse to jump in front in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and never look back.
Trust N Luck won the $200,000 Grade I race at Gulfstream Park in impressive fashion Saturday, opening a big lead down the stretch and coasting to a 5 1/4-length victory.
With Cornelio Velasquez aboard, Trust N Luck became the sixth straight wire-to-wire winner of the Fountain of Youth, the first notable prep race for the Kentucky Derby.
Because the race takes place so early in the season, trainers sometimes are reluctant to sternly test their Kentucky Derby hopefuls, and that might have been the case Saturday.
Trust N Luck was pushed briefly on the backstretch by Midway Cat but broke clear of the field and covered the 1 1/16-mile race in 1 minute, 43.33 seconds.
"I know this horse is a good horse. He didn't have to stay in front," trainer Ralph Ziadie said. "He's got natural speed and I don't think he will have trouble going farther."
Trust N Luck, which had two first- and two second-place finishes in stakes races last year, paid $11.80, $7.20 and $5.
Supah Blitz rallied for second and paid $25 and $9.60. Midway Cat showed for $5.60.
Horses that finish first, second or third automatically are nominated for the $1 million Florida Derby on March 15 at Gulfstream. Ziadie is pointing toward the Florida Derby with a possible shot at Churchill Downs.
"Our plans have been to run in the Florida Derby and then go to the Kentucky Derby if he is good enough," Ziadie said. "I don't want to dance every dance with him. I want to have a fresh horse whatever race he runs in."
It was a disappointing day for others in the seven-horse field.
Offlee Wild, a 27-1 long shot winner in the Holy Bull Stakes on Jan. 18, settled for fourth.
Whywhywhy, the only horse to win a Grade I race before Saturday, was fifth. The horse failed to bounce back from a 10th-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, in which he went off as the 5-2 favorite.
