Fountoukis excited as undefeated Solitude Dude makes Fountain of Youth debut

Unbeaten Solitude Dude, a 3-year-old colt by Yaupon owned by Chris Fountoukis and trained by Saffie A. Joseph Jr., is stretching out for his first two-turn test in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, a 1 1/16-mile race at Gulfstream Park that offers qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby. The Fountain of Youth card is being called deep and rich with Derby prep talent as Solitude Dude makes his fourth career start on Feb. 28.

Statistically, Solitude Dude arrives with an imposing résumé: three career wins by a combined 21 1/4 lengths and a Swale Stakes performance that featured the highest average miles per hour in the final eighth at 34.62 mph. Americasbestracing notes he completed the final furlong in the Swale nearly a half-second faster than runner-up Class President, recorded a strong gallop-out, and "owns the highest Late Pace rating in the field at 112.0, more than 10 points higher than any other entrant."

Pedigree questions accompany the raw numbers. BloodHorse points out Solitude Dude is a Yaupon colt and that Yaupon "excelled as a sprinter," raising legitimate doubts about stamina for 1 1/16 miles. Joseph has indicated the colt's ability to relax in his races could help him carry his speed farther, a tactical attribute that could blunt pedigree concerns in graded-company route races.

Flavien Prat has been named to ride Solitude Dude for the first time, a notable change as Irad Ortiz Jr. opted to ride Commandment instead. Americasbestracing highlights Prat's recent success when asked to make the jump to routes: a 35% win rate on horses making their first route attempt on dirt and a 76% top-three strike rate from 46 mounts over the referenced period. Those numbers frame Prat as a rider well-suited to guide a speed-biased colt around two turns.

Joseph Jr. will also saddle Bull by the Horns, an Essential Quality colt who won by 6 1/2 lengths in his second career start over Gulfstream dirt and who was third last out in an allowance optional claiming at Tampa Bay Downs. Micah Husbands, who rode the colt in his first two starts, will be reunited with Bull by the Horns for the Fountain of Youth. Americasbestracing reports Global Aviator was scratched from the race Feb. 26 with a bone bruise, altering the complexion of the field.

Owner Chris Fountoukis, who splits time between Montauk and a Miami-area winter residence and will be on hand at Gulfstream Park about 15 minutes away, frames his involvement in personal terms. "Those are the guys that are responsible for my addiction to horses," he said of coworkers from his days as a young welder on Sixth Avenue in Brooklyn. He adds, "Solitude Dude is not for sale" and "This is a hobby for me. I'm not here to make money." On Derby chatter he is blunt: "That Kentucky Derby talk, that's a pipe dream," he said. "I don't know about Kentucky, but I'm excited about Saturday."

Americasbestracing's metrics suggest Solitude Dude "has the tools to handle 1 1/16 miles in graded company," and with Prat taking the reins the colt's late pace and closing metrics will be tested today. The Fountain of Youth will reveal whether Solitude Dude's speed and new jockey partnership convert into Derby points and a clear path forward for owner Chris Fountoukis and trainer Saffie A. Joseph Jr.