Fountain of Youth Stakes

The Fountain of Youth Stakes is a Grade 2 horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Inaugurated in 1945, the race covers 1 1/16 miles on a left-handed dirt track and serves as a pivotal prep race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, offering qualifying points to the top finishers. Notable past winners include Tim Tam, Spectacular Bid, and Thunder Gulch, who each went on to achieve significant success in Triple Crown races.

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Bet the Fountain of Youth Stakes

Location: Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, FL

Inaugural Race: 1945

TV Coverage: Stream live on TwinSpires.com!

Current Distance: 1 1/16 Miles (8 1/2 furlongs)

Track Type: Left-Handed, Dirt

Age Qualification: 3YO

Purse: $425,000

Race Date: Saturday, February 28th

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Race Type

Fountain of Youth Stakes Morning Line Odds & Entries

Post
Horse
Jockey / Trainer
ML Odds
1
Jackson Hole
John Velazquez / Todd Pletcher
8-1
2
Rockies Balboa
Luis Saez / Dale Romans
20-1
3
Talkin
Joel Rosario / Danny Gargan
15-1
4
Commandment
Irad Ortiz, Jr. / Brad Cox
2-1
5
Bravaro
Tyler Gaffalione / Saffie Joseph, Jr.
10-1
6
Chief Wallabee
Junior Alvarado / Bill Mott
9-2
7
Napoleon Solo
Kendrick Carmouche / Chad Summers
7-2
8
Bull By the Horns
Micah Husbands / Saffie Joseph, Jr.
30-1
9
Global Aviator
Joe Bravo / Rohan Crichton
SCR
10
Solitude Dude
Flavien Prat / Saffie Joseph, Jr.
5-1

2026 Fountain of Youth Stakes Results

Post
Horse
Jockey / Trainer
Win / Place / Show
4
Commandment
Irad Ortiz, Jr. / Brad H. Cox
$6.80 / $3.20 / $2.40
6
Chief Wallabee
Junior Alvarado / William I. Mott
$3.80 / $2.60
10
Solitude Dude
Flavien Prat / Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.
$3.20
5
Bravaro
Tyler Gaffalione / Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.
7
Napoleon Solo
Kendrick Carmouche / Chad Summers
1
Jackson Hole
John Velazquez / Todd A. Pletcher
8
Bull By the Horns
Micah J. Husbands / Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.
11
Lost Money
Javier Castellano / Juan D. Arias
2
Rockies Balboa
Luis Saez / Dale L. Romans

Exotic Payoffs:

  • $1.00 Exacta (4-6) Paid: $11.00
  • $0.50 Trifecta (4-6-10) Paid: $18.10
  • $0.10 Superfecta (4-6-10-5) Paid: $12.55

Watch the 2026 Fountain of Youth Stakes

History of the Fountain of Youth Stakes

The first real major test for 3-year-olds on the Road to the Kentucky Derby is the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2). The race is run annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, FL just North of Miami Beach. The race is open to 3-year-olds going a distance of 1 1/16 miles (8.5 furlongs). It currently offers a purse of $425,000 and is the final stakes prep to the Florida Derby. The Fountain of Youth serves as an official prep race for the Kentucky Derby, and the top-5 finishers are awarded Derby qualifying points (50-20-15-10-5). The winner earns a spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby.

What makes the Fountain of Youth such an important race is not only does the winner get to run in the Kentucky Derby, but historically speaking it is a proven foundation for race horses that go on to be stallions. A typical stallion impregnates 100-125 mares a year, and a proven stallion can collect stud fees upwards of 10-plus years.

The race was named for the mythical Florida spring that granted eternal youth. The race was inaugurated in 1945, and the 1 1/16 mile race record holder is 1978 winner Sensitive Prince (1:41.00). In 2005 the race was changed to a distance of 1 1/8 miles, and Eskenderaya (2010) set the record with a time of 1:48.87. In 2012, it was changed back to the 1 1/16 mile distance.

Jockey John Velazquez has won the race a record five times (2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2019), and trainer Todd Plecher has won the race a record four times (2007, 2010, 2015, 2023).

Two Fountain of Youth winner have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby in the last 30 years. The first being Thunder Gulch, who won the Fountain of Youth, Kentucky Derby (25-1) and the Belmont Stakes in 1995, followed by Orb (2013). Both Union Rags (2012) and Dornoch (2024) have won the Belmont Stakes.

All-Time Results of Fountain of Youth Stakes

Year
Winner
Jockey / Trainer
Dist. (Miles) (Furlongs) / Time
2026
Commandment
Irad Ortiz, Jr. / Brad H. Cox
Sample Data
2025
Sovereignty
Junior Alvarado / William I. Mott
1-1/16 M / 1:43.12
2024
Dornoch
Luis Saez / Danny Gargan
1-1/16 M / 1:43.64
2023
Forte
Irad Ortiz, Jr. / Todd A. Pletcher
1-1/16 M / 1:43.12
2022
Simplification
Jose L. Ortiz / Antonio Sano
1-1/16 M / 1:44.04
2021
Greatest Honour
Jose L. Ortiz / Claude R. McGaughey III
1-1/16 M / 1:44.02
2020
Ete Indien
Florent Geroux / Patrick Biancone
1-1/16 M / 1:43.02
2019
Code of Honor
John Velazquez / C. R. McGaughey III
1-1/16 M / 1:43.85
2018
Promises Fulfilled
Irad Ortiz Jr. / Dale Romans
1-1/16 M / 1:44.17
2017
Gunnevera
Javier Castellano / Antonio Sano
1-1/16 M / 1:44.25

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