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WHAT JOCKEY WITH A WIN IN THIS YEAR'S FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH STAKES (GII) WILL HOLD THE NEW RECORD FOR WINS IN THIS RACE?
3/1/2019

 The Fountain of Youth Stakes (GII) run Saturday at Gulfstream Park was first run in 1945. It was named in honor of the mythical fountain of youth in Florida for which explorer Ponce de Leon was searching. He never found it. The race has had some classic horses winning the race over its history. Three that won it went on to win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, but not the Belmont Stakes. They were—Tim Tam (1958), Kauai King (1966) and Spectacular Bid (1979). One other won the Fountain of Youth and went on to win the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. He was Thunder Gulch. Over the years the race was run at three different distances –1 mile, 1 1/16 miles and 1 1/8 miles. The record for the mile (Quality Road (2009)) and the 1 1/8 miles (Eskendereya (2010)) were ridden by John Velazquez who, also, holds the record for the most wins in the Fountain of Youth with four (tied with Jerry Bailey). In this year’s race, he rides Code of Honor (#1). With a win he will own the record at five and have the horse in second place on the Leader Board.