Revenge was sweet for Gunnevera Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the Fountain of Youth Stakes. He got back at Irish War Cry for beating him the last time they met.
With the win Gunnevera added 50 qualifying points to his resume and his 64 points will get him into the gate the first Saturday in May in the Kentucky Derby. He is now the leader in the clubhouse with more Kentucky Derby points than any runner. J Boys Echo is in second with 53 points, Girvin is third with 50 points and no other contender has more than 35 points.
Revenge was sweet for Gunnevera because he had a valid excuse in his last race when he was second to pacesetting Irish War Cry in the Holy Bull Stakes. In that event Gunnevera suffered a costly bump on the far turn and was forced to steady.
Gunnevera, who is trained by Antonio Sano, was forwardly placed in the Holy Bull but his rider Javier Castellano changed things up this time. He gave the colt a patient ride and they benefitted from a swift early pace over a fast but dull surface. The runner made a huge middle move to go from fifth to first and then he rallied for a runaway, 5 3/4-length victory proving once again that revenge was sweet for Gunnevera.
Three Rules set the :23.43, :47.18, 1:12.37 fractions but was tiring when the real racing began. Revenge was sweet for Gunnevera when he completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.25.
The jockey was smart enough to run the option play, Castellano: “Last time, I was a little too close to the pace. It was too much last time. I learned my lesson. It paid off today. I could have chased the pace, but he won’t finish. There was a lot of speed today. I could take my time. The way it set up was perfect. He’s maturing, maturing every time. He’s an old pro, like a 6-year-old.”
Once again, this classic came down to race shape and how the event unfolded. With the lively early times, it set it up ideally for a runner that has shown he has stamina and can pass horses.
Gunnevera earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure and that stands up well. Last year when Mohaymen won this race he got a 95 Beyer. In 2015 Itsaknockout won the Fountain of Youth via disqualification and earned an 88 Beyer.
As for my selection in the Fountain of Youth, it was no laughing matter. The selection Practical Joke settled in seventh early on and finished with interest to land second. His trainer Chad Brown has to be happy with his colt’s comeback effort, Brown: “He’s in play now, he has a race under his belt, he should move forward off it. A lot depends on how the horse is training, who’s running where. I think my horse made that big run into the turn, and he’s probably feeling the layoff a little bit. And a combination with Gunnevera really running a blinder. He was very dominant today.”
The favorite Irish War Cry was very disappointing. He had won all three of his prior starts, including the Holy Bull, but faltered badly in the final three furlongs. He chased the pace early and just gave way when the real racing began. He was coming back in just a month so that may have retarded his progress.
Gunnevera is safely in the field for the Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs. Sano said Gunnevera would return in the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream on April 1 if all things work out well. On a side note, it’s interesting that Gunnevera’s sire Dialed In won the Florida Derby himself. His dam also dropped Group 1 placed proven router Minstrel Queen.
This $16,000 bargain purchase has become a true cinderella story as he has now earned over a million dollars.
The naysayers continue to mock the horseracing industry as a dying sport but the number tell a different story. The 13-race program at Gulfstream Park Saturday set a record handle of $26.693 million, besting the previous mark of $24.291 million set only last year. That previous mark was set when the inaugural $12 Million Pegasus Invitational Stakes was staged.
Revenge Was Sweet for Gunnevera
