Road to the Kentucky Derby > Fountain of Youth Stakes
Fountain of Youth Stakes Race Facts
- Location: Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, FL
- Inaugural Race: 1945
- Current Distance: 1 1/16 miles
- Track Type: Left-Handed Dirt
- Age Qualifications: Three-year-olds
- Status: Grade 2
- 2023 Purse: $400,000
- 2023 Race Date: Saturday, March 4th
A point spread of 50-20-15-10-5 is up for grabs to the first five finishers in Florida’s first Championship Series Road to the Kentucky Derby race.
2023 Fountain of Youth Stakes Race Results
| POST | HORSE | JOCKEY / TRAINER | WIN / PLACE / SHOW |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Forte | Irad Ortiz, Jr. / Todd A. Pletcher | $3.00 / $2.40 / $2.10 |
| 8 | Rocket Can | Junior Alvarado / William I. Mott | $4.40 / $3.40 |
| 9 | Cyclone Mischief | Tyler Gaffalione / Dale L. Romans | $4.80 |
| 7 | Mage | Javier Castellano / Gustavo Delgado | |
| 3 | Shadow Dragon | Jose L. Ortiz / William I. Mott | |
| 5 | Il Miracolo | Edgar Perez / Antonio Sano | |
| 10 | Dangerous Ride | Luis Saez / Carlos A. David | |
| 6 | Blazing Sevens | Joel Rosario / Chad C. Brown | |
| 2 | Legacy Isle | Emisael Jaramillo / Rohan Crichton |
Exotic Payoffs:
- $1 Exacta (4-8) Paid: $8.50
- $0.50 Trifecta (4-8-9) Paid: $35.20
- $0.10 Superfecta (4-8-9-7) Paid: $33.66
Watch the 2023 Fountain of Youth Stakes
The 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 $400,000 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 trainers D. Wayne Lukas, Todd Plecher and Jimmy Jones have won the race a record three times.
In the past 25 years, just one Fountain of Youth winner has gone on to win the Kentucky Derby, Orb (2013). One other was victorious in a Triple Crown race when Union Rags (2012) won the Belmont Stakes. Thunder Gulch (1995) won the Fountain of Youth, Kentucky Derby (25-1) and Belmont Stakes.
Fountain of Youth Stakes Past Winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey / Trainer | Dist. (Miles) (Furlongs) / Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2016 | Mohaymen | Junior Alvarado / Kiaran McLaughlin | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.84 |
| 2015 | Itsaknockout † | Luis Saez / Todd A. Pletcher | 1-1/16 M / 1:46.28 |
| 2014 | Wildcat Red | Luis Saez / Jose Garoffalo | 1-1/16 M / 1:41.85 |
| 2013 | Orb | John Velazquez / C. R. McGaughey III | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.24 |
| 2012 | Union Rags | Julien Leparoux / Michael Matz | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.68 |
| 2011 | Soldat | Alan Garcia / Kiaran McLaughlin | 1-1/8 M / 1:50.23 |
| 2010 | Eskendereya | John Velazquez / Todd A. Pletcher | 1-1/8 M / 1:48.87 |
| 2009 | Quality Road | John Velazquez / James A. Jerkens | 1 M / 1:35.01 |
| 2008 | Cool Coal Man | Kent Desormeaux / Nick Zito | 1-1/8 M / 1:50.07 |
| 2007 | Scat Daddy | John Velazquez / Todd A. Pletcher | 1-1/8 M / 1:49.11 |
| 2006 | First Samurai † | Edgar Prado / Frank L. Brothers | 1-1/8 M / 1:49.00 |
| 2005 | High Fly | Jerry D. Bailey / Nick Zito | 1-1/8 M / 1:49.70 |
| 2004 | Read the Footnotes | Jerry D. Bailey / Richard Violette | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.71 |
| 2003 | Trust n Luck | Cornelio Velásquez / Ralph Ziadie | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.33 |
| 2002 | Booklet | Jorge Chavez / John T. Ward Jr. | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.49 |
| 2001 | Songandaprayer | Edgar Prado / John F. Dowd | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.48 |
| 2000 | High Yield | Pat Day / D. Wayne Lukas | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.56 |
| 1999 | Vicar | Shane Sellers / Carl Nafzger | 1-1/16 M / 1:45.64 |
| 1998 | Lil's Lad | Jerry D. Bailey / Neil J. Howard | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.63 |
| 1997 | Pulpit | Shane Sellers / Frank L. Brothers | 1-1/16 M / 1:41.86 |
| 1996 | Built For Pleasure | Gary Boulanger / Tommy Heard Jr. | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.64 |
| 1995 | Thunder Gulch | Mike E. Smith / D. Wayne Lukas | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.21 |
| 1994 | Dehere | Craig Perret / Reynaldo Nobles | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.70 |
| 1993 (Division 1) | Duc d'Sligovil | Julie Krone / Jeremy McNeill | 1-1/16 M / 1:45.16 |
| 1993 (Division 2) | Storm Tower | Rick Wilson / Benjamin W. Perkins Jr. | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.98 |
| 1992 | Dance Floor | Chris Antley / D. Wayne Lukas | 1-1/16 M / 1:45.32 |
| 1991 | Fly So Free | José A. Santos / Scotty Schulhofer | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.30 |
| 1990 | Shot Gun Scott | Dave Penna / Ronald J. Sarazin | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.60 |
| 1989 | Dixieland Brass | Randy Romero / Charles Peoples | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.60 |
| 1988 | Forty Niner | Eddie Maple / Woody Stephens | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.20 |
| 1987 | Bet Twice | Craig Perret / Warren Croll | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.40 |
| 1986 (Division 1) | Ensign Rhythm | Julio Pezua / Leo Azpurua Jr. | 1-1/16 M / 1:45.60 |
| 1986 (Division 2) | My Prince Charming | José A. Santos / Newcomb Green | 1-1/16 M / 1:45.00 |
| 1985 | Proud Truth | Jorge Velásquez / John M. Veitch | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.60 |
| 1984 | Darn That Alarm | Mike Venezia / George Gianos | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.00 |
| 1983 (Division 1) | Highland Park | Don Brumfield / Anthony L. Basile | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.60 |
| 1983 (Division 2) | Copelan | Laffit Pincay Jr. / Mitch Griffin | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.60 |
| 1982 | Star Gallant | Sandy Hawley / Leonard Imperio | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.20 |
| 1981 | Akureyri | Eddie Maple / Woody Stephens | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.40 |
| 1980 | Naked Sky | Jerry D. Bailey / Neal Winick | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.80 |
| 1979 | Spectacular Bid | Ron Franklin / Bud Delp | 1-1/16 M / 1:41.20 |
| 1978 | Sensitive Prince | Mickey Solomone / H. Allen Jerkens | 1-1/16 M / 1:41.00 |
| 1977 | Ruthies Native | Craig Perret / Eugene Jacobs | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.00 |
| 1976 | Sonkisser | Braulio Baeza / Stephen DiMauro | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.80 |
| 1975 | Greek Answer | Mickey Solomone / Frank H. Merrill Jr. | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.80 |
| 1974 | Green Gambados | Chuck Baltazar / John W. Jacobs | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.40 |
| 1973 | Shecky Greene | Braulio Baeza / Lou M. Goldfine | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.80 |
| 1972 | Gentle Smoke | Walter Blum / David Sazer | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.00 |
| 1971 | Authorize | Jacinto Vasquez / John W. Russell | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.60 |
| 1970 | Corn off the Cob | Angel Cordero Jr. / Arnold N. Winick | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.60 |
| 1969 | Al Hattab | Ray Broussard / Warren A. Croll Jr. | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.60 |
| 1968 | Wise Exchange | Eddie Belmonte / Hirsch Jacobs | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.80 |
| 1967 | In Reality | Earlie Fires / Melvin Calvert | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.40 |
| 1966 | Kauai King | Don Brumfield / Henry Forrest | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.20 |
| 1965 | Maribeau | Sam Boulmetis / Joseph W. Mergler | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.60 |
| 1964 | Dandy K | Mickey Solomone / Robert E. Wingfield | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.80 |
| 1963 | Cool Prince | Jimmy Combest / Nick Combest | 1-1/16 M / 1:45.80 |
| 1962 | Sharp Count | Bill Shoemaker / Lester G. Joffrion | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.20 |
| 1961 | Beau Prince | Eddie Arcaro / Jimmy Jones | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.20 |
| 1960 | Eagle Admiral | Manuel Ycaza / Charles E. Whittingham | 1-1/16 M / 1:41.80 |
| 1959 | Easy Spur | Bill Hartack / Paul L. Kelley | 1-1/16 M / 1:41.80 |
| 1958 | Tim Tam | Bill Hartack / Jimmy Jones | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.80 |
| 1957 | Gen. Duke | Bill Hartack / Jimmy Jones | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.00 |
| 1956 | Oh Johnny | Hedley Woodhouse / Norman R. McLeod | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.20 |
| 1955 | Nance's Lad | John Choquette / Hilton A. Dabson | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.20 |
| 1954 | Sea O Erin | John H. Adams / Harry Trotsek | 1-1/16 M / 1:48.60 |
| 1953 (Division 1) | Ram o' War | Douglas Dodson / Jerome J. Sarner Jr. | 1-1/16 M / 1:42.60 |
| 1953 (Division 2) | Tribe | Bennie Green / James W. Healy | 1-1/16 M / 1:43.40 |
| 1952 | Race not held | ||
| 1951 | Alerted | William M. Cook / James Penrod | 7 F / 1:24.20 |
| 1950 | Black George | Kenneth Church / R. Earl Barnett | 7 F / 1:23.40 |
| 1949 | Count-a-Bit | Jack Robertson / George E. Roberts | 1-1/16 M / 1:44.20 |
| 1948 | Race not held | ||
| 1947 (Division 1) | Tight Squeeze | Rocco Sisto / Merritt C. Buxton | 6 F / 1:11.80 |
| 1947 (Division 2) | Atomic Power | Merritt A. Buxton / Merritt C. Buxton | 1 M, 70 yds. / 1:40.60 |
| 1946 | Race not held | ||
| 1945 | Twenty Thirty | Robert Watson / Cecil Howard | 1-1/16 M / 1:45.20 |