Simplification proves best in Gulfstream’s Fountain of Youth Stakes

Simplification [Coglianese Photos]

Tami Bobo’s Florida-bred Simplification stamped himself as a serious contender for the 2022 Triple Crown with an impressive victory in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, March 5. 

With the facile score in the 76th running of the key prep race for the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) on April 2, Simplification earned 50 qualifying points on this year’s Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard (tying him for second with 54 total points) and will now possibly seek to add his name to the list of 14 previous Fountain of Youth winners who have gone on to win the Florida Derby. There has also been 14 Fountain of Youth victors who have parlayed their South Florida wins to victories in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

“He has shown tremendous heart and he just digs in and absolutely gives us 110 percent when you ask him,” related Bobo. “It’s been very rewarding to have a colt I feel confident in going forward.”

Trained for Bobo by Antonio Sano and ridden in the Fountain of Youth by Jose Ortiz, Simplification rated well behind a fast early pace set by fellow Sunshine State product Markhamian. Simplification made an eye-catching five-wide move around the far turn and swept to a decisive 3 ½-length score, notching his second stakes win of the year after a front-running four-length win in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream on Jan. 1. Simplification’s final time for the 1 1/16 miles in the Fountain of Youth was 1:44.04.

“For me, I liked the trip,” said winning trainer Antonio Sano who saddled the popular campaigner Gunnevera to a victory in the Fountain of Youth in 2017. “I wanted him to stay outside. Our horse in front with the speed horses won’t have a chance. The horse responded to Jose. He said, ‘Go,’ and it was all good.”

When asked to compare Gunnevera—an earner of more than $5 million in a stellar racing career and currently a stallion owned by Bobo and Sano who stands at Ocala’s Pleasant Acres—to Simplification, Sano said, “Both horses are nice horses, class horses, but Gunnevera wanted to go all the time. This horse is different. He can run in front or from behind, it doesn’t matter.”

Tami Bobo [Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photos]

In addition to his previous stakes win in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes, Simplification finished a determined second in the Feb. 5 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) after a troubled start. Ortiz piloted Simplification for the first time in the Fountain of Youth.

“I knew he was going to be tough,” Ortiz said. “I worked him, and Antonio had a lot of confidence in him. He broke well. He pulled me into the race. He put me there. At the three-eighths pole, I decided to go wide, and he was there for me.”

By traveling wide around the final turn, Simplification was able to avoid a two-horse spill in which High Oak fell in traffic, unseating jockey Junior Alvarado. Galt also fell in tight quarters around the turn, unseating jockey Joel Rosario. Both horses and riders escaped serious injury.

Sano indicated that Simplification, who is now a winner in 3-of-6 career starts with earnings of $411,350, would likely be pointed toward the Florida Derby (G1), although a final determination has not been made on his next start. Bred by France and Irwin Weiner, Simplification is a son of Kentucky stallion Not This Time and is produced from the Candy Ride (ARG) mare Simply Confection, a stakes-placed earner of $124,688 during her racing career. A half-sister to Simplification (by a different sire than Simplification) is slated to sell on the first day of the upcoming Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale on March 15. The dark bay or brown filly, consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, agent, is by Mendelssohn and will sell as Hip 125. 

“He came out of the race (the Fountain of Youth) amazingly well,” Bobo said. “He has 54 points, so we don’t have to run in the Florida Derby (to qualify for the Kentucky Derby). “But this colt likes his races, and he can get a little fresh between races. I don’t know what the right answer is now (eight weeks out from the Kentucky Derby). It’s a question that we need to make collectively closer to the race.”