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Victory Avenue Takes ‘Mage’ Route into Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2)
2/29/2024
Maiden Meets Eight Others in key Derby Prep
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Immediately after the running of the second race on Pegasus World Cup Day Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park, the buzz started to build.
Not just for debut winner Speak Easy, who covered seven furlongs in 1:21.96, but runner-up Victory Avenue, who finished 1 ¾-lengths behind the winner in his debut while setting fractions of :22.64. and :44.61.
According to Ramiro Restrepo, who represents part of Victory Avenue’s ownership group and was co-owner of last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage, the race was enlightening.
“[Trainer] Gustavo [Delgado] is not the guy to have your horse razor sharp first time out,” he said. “Whatever those horses do first-time out is just natural ability. They’re not necessarily trained to do that. That’s not how Gustavo trains.”
A month later, despite thinking Victory Avenue would run in another traditional maiden race, Restrepo can’t help feeling a bit of déjà vu as Victory Avenue prepares to meet Speak Easy and seven others Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $400,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2), the last prep for $1 million Florida Derby (G1) and a key steppingstone for the Triple Crown.
It was just last year that Mage entered the Fountain of Youth off a winning debut on Pegasus World Cup Day. And it was just five years ago that Delgado saddled the winless Bodexpress for a second-place finish in the $1 million Florida Derby.
“There is precedence,” Restrepo said.
But it won’t be easy. Along with Speak Easy the Fountain of Youth will play host to a field that includes Remsen (G2) winner Dornoch and Breeders’ Futurity (G1) winner Locked, who finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).
“I’m fully aware of Dornoch and Speak Easy and Real Macho,” Restrepo said. “You respect the horses in there. But if you run big or win, your horse keeps moving forward. [Victory Avenue] ran a 97 Beyer, a low [Ragozin], a 1:21 and change. We know how fit he is and how much more is in the tank.
“You have to take it on a horse-by-horse basis, but that’s why we have Gustavo at the helm. Initially we were leaning heavily toward a traditional maiden, but as the horse kept breezing and doing his thing the Fountain of Youth became more of a logical target for Gustavo.”
And once Delgado made the call? “Nobody flinched,” Restrepo said. “It’s time to take the next step.”
Victory Avenue, by champion Arrogate, was purchased for $375,000 last year. The colt caught Restrepo’s eye while Mage was preparing to run in the Haskell (G1).
“We were getting ready for the Haskell and at the same time watching a couple horses develop by Arrogate,” Restrepo recalled. “If you look at the pedigree - a Scat Daddy mare – two stallions who had a lot of talented progeny who went away too soon.
“The horse had a spectacular workout and gallop-out at the breeze, and he was about three, four months behind schedule. He had cast himself in his stall…. he’s got some pretty interesting scars. He’s got some Al Capone markings on him. We took into account for a horse to show that kind of natural ability and be so far ahead in his training…”
For Restrepo, Saturday also is another example of his ability to create an ownership group “of like-minded people who enjoy the ride and hopefully have some success.” The ownership group for Victory Avenue includes OGMA Investments, LLC, Lady Shelia Stable, High Step Racing LLC, Michael and Jules Iavarone, and Morplay Racing LLC.
“Obviously, that’s why we do this, to have horses who can run in races we’ve been watching since we were kids,” he said.
But Restrepo, his partners and trainer realize Saturday’s race isn’t a must-win for Victory Avenue.
“We’ve seen horses hit their peak different times of the year,” Restrepo said. “So whether it’s a Triple Crown thing or a summer or fall Grade 1, we believe this horse is at that level, but we’re not forcing the horse to do anything that’s he’s not showing at the moment. He doesn’t have to win this Saturday.”
Restrepo pauses and adds, “If Mage doesn’t run fourth in this race [last year], we don’t get in the [Kentucky] Derby. Those 10 points got us in.”