Burnham Square, Sovereignty highlight eight in Fountain of Youth; La Cara faces returning Ballerina d’Oro in Davona Dale

Blinkers made a difference for Burnham Square, who followed a romping maiden win in late December with a 1 3/4-length victory in the Holy Bull (G3) on Feb. 1, and the surging three-year-old gelding will look to solidify himself as a leading Kentucky Derby (G1) contender in Saturday’s $415,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

Burnham Square will face some dangerous new challengers in the eight-horse field, including Sovereignty, who will make his first appearance since a five-length victory in the Street Sense (G3) at Churchill Downs last fall. Junior Alvarado retains the mount on the Godolphin homebred son of Into Mischief for Bill Mott.

Gate to Wire, a five-length romper in the seven-furlong Swale when switching to the main track on Feb. 1, will stretch to two turns for Todd Pletcher. The two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer also has the unbeaten River Thames set for his first stakes appearance. After a convincing debut win on Jan. 11, River Thames came back three weeks later with an impressive 6 1/2-length victory over entry-level allowance rivals at a one-turn mile. John Velazquez rides the Maclean’s Music colt, and Dylan Davis retains the mount on Gate to Wire.

Burnham Square will be rallying from off the pace in the 1 1/16-mile race, a Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series event offering points on a 50-25-15-10-5 basis to the top five, and regular rider Edgard Zayas will be back up on the son of Liam’s Map.

Five races earlier on the program, seven Kentucky Oaks (G1) prospects will compete in the $215,000 Davona Dale (G2) over a one-turn mile. La Cara rates as the one to beat following a decisive frontrunning win in the Suncoast at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 8.

Winner of the Pocahontas (G3) at Churchill Downs last fall, La Cara rebounded from a fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) in the one-mile and 40-yard Suncoast, dominating by 6 1/2 lengths. Davis will be up on the promising daughter of Street Sense for Mark Casse.

Scratched from last week’s Rachel Alexandra (G2) due to a fever, Ballerina d’Oro made a quick recovery and will make her much-anticipated sophomore opener in the Davona Dale, a Road to the Kentucky Oaks Challenge series qualifier offering a total of 105 points (50-25-15-10-5). A turf maiden winner, the Chad Brown-trained Medaglia d’Oro filly switched to dirt two races later with a fast-finishing second in the Demoiselle (G2) at Aqueduct, and Tyler Gaffalione picks up the mount.

Grade 3 juvenile winner The Queens M G, third in the Forward Gal (G3) on Feb. 1, is also part of the mix.