by Gulfstream Park Press Release
March 22, 2019
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Bourbon Lane Stable and Lake Star Stable’s Bourbon War breezed a half-mile in 49.88 seconds at Gulfstream Park Friday morning in preparation for a scheduled start in the $1 million Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1) March 30.
Friday morning’s tune-up was Bourbon War’s second half-mile workout since finishing a late-closing second behind Code of Honor in the $400,000 Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth (G2) March 2 at Gulfstream.
“He did well. He came home in 49.88, I think they caught him in. I was looking for a little quicker than that, but the track was not real sharp this morning. I told my rider I’d rather you err on the side of too slow than too fast,” trainer Mark Hennig said. “The horse is fit. We just want to get him safely over there next Saturday.”
In the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth, Bourbon War settled well off the fast pressured pace set by Hidden Scroll before advancing on the far turn, swinging wide off the turn into the homestretch, and making a strong run through the stretch. The son of Tapit finished three-quarters of a length behind victorious Code of Honor before offering an impressive gallop-out under Irad Ortiz Jr.
Bourbon War had previously won a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance by 2 ¼ lengths going away Jan. 19 at Gulfstream. The Kentucky-bred colt broke his maiden at first asking by 2 ¼ lengths in a mile race originally scheduled for turf at Aqueduct Nov. 11. Three weeks later, he worked his way through traffic to finish fourth in the Dec. 1 Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct.
Hidden Scroll ‘Very Manageable in Five-Furlong Breeze
Juddmonte Farms, Inc.’s Hidden Scroll worked five furlongs in 1:02.40 at Payson Park in Indiantown, FL Friday morning while prepping for the $1 million Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park March 30.
Bill Mott-trained Hidden Scroll, who held the lead into deep stretch before finishing fourth in the $400,000 Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth (G2) in only his second career start, worked in company under exercise rider Neil Poznansky.
“It was a very nice work. He worked with a stablemate. The time of 1:02, the way the racetrack was today, I think it was a very useful work. He sat off his company and he finished up and went by inside the eighth-pole with a reasonable good gallop-out. He seemed very good in the work. He was very manageable,” said Mott, whose Florida Derby contender produced the fastest of seven five-furlong workouts recorded. “We sat him in behind a horse and he was real calm. They went off slow enough and he wasn’t anxious. He was content to follow another horse. He approached the quarter-pole and got into the bridle and finished up well.”
In the Fountain of Youth, the Juddmonte homebred colt was pressed by longshot Gladiator King for the first half mile past fractions of 23.80 and 45.69 seconds before receiving a challenge from Global Campaign on the final turn. Hidden Scroll continued on to open a length lead in mid –stretch before tiring late, edged by Vekoma for third.
“I think it was a matter of learning for us. We thought from the beginning we could do anything with him,” Mott said. “The last work we sat him right in behind and ate a lot of dirt. He was fine doing that. Today we sat him in behind, but we sat him off to the side, so he wasn’t getting dirt. He saw daylight but he saw another horse in front of him and he seemed kind about that as well.”
Hidden Scroll was favored at 6-5 for the Fountain of Youth on the strength of a spectacular debut victory at Gulfstream on the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) card Jan. 26. The son of Hard Spun ran a mile in 1:34.82 while scoring by 14 lengths under wraps.
Maximum Security Breezes Easy Half-Mile at Palm Meadows
Gary and Mary West’s Maximum Security worked a half-mile in 52.95 seconds at Palm Meadows Training Center Friday morning while tuning up for a likely start in the $1 million Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park next Saturday,
The son of New Year’s Day’s workout was the slowest of 63 workouts recorded at Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.
“I thought he had a good breeze. He came home in 12 [seconds],” trainer Jason Servis said. “I would still like to not commit, but I would say we are on schedule.”
Maximum Security is undefeated in three career starts, all coming during Gulfstream’s 2018-2019 Championship Meet. The homebred colt broke his maiden for a $16,000 claiming price by 9 ¾ lengths Dec. 20 before winning a Jan. 24 optional claiming starter allowance by 6 ½ lengths. In his most recent start, Maximum Security by 18 ¼ lengths while running seven furlongs in 1:21.72 in a Feb. 20 optional claiming starter allowance.
Servis-trained Final Jeopardy, a 3 ¾-length optional claiming allowance winner at Gulfstream Park last time out, breezed a half-mile in 52.80 seconds at Palm Meadows Friday morning for either the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct April 6 or the Florida Derby.
“We’re looking at the Wood Memorial. It’s not a definite but we’re kind of looking at that,” said Servis who also trains Final Jeopardy for the Wests. “He galloped out really good. That race is a mile and an eighth so I’m feeling a little better about the work. But it’s not definite yet.”