Fountain of Youth

[zico20]

What an intriguing and fascinating handicapping race. You essentially have three match races in play. The vs , then the vs and finally the vs the . Merit is scratched leaving the field with four solid horses and four hopelessly overmatched donkeys.

Will Speak Easy and Victory Avenue move forward off of their career debuts while stretching out? That was an amazing time they ran, earning a 103 and 100 Brisnet. What makes them even more impressive is that the 4th and 6th place horses ran 1-2 last Saturday in a 1 1/8 race that went in a very good 151 flat. Both improved off that race and if these two improve off their debut they could be hard to beat. Victory Avenue is out of Arrogate and will like the two turns and Speak Easy has Pletcher. Shocked that Victory Avenue went off the favorite in an 11 horse field, someone knew he was going to run big.

Dornoch and Locked clearly have the experience and class on their side and it isn't close. The big question mark is will they run back to their best races? The trainer of Dornoch doesn't have him at the top of his game and said "he will be a lot stronger next race." What is also concerning is that the past seven Remsen's have produced zero next out winners and six of them were 2-1 or less. So it isn't a key race. Will Pletcher have Locked fully cranked? He didn't with Fierceness and it is also troublesome that he was first going to run in the Sam F Davis, possibly indicating he isn't going to fire his best race with that being only a 20 pointer. Dornoch lost both races he didn't get the lead and he isn't getting it today as Speak Easy will from the rail.

So are the two pairs going to get split. Is it going to be the first and second and third and fourth or vice versa. I can see what is coming as it seems to happen 99 out of a 100 races. One of these four is going to run a subpar race and finish 5th and one of the donkeys is going to straggle up to round out the super. It never fails. The problem is the other four are just awful, I dislike the the most, hard to see him crashing the super, so it would be one of the other three. So which one of these four would be most likely to run out of the super. My guess is it will be Dornoch then Victory Avenue. I think Speak Easy and Locked are the two keys for the win and trifecta. Great race!

[PalaceOfFortLarned]

As you stated, almost impossible to see anything outside of .

That was a big time first out race from the and in their Maiden beaus. 1:21.4 over 7F first time out is impressive. was superior that day, but both ran huge and has every right to turn the tables 2nd time out.

are obviously much more experienced, and both with Graded Stakes wins to their credit with the having ran well in a couple of G1s already.

Pace should be honest, if not hot, which leans me towards Locked to get it done in here. Could easily see all 4 of these in the gate come the first Saturday in May. Obviously they need to keep progressing. Pretty good horse is gonna finish off the board today.

Will try to get the Real Macho into the bottom of a Trifecta. Improving and this is his 3rd in this form cycle, so should be getting what could be his very best to date.

[PhantomOnTour]

Just read that #3 Victory Avenue will scratch

[pandy]

Victory Avenue is a late scratch. I like Speak Easy even more now. The track didn't seem that fast that day he made his debut. He ran 7 furlongs in 1:21.4 on Pegasus day and the Pegasus went in 1:50. Senor Buscador was second a neck behind National Treasure in the $3 million dollar Pegasus and he came back to win the $10 million dollar Saudi Cup.

Speak Easy and Locked, both trained by Pletcher, looks like a two horse race to me.

[PalaceOfFortLarned]

Wow. Now Locked is also a SCR.

[pandy]

Yeah, with Lock scratched, I don't see how they catch Speak Easy. Dornoch had the help of a bias when he won the Remsen over an off track, but he should run well in what looks like a two-horse race for sure now.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour

Just read that #3 Victory Avenue will scratch

That sucks. He was going to be my main use. I thought he might be able to turn the tables on Speak Easy. He was favored over him as a firster and I thought the rail wasn’t the best path last time even if it wasn’t totally dead.

[PhantomOnTour]

This race is a pass for me. Just don't see any value, other than maybe the #4, but I'll need a big price to take a shot with him.

Tons of value on turf though in the other races

[PalaceOfFortLarned]

Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour

This race is a pass for me. Just don't see any value, other than maybe the #4, but I'll need a big price to take a shot with him.

Tons of value on turf though in the other races

Yep. Only way to bet this race is as a single and build around with a Double, P3/4/5.

Don't mind the , but he'll be 3rd choice at like 4/1. Can't make that bet against the at those odds. Might have taken a swing with the Big 4 all running and him at 16/1 or better.

[CheckMark]

Fountain of Youth Picks

DORNOCH 2-1
The one to beat here. Is in very sharp form, and looks to take them gate-to-wire in this one.

FRANKIE'S EMPIRE 20-1
Bomb play underneath and not one to ignore. Getting better with every start L3. Will be just sitting right off the pace to take a shot at DORNOCH in the final strides.

SPEAK EASY 9/2
Will be the Top 3 in the betting. Graduated first time asking for Pletcher, and now facing Graded company here. Irad could send this one early or sit right off the pace to battle DORNOCH and FRANKIE'.

LE DOM BRO 30-1
One to throw underneath at a big price. Form is in good shape, with almost winning a Stakes event last time out. Hard to say where this one will be today, but wouldn't surprise me if this on battles for the lead.

Best of luck to all!

[Sparky13]

Dornuch, Speak Easy, Real Macho

[PalaceOfFortLarned]

at 12/1 I'm stabbing.

[PhantomOnTour]

Taking a flyer:

Ex: -

[PalaceOfFortLarned]

SCR

So every late wager in a Horizontal is complete trash.