by Gulfstream Park Press Release
February 23, 2019
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Graded-stakes winner Signalman breezed five furlongs in 1:01.75 at Gulfstream Park Saturday, turning in a ‘solid’ tune-up for next Saturday’s $400,000 Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth (G2), the 1 1/16-mile final prep for the $1 million Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1) March 30.
“It was a nice solid workout. We wanted a maintenance breeze. We didn’t want to work too fast at this point in the season. We still have a couple months for the big races. This is a prep,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “This will be his first race of the season. This is a nice horse. He galloped out good.”
Owned by Tommie Lewis, David Bernsen LLC and Magdalena Racing, Signalman worked in company with Harvey Wallbanger, whom McPeek saddled for an upset victory in the $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream Park Feb. 2. Harvey Wallbanger was also clocked in 1:01.75.
“We’re going to wait on Harvey. He still needs to get a little bigger and stronger for that next step,” McPeek said. “We’ve got plenty of time. We’re going to wait probably for the Florida Derby.”
Signalman, who will make his 2019 debut in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth, closed out his 2018 campaign with a victory in the Nov. 24 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs, where, three weeks earlier, he had closed from 10th to finish third in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).
Dale Romans-trained Fountain of Youth nominees Everfast and Admire also breezed at Gulfstream Park Saturday morning.
“I’m not sure which one is running, but I’ll figure it out in the next day or two,” Romans said. “They both worked well enough to run.”
Calumet Farm’s Everfast breezed five furlongs in 1:02.52 in his first workout since finishing second, a length behind Harvey Wallbanger, in the Holy Bull at 128-1.
“He’s just a little push-button horse. He goes out there and takes care of business,” said Romans, who reported that he had wagered $200 to win but didn’t place a place wager on Everfast, who paid $81.40 for a $2 place bet. “He doesn’t wow you but he just does things right.”
Working in company with maiden winner Come On Gerry, who finished eighth in the Holy Bull, Admire was clocked in 1:00.82 for five furlongs.
“I just wanted him to show good energy and wanted him to do something and work kind of fast, and he did,” Romans said.
Albaugh Family Stables LLC’s son of Cairo Prince finished fifth in the Feb. 2 Withers (G3) at Aqueduct after breaking his maiden at Churchill Downs Nov. 24.