Gulfstream Today 3.1.24: Conquest Warrior Stamps Himself as a Hot Triple Crown Prospect

By David Joseph —-

Gulfstream Today

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Courtlandt Farm’s Conquest Warrior stamped himself as a hot prospect on the Road to the Triple Crown Friday at Gulfstream with a dominating five-length score in a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said following the son of City of Light’s powerful performance that a firm decision has yet to be made concerning Conquest Warrior’s next start, although the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 30 at Gulfstream Park certainly is in the running.

“We’ll see. The timing’s good [to the Florida Derby]. We can take him there, Kentucky or New York. He’s got two wins over this track. We only have to travel and hour and a half [unlike] the other places,” McGaughey said, “I’ll watch [the Fountain of Youth] tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.”

WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC’s Speak Easy was an early 3-5 morning-line favorite for Friday’s optional claiming allowance but was scratched by Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in favor of a start in Saturday’s $400,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2), the final local prep for the Florida Derby.

Conquest Warrior ($3.20) got away from the gate much cleaner than his two prior starts Friday to gain prime stalking position on the first turn. Jose Ortiz settled the strapping son of City of Light in third behind a pacesetting Merit and Raguel into the backstretch, where he saved ground along the rail past fractions of 23.79 and 47.62 seconds set by Merit, the 5-2 second choice ridden by Edgard Zayas.

Conquest Warrior passed Raguel on the turn into the homestretch while continuing to save ground before being eased to the outside in pursuit of the pacesetter. Merit put up a brief fight at the top of the stretch, but Conquest Warrior overpowered the pacesetter to draw away to a commanding victory.

“I thought there was a couple horses in there that might show a little speed. He wanted to be a little keen going into the first [turn] but then he settled perfect for [Ortiz]. I thought it was a perfect race for him,” McGaughey said. “He got to settle in behind horses, eat a little dirt, make his run the way you’d want him to and finished up on his own. When those horses came to him galloping out [Ortiz] said he wanted to go with them, so he let him do it. I’m pleased.”

Conquest Warrior entered Friday’s Race 7 feature off an impressive and gutsy maiden score at Gulfstream Park Jan. 13. Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, the son of City of Light was pinched at the start and raced in traffic before shaking free late to run down next-out winner Antiquarian by a half-length. He previously finished third in his Dec. 2 debut at seven furlongs over a muddy Aqueduct track following a slow start.

Conquest Warrior, a $ 1 million purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September sale, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.52. Merit held second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Raguel.

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $1.5 Million

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 pool is expected to grow to an estimated $1.5 million for Saturday’s Fountain of Youth Day program at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager when unsolved Friday for the 16th racing day following a Feb. 8 jackpot hit.

Saturday’s all-graded-stakes Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 9-14, closed out by the 78th running of the $400,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2), the final prep for the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 30.

Locked, who is coming off a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), returns in the Fountain of Youth, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds. The Todd Pletcher-trained son of Gun Runner captured the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland in his prior start. His Pletcher stablemate Speak Easy, a dazzling debut winner Jan. 27 at Gulfstream, will make his stakes debut in the Fountain of Youth, which will also be contested by Danny Gargan-trained Dornoch, a half-brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage, enters the Fountain of Youth off a victory in the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct.

The Rainbow 6 sequence will be kicked off by the $200,000 Davona Dale presented by FanDuel TV, a mile stakes for 3-year-old fillies carded as Race 9. Bill Mott-trained champion Just F Y I, who closed out her undefeated 2023 season with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), returns in the Davona Dale. Pletcher-trained Leslie’s Rose, undefeated in two career starts, looms as a dangerous threat to the 2023 Eclipse Award winner.

The $150,000 The Very One (G3), a 1 3/8-mile turf stakes for older fillies and mares carded as Race 10, looms as a popular ‘spread’ race for Rainbow 6 bettors.

Brian Lynch-trained Tumbarumba, who won the Jan. 27 Fred Hooper (G3) at Gulfstream, is the 8-5 favorite for the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), a mile test for older horses carded as Race 11. Antonio Sano-trained Il Miracolo, a Grade 1-placed graded-stakes winner, is slated to make his first start since finishing sixth in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 27 at Gulfstream.

Pletcher-trained Emmanuel is scheduled to make a title defense in the $150,000 Canadian Turf (G3), a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for older horses carded as Race 12. Michael Maker-trained Atone, the 2023 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G3) returns off a late-closing fourth while making a title defence in the Jan. 27 Pegasus Turf.

Chad Brown-trained Chili Flag, who was beaten by less than three lengths while finishing sixth in the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2), is rated as the 9-5 favorite in the $150,000 Honey Fox (G3), a mile turf stakes for older fillies and mares carded as Race 13.

A mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 pool has been scheduled for Sunday’s card at Gulfstream.

On mandatory-payout days, the entire Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is paid out to the bettor or bettors with the most winners in the wager’s six-race sequence. The carryover jackpot is usually 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 usually goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winner, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Who’s Hot: Hall of Famer John Velazquez doubled aboard Llamarada ($2.80) in Race 1 and Wow Lucky ($5.40) in Race 3.

Leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was represented by two winners, Gridlock ($5.80) in Race 6 and Axthelm ($17.40) in Race 8.

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

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