The Fountain of Youth Stakes is a horse race held annually for 3-year-olds scheduled this year for Feb. 27. It follows January’s Pegasus World Cup as one of the major racing events on the Gulfstream Park stakes calendar and represents a key stop on the Triple Crown trail.

The race is a hugely popular Grade 2 event, and many see the race as a good indicator of quality form and possible contenders for races down the line like the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.

What is the Grade?

A graded stakes race is a race for Thoroughbreds that represents the elite level of horse racing in the United States.

The grade levels of 1, 2, or 3 are based on specific requirements that include:

• The amount of prize money in the purse, with Grade 1 races typically offering the most, and then Grade 2 and Grade 3 in a sliding scale with minimum purse requitements.
• Graded races are also classified by other factors, including the history of the race, the quality of recent editions, the length of the race, and the age requirement for the horses running.
• The American Graded Stakes Committee, which was founded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association in 1973 and has been managed by TOBA since then, determine annually which races meet their criteria each year. Races can therefore change in grade, moving from grade depending upon circumstances, and the purpose of the committee is to identify races that consistently attract the highest quality competition.

Who Are the Possible Top Contenders?

The Fountain of Youth stakes takes place at Florida’s Gulfstream Park. This year’s race is expected to offer an exciting look at the runners and riders likely to have a big impact on the Triple Crown trail and beyond.

Essential Quality (Eclipse Sportswire)

• Essential Quality - Trained by Brad Cox, the Tapit colt will makes his 3-year-old debut in the coming weeks. Undefeated in the three races so far in his career, the current points leader of the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard was named 2020 champion 2-year-old male at the Jan. 28 Eclipse Awards.
• Highly Motivated - Set a track record for 6 ½ furlongs in the Nyquist Stakes Nov. 6 at Keeneland and is expected to handle longer distances and improved competition as well.
• Keepmeinmind - Currently ranked second in the Road to Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 18 points, the Kentucky-bred Laoban colt is expected to do well at longer races. A consistent and honest deep closer, he won the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in his final race in 2020.  
• Midnight Bourbon - With jockey Joe Talamo, Midnight Bourbon looks like a solid bet to perform well. He finished in the top three in a Grade 1 race as a 2-year-old in 2020 and opened the year with a victory in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds Jan. 16.

History of the Fountain of Youth

Many view the Fountain of Youth as a major preparatory race on the road to the Kentucky Derby. Held at Florida’s Gulfstream Park every February, the race also serves as a key steppingstone to the Grade 1 Florida Derby March 27.

• The first Fountain of Youth was held in 1945.
• Tim Tam underlined its importance by winning both the Fountain of Youth and the Kentucky Derby in 1958.
• Since then, it has been an important part of the route to the Kentucky Derby
• The Fountain of Youth-Kentucky Derby double has also been completed by Kauai King in 1966, Spectacular Bid in 1979, Thunder Gulch in 1995, and Orb in 2013.
• The quality of the competition in the Fountain of Youth is further solidified by the number of runners who lost the race at Gulfstream Park but went on to win the Derby. There have been eight winners of the Kentucky Derby, all between 1961 and 1994, who won at the Kentucky Derby coming up short in the Fountain of Youth.
• Recently, the race has also produced multiple Kentucky Derby runners-up: Ice Box in 2010, Good Magic in 2018, and Code of Honor in 2019.
• Acting as a qualifier for the Kentucky Derby, the winner of the Fountain of Youth is awarded 50 points with 20 points awarded to the runner-up, 10 for third place, and five points for fourth.

The Triple Crown

• The Kentucky Derby is one of the premier races in the U.S. and the most famous race in the country. A 3-year-old that sweeps the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes earns the title of Triple Crown winner. Only 13 horses have swept the Triple Crown in the U.S. Sir Barton in 1919 was the first and Justify in 2018 was the most recent.

The Popularity of Horse Racing

Eclipse Sportswire

Horse racing is widely enjoyed across the United States. As with the UK, it is watched live in beautiful venues as well as on television and online live streams.

With a long history going back to the 17^th Century, horse racing in America offers fans an always exciting and never completely predictable experience.

Enjoying a Wager on Horse Racing 

More people living in the United States are now allowed to enjoy a wager on sport events like horse racing, with more states across the country legalizing sports betting. Gambling on the outcome of a race is seen as an integral part of the sport in the UK and online betting on horse racing saw a significant spike in the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The excitement of having a personal stake in the event brings another level to watching the race live. Seeing a horse you’ve bet to win overtake the leader and then prevail provides a memorable thrill.

Conclusion

The Fountain of Youth is expected to be an exciting look at some of the key horses who could figure in the Kentucky Derby. The race also is a valuable indicator of runners and riders that could do well throughout the 2021 horse racing season.