Saturday is the $415,000, Grade 2, Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Some of the top 3-year-olds in the country will do battle in this 1 1/16-mile contest.
The Fountain of Youth is named after the mythical spring that attracted explorers to Florida in the 16th Century.
The race was first held in 1945, and has been run every year since 1953.
In 1973, it became a Grade 3 race, and was granted Grade 2 status in 1982.
From 1999 to 2003, the race was a Grade 1, before settling back to its current status.
Here are four of the best horses to Win this race in the 21st century:
QUALITY ROAD (2009) He made his stakes debut in the Fountain of Youth, which was contested at one mile for the only time to date.
QUALITY ROAD broke his Maiden at Aqueduct impressively the prior November, then finished 2nd in a first-level Allowance to begin his 3-year-old season.
Jockey John Velazquez kept him in 2nd place in the early stages of the FOY, rating off the speedy THIS ONES FOR PHIL. Around the final turn, he made a powerful move to take the lead and outkicked his opponents for a 4 ¼-length Win.
Although he Won two more Stakes races as a 3-year-old, QUALITY ROAD shined brightest as a 4-year-old.
He Won three Grade 1 races, including a dominant 12 ¾-length win in the Donn Handicap. He also Won the Met Mile and the Woodward Stakes.
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UNION RAGS (2012) Off two Stakes Wins as a 2-year-old along with a close 2nd-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, UNION RAGS was highly regarded entering his 3-year-old debut.
He was the 6-5 second choice in a field of seven for the Fountain of Youth, while the undefeated DISCREET DANCER was the 4-5 favorite.
Class and pedigree ruled the FOY that day. DISCREET DANCER set the pace in the early stages but encountered steady pressure and folded. Meanwhile, UNION RAGS sat chilly off the flank of the duelers and pulled by them for an impressive four-length Win.
In both the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby, he fell much too far off the early pace, which left him too much to do in the end. However, he bounced back in the Belmont Stakes, prevailing by a neck after a stretch duel with PAYNTER.
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ORB (2013) On the Derby trail in 2013 trainer Shug McGaughey was still in search of his first Kentucky Derby Victory.
ORB was coming off two consecutive Wins at Aqueduct and Gulfstream when he made his Graded Stakes debut in the Fountain of Youth.
ORB dropped well off the early pace, while heavily favored VIOLENCE rated off a fast tempo on the rail.
As they rounded the final turn, VIOLENCE got after the leader while ORB remained about five lengths off the top, although he was rallying.
In the stretch, VIOLENCE opened up a clear lead but ORB chased him down in the last sixteenth for a half-length win.
After another Win in the Florida Derby, ORB became the favorite for the Kentucky Derby.
On a wet track with new jockey- Joel Rosario aboard, ORB came from behind for a splashy 2 ½-length Win.
It was the first Derby Winner for both Rosario and McGaughey.
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CODE OF HONOR (2019) Six years later, Shug was back in the Fountain of Youth Winner’s Circle.
CODE OF HONOR finished 2nd in the Champagne Stakes as a 2-year-old and then was freshened for the Derby trail.
In his 3-year-old debut he finished 4th in the Mucho Macho Stakes as the 4-5 favorite.
Off that performance, he was considered an outsider for the Fountain of Youth with odds of 9-1.
Impressive Maiden Winner HIDDEN SCROLL was sent off as the 6-5 favorite, but he faded after setting the pace.
Meanwhile, John Velazquez kept CODE OF HONOR mid-pack, rode the rail most of the way, then angled him out in the stretch.
He easily rolled by the tired HIDDEN SCROLL then held off the late rally of BOURBON WAR for a three-quarter-length Win.
CODE OF HONOR continued to be in top form the rest of the season. He finished 2nd in the Kentucky Derby, then rattled off three straight Graded Stakes Wins.
He became the first horse to Win the Travers and the Jockey Club Gold Cup since SUMMER BIRD in 2009.
