Photo: MEC
Flying Zee Stable and partners’ 3-year-old Pulsion worked
six furlongs in 1:11 flat Tuesday morning at Gulfstream Park
for trainer Patrick Biancone and remains on target for his season debut in the
$250,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) on Sat., Feb. 20, despite
missing an allowance race run on Jan. 31 with a minor cough.
“He’s over his little cold now and worked very well,” said
Biancone Wednesday morning. “You would always like to keep the schedule you’ve
planned, but it doesn’t always work out. We’ve got to get him started
someplace. It’s a long year ahead. Mike Smith will be here to ride him.”
Pulsion will be making his first start since finishing 11th
of 13 in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita on Nov. 7.
An eventful trip with Smith aboard, he sustained several cuts on his legs when
in heavy traffic around the first turn as Vale of York, Lookin at Lucky and
Noble’s Promise finished one-two-three.
A son of Include purchased for $250,000 at the OBS March
2-year-old sale, Pulsion had finished a game second to Lookin at Lucky in the
Norfolk Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita in his previous start on Oct. 4, the latter
later voted Eclipse champion. Prior to the Norfolk,
Pulsion broke his maiden going a mile at Del
Mar in his third career start with all five of his juvenile starts on synthetic
tracks in California.
The probable/possible line-up for the 1 1/8 miles Fountain
of Youth also includes Kingfield Farm’s Buddy’s Saint, Robert LaPenta and Jacks
or Better Farm’s Jackson Bend, Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite, Zayat Stable’s
Eskendereya, WinStar Farm’s Drosselmeyer, Gainesway Farm’s Tempted to Tapit and
Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s William’s Kitten and/or Pleasant Prince.
The Fountain of Youth will be the highlight of the Feb. 20
program that also will include renewals of the $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes (G2)
for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs, $150,000 Canadian Turf Stakes (G3) for
4-year-olds and up at one mile on turf and $100,000 Honey Fox Stakes (G3) for
fillies and mares at one mile on turf.
Paul Pompa, Jr.’s D’Funnybone is a leading candidate for
the Hutcheson and worked six furlongs in 1:12 1/5 Wednesday morning at
Gulfstream for trainer Rick Dutrow. The son of D’wildcat will be making his
first start since finishing last of 13 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, obviously
far below his best that afternoon.
D’Funnybone began his career at Calder winning his debut in
May and finishing second in the Frank Gomez Memorial on July 11 in his second
start before being purchased privately shortly thereafter and sent to Dutrow in
New
York. In two starts for his
new connections before the Breeders’ Cup, he won the Saratoga Special (G2) by
10 ½ lengths and The Futurity (G2) at Belmont
Park
by 4 ¾ lengths.
Another top contender for the Hutcheson is expected to be
Edward P. Evans’ Virginia homebred A Little Warm, winner of the six-furlong
Spectacular Bid Stakes on Jan. 9 by 1 ½ lengths for trainer Anthony Dutrow. The
son of Stormin Fever had broken his maiden by 10 ¾ lengths on Nov. 23 in his
previous start at Philadelphia
Park.
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