Three Chimneys Farm and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' 3-year-old colt Collaborate, an eye-catching maiden winner on Saturday's Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) program at Gulfstream Park, may venture onto the Triple Crown trail.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said the morning of Feb. 28 that the sophomore son of Into Mischief , also bred by Three Chimneys Farm, is likely to make his next start in the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby Presented By Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1) March 27.
The Florida Derby offers 170 qualifying points (100-40-20-10) toward the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs, as do the Wood Memorial Presented by Resorts World Casino (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, both April 3. All three preps are contested at 1 1/8 miles.
"The Florida Derby is at home and he just has to walk out of his stall," Joseph said. "I talked to the owners briefly yesterday and it will probably be between the Florida Derby, the Wood, or the Blue Grass, but the Florida Derby will be the front-runner.
"Off (Saturday's) race, we're probably going to take a chance somewhere," he added. "We feel like he's a Derby horse. I know we're a little behind schedule, but with the ability he has he can probably overcome it."
Collaborate broke sharply and set a measured pace under jockey Tyler Gaffalione, going in splits of :23.72 seconds, :46.57, and 1:11.12 before beginning to edge away from his 10 rivals. He hit the stretch six lengths in front and kept rolling to win by 12 1/2 lengths at the end in 1:36.35 for one mile over a fast main track.
"We weren't surprised. That's hard to say with a horse winning like that but that's the horse we thought he was," Joseph said.
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The Florida Derby is expected to be headed by Courtland Farms' Greatest Honour , winner of both the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) and Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream this winter, both at 1 1/16 miles.
"The Holy Bull—everything went perfect. (Saturday), he didn't get anything perfect and he came back and won," said his trainer, Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey. "He was doing something he didn't want to do—to run a mile and a sixteenth over this racetrack with the short pole. I'm just glad I don't have to do that anymore.
"I was on the fence whether I wanted to run him back going a mile and a sixteenth here or not," he added. "I decided that the way he worked last Sunday, it was time to go. Now, we have longer races in front of us. I still think his future is in front of him."
Greatest Honour will try to emulate the 2013 success of Orb for McGaughey, who won the Fountain and Youth and Florida Derby that year before a triumph in the Kentucky Derby.
Fountain of Youth (G2) Runner-Up Drain the Clock Cutting Back
While impressive maiden-winning stablemate Collaborate earned the chance to stretch out for a shot in the Florida Derby, the Joseph-trained Drain the Clock isn't expected to join him.
He said Sunday that Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael Nentwig's Drain the Clock, winner of the seven-furlong Claiborne Farm Swale (G3) Jan. 30 at Gulfstream in his graded debut, would remain at shorter distances for now.
The son of Maclean's Music set the pace in the Fountain of Youth Saturday at Gulfstream, his first attempt around two turns, and nearly pulled off the upset before getting reeled in by Greatest Honour.
"Talking to the owners briefly after the race, initially I think we're going to step back and keep him at one turn. We tried it and I think he handled the mile and a sixteenth, but I don't think we're going to try to push it," Joseph said. "I think we have a really good horse. I feel like we have a grade 1 horse and he's probably going to be best at one turn, so most likely we're going to stick to one turn."
The Fountain of Youth was the first loss for Drain the Clock in a race he completed. He broke his maiden and beat winners in an optional claiming allowance last fall at Gulfstream and Gulfstream Park West, respectively, before losing his rider on the backstretch of the Nov. 30 Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs. He returned to South Florida and opened his 3-year-old season with a win in the Jan. 3 Limehouse Stakes that set him up for the Swale triumph.
Drain the Clock ran splits of :23.66 seconds, :47.18, 1:11.51, and 1:37.45, taking a 2 1/2-length lead into the stretch before favored Greatest Honour, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, closed stoutly on the outside to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Drain the Clock, second choice in the wagering, was two lengths clear of 18-1 long shot Papetu in third.
"He looked like a winner at the quarter pole but he got run down by a horse that has a lot of stamina and excellent ability in Shug's horse. A credit to Shug for the job he's done with that horse. We lost nothing in defeat. You like to win if you can but if any horse runs like that, you walk away thankful and happy," Joseph said. "He's doing well. He ate pretty good last night and seemed to cool out well."
