Fountain of Youth dozen includes Court Vision, Monba

Sunday's $350,000 Fountain of Youth S. (G2) is the first two-turn stakes race

for Kentucky Derby (G1) hopefuls at Gulfstream Park, and the 1 1/8-mile event

proved popular at the entry box with a dozen entries. Remsen S. (G2) winner

COURT VISION (Gulch) figures to vie for favoritism in his highly anticipated

2008 debut, and the Todd Pletcher-trained MONBA (Maria's Mon) merits serious

respect in his first start of the season. Both colts will pick up new riders in

Garrett Gomez and Edgar Prado, respectively.

Court Vision will bring a three-race winning streak into the Fountain of

Youth, breaking his maiden at Keeneland prior to winning the one-mile Iroquois

S. (G3) at Churchill Downs. The Bill Mott runner stretched out to nine furlongs

in the Remsen at Aqueduct in late November and gamely prevailed, overcoming a

troubled trip to get the money in the shadow of the wire. The dark bay is

favorably drawn in post 3.

Monba opened his racing career with a pair of wins in Kentucky, breaking his

maiden at Keeneland before taking a Churchill Downs allowance, and shipped West

for the CashCall Futurity (G1) in mid-December. He suffered a rough start and

didn't get a clear run from off the pace until it was too late, but the gray

colt stamped himself as one to watch with a stout rally for fourth-place honors.

Monba will break from post 7.

Nick Zito, who will send out champion juvenile War Pass (Cherokee Run) in a

one-mile allowance one race later on Sunday's card, is well represented in the

Fountain of Youth by ANAK NAKAL (Victory Gallop) and COOL COAL MAN (Mineshaft).

Anak Nakal will return to action after wrapping up his 2007 campaign with a

victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) at Churchill Downs. Cool Coal Man

has already made an appearance this meet, recording a smart allowance win at

Sunday's distance.

Z HUMOR (Distorted Humor) will wheel back eight days after a

disappointing fifth in the Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs. A dead-heat

winner of the Delta Jackpot S. (G3) in December, the Mott pupil contested the

pace as the 6-5 favorite last Saturday before faltering. The uncoupled bay colt

will get a new rider in Cornelio Velasquez.

A couple of impressive Gulfstream maiden winners will make their stakes debut

in the Fountain of Youth. ELYSIUM FIELDS (El Prado [Ire]) romped by eight

lengths in his last start for Barclay Tagg, winning a 1 1/8-mile event on

January 19. KENTUCKY BEAR (Mr. Greeley) made short work of his competition when

making his career bow in a one-mile race on January 21, rolling to a 6

1/2-length decision for Reade Baker.

Other contenders include OBS Championship S. victor and Grade 2-placed HALO

NAJIB (Halo's Image) and recent allowance winners MAKE THE POINT (Menifee) and

ADRIANO (A.P. Indy). Rounding

out the line-up are Calder allowance winners GOLDEN SPIKES (Seeking the Gold)

and READY SET (Touch Gold), who finished second and fourth , respectively, to

Cool Coal Man last out. 

The contestants, in post order, are Cool Coal Man, Kent Desormeaux, 118;

Golden Spikes, Javier Castellano, 116; Court Vision, 122; Kentucky Bear, Elvis

Trujillo, 116; Z Humor, 120; Ready Set, Jose Lezcano, 116; Monba, 116; Anak

Nakal, Julien Leparoux, 120; Elysium Fields, Eibar Coa, 116; Halo Najib, Rene

Douglas, 120; Make the Point, John Velazquez, 116; and Adriano, Eddie Castro,

116.