Gulfstream Today 2.28.25: Mi Bago, Win With Faith Headline Competitive Colonel Liam

By David Joseph —-

Mi Bago; Lauren King Photo
GULFSTREAM TODAY

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Mi Bago and Win With Faith, each riding two-race win streaks, and five other last-out winners help comprise a solid field of 10 for Saturday’s $215,000 Colonel Liam at Gulfstream Park.

The 39th running of the Colonel Liam for 3-year-olds scheduled at one mile on the grass is the second of nine stakes, eight graded, worth $2.15 million in purses on a blockbuster 14-race program headlined by the $415,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds on dirt.

Gary Barber’s Mi Bago has won four of six starts to open his career, three of those wins in stakes, including the 7 ½-furlong Pulpit Nov. 29 on the Gulfstream turf and one-mile, 70-yard Dania Beach Jan. 1 over its all-weather Tapeta course, both as the favorite. Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride from Post 8.

Next to Mi Bago in Post 7 with Miguel Vasquez will be Laura Murphy’s Win With Faith, who has won each of his starts at the course and distance since being transferred to trainer Ron Spatz to open 2025. The Win Win Win gelding broke his maiden by a neck while racing for a $35,000 tag Jan. 1, then came back with a 1 ½-length upset at odds of 19-1 in a Feb. 8 starter optional claimer.

Really and Truly Thoroughbreds Inc.’s Wakan broke his maiden third time out going a mile on the Gulfstream turf Jan. 25 on the Pegasus World Cup Day undercard. Cloud Nine Lumoni’s Bakers Street won a similar maiden special weight spot Feb. 8, also in his third start.

Peter Brant’s George Briggs cuts back to one turn in the first race since capturing his unveiling, a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight, Nov. 3 at Aqueduct. C2 Racing Stable and Mathis Stable’s Forged Steel, sixth behind Fountain of Youth contender Sovereignty in last fall’s Street Sense (G3), was a front-running winner of a one-mile optional claiming allowance on the Gulfstream turf Feb. 9.

Qatar Racing, CHC Inc. and Trilogy USA’s Emergence moves to grass after breaking his maiden at first asking in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight Feb. 15 on the Gulfstream Tapeta. Also entered are Enterdadragon, most recently fourth in Gulfstream’s Feb. 1 Kitten’s Joy; Fire Pit, an optional claiming winner last fall on the Laurel Park turf; and Smooth Breeze, a last-out runner-up in the one-mile Central Park in November on the grass at Aqueduct.

Previously run as the Palm Beach, the Colonel Liam was renamed in 2023 to honor the only back-to-back winner of the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) in 2021-22.

Keep It Easy Schools in Walking Ring Friday for Fountain of Youth

Lauren King Photo

St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Thoroughbreds’ Keep It Easy, who will break outside each of his rivals in Saturday’s $415,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2), looked fit and relaxed while he schooled in Gulfstream Park’s walking ring during Race 7 Friday.

“He’s a cool horse. Everything about him is easy, that’s why we keep it easy with him,” trainer Dale Romans said. “He’s earned his name. Nothing bothers him. He’s a solid racehorse.”

The 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth will be the first time around two turns for Keep It Easy, unraced since capturing the 6 ½-furlong Ed Brown Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs. Though he has never run at Gulfstream, he has had seven works over the main track since Jan. 4, most recently going a half-mile in 48.72 seconds Feb. 22.

Both of Keep It Easy’s wins have come when he was on or near the lead. He drew outermost Post 8 and is rated at 8-1 on the morning line. Solid Left, who ran fifth in a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds Thursday, is expected to scratch.

Among the entrants are Holy Bull (G3) winner Burnham Square; stablemates River Thames, undefeated in two starts, and Feb. 1 Swale winner Gate to Wire; and Street Sense (G3) winner Sovereignty. Romans purposely skipped the Holy Bull to await the Fountain of Youth.

“It’s a good field of horses. It’s got to unfold right, but if it does I think he’s as good as anybody,” he said. “This is where we were going to go from Day 1, so we’ll see where it takes us.”

Fountain of Youth Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $1 Million

Unsolved for a ninth consecutive racing day Friday, the 20-cent Rainbow 6 will be estimated at $1 million for Saturday’s spectacular 14-race program featuring nine stakes, eight graded, worth $2.15 million headlined by the $415,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2).

First race post time is 11:30 a.m.

The 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth for 3-year-olds is Gulfstream Park’s next step on the road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1), one of the country’s leading Triple Crown preps, March 29.

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 is an all-stakes sequence spanning Races 9-14, kicked off by the $165,000 Canadian Turf (G3) for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the turf, where Major Dude looks to give Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher a record-extending eighth victory. Race 10 is the $165,000 The Very One for fillies and mares at 1 3/8 miles on the grass led by Forever After All, nose winner of the 1 ½-mile La Prevoyante (G3) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream.

Mindframe, who ranked among the country’s leading 3-year-olds of 2024 before going to the sidelines, makes his highly anticipated return as the even-money program favorite in Race 11, the $215,000 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2). Also entered are 2024 Lexington (G3) winner, similarly coming off a layoff, and defending champion Steal Sunshine. In Our Time, a last-out third in the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G2), tops 12 older fillies in mares in the $165,000 Honey Fox (G3) going one mile on the turf in Race 12.

Burnham Square, impressive winner of the Feb. 1 Holy Bull (G3), chases a third straight win in the Fountain of Youth. Pletcher will send out the pair of River Thames, unbeaten in two starts, and Gate to Wire, dominant winner of the seven-furlong Swale on the Holy Bull undercard; both horses will be making their two-turn debut. Sovereignty, unraced since breaking his maiden in last fall’s Street Sense (G3), is entered to make his return.

The Rainbow 6 concludes with the $215,000 Mac Diarmida (G2) for older horses scheduled for 1 3/8 miles on the grass. Trainer Mike Maker has won three straight editions of the Mac Diarmida and five of the last six, and will be represented by 11-time winner Sugoi, exiting a victory in the John B. Connally Jan. 25 at Sam Houston, and Cathkin Peak, winner of the 1 5/8-mile John’s Call first off the claim last summer at Saratoga.

In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Other estimated pools Saturday are $1 million in the early Pick 5 (Races 1-5), $1.5 million in the late Pick 5 (Races 10-14) and $750,000 late Pick 4 (Races 11-14).

Gulfstream’s Flamingo Room will play host Saturday to Taste at the Track – Bourbon & BBQ. For tickets go to: https://am.ticketmaster.com/gulfstreampark/en/buy/bbqfoy

A mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 has been scheduled for Sunday’s 11-race program. The jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $4 million.

Gulfstream Park handicappers Ron Nicoletti and Samantha Perry break down Sunday’s Rainbow 6 sequence.

Who’s Hot: Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. registered back-to-back wins Friday aboard Alpha Blue ($6) in Race 8 and King d’Oro ($3.60) in Race 9 … Paco Lopez also doubled with Sonadora Girl ($4.20) in Race 1 and Xy Speed ($9.40) in Race 10.

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks, training centers and premier events including: Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); Laurel Park, The Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and 1/ST TV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information email david.joseph@GulfstreamPark.com and visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.