Buddy's Saint exits Fountain of Youth debacle in good order

Multiple Grade 2 star BUDDY'S SAINT (Saint Liam) has emerged from his

troubled ninth-place finish in Saturday's Fountain of Youth S. (G2) in good

order, trainer Bruce Levine reported Sunday morning. The 9-5 favorite was

slammed when entering the first turn at Gulfstream Park, and bounced around

between Aikenite (Yes It's True) and the rail. Although regular jockey Jose

Lezcano checked Buddy's Saint out of that dangerous spot and maneuvered him to

the outside, he wound up well off the pace and never really recovered.

"He (Lezcano) said we got shut off going into the first turn, so we really

had a rough trip and had trouble making up ground," Levine said. "It's a tough

track to make up ground on, so we'll just throw the race out and start again.

"He came out of it good," Levine continued. "We'll give him a few days and

then take him back to the track and see how he is from there.

"I won't make up my mind for a week or two to see how he's doing before

deciding where he goes next."

Buddy's Saint, who was beaten a total of 22 1/4 lengths by the

super-impressive Eskendereya (Giant's Causeway), threw in by far the worst

effort of his brief career Saturday. The bay had never previously finished

behind another horse.

Disqualified for interference in his debut score at Belmont Park last

September, Buddy's Saint crushed stakes rivals by 12 lengths next time out in

the Nashua S. (G2) at Aqueduct. He wrapped up his two-year-old campaign with a

convincing 4 3/4-length victory in the November 28 Remsen S. (G2) at that same

venue, elevating himself into the top tier of Kentucky Derby (G1) hopefuls.

Levine had planned all along for Buddy's Saint to make his sophomore debut in

the Fountain of Youth, with an eye toward prepping for the Derby in the April 3

Wood Memorial (G1) at Aqueduct.