The spotlight falls firmly on the Coolmore Fountain of Youth this Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where Rockies Balboa will attempt to stretch his winning run to three in the 80th running of the Grade 2 feature. The improving colt, owned by Charles Monfort, American Pastimes LLC, Bloom Racing Stables LLC and Edwin Barker, steps into deeper waters but arrives with momentum on his side.
Installed at generous odds on the morning line, Rockies Balboa may not command the headlines, yet his recent performances during the Championship Meet suggest a colt very much on the rise. Saturday’s Coolmore Fountain of Youth, contested over 1 1/16 miles, headlines a rich 14-race programme featuring nine stakes, eight of them graded, and serves as a key stepping stone on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Stepping Up in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth
The son of Girvin has flourished since the calendar turned. After three educational efforts to begin his career, Rockies Balboa broke through in decisive fashion on December 12, drawing clear by 5½ lengths in a six-and-a-half-furlong maiden. He returned on January 29 to dominate a seven-furlong allowance for Florida-breds by five lengths, again asserting authority in the closing stages.
Those victories came in restricted company, and now the test intensifies in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth. Trainer Dale Romans believes the colt has earned his opportunity.
“Rocky has got a lot of talent. We don’t know what he was beating in those Florida-bred races, but he beat them like you’re supposed to,” Romans said this week. “So, it’s time to step up and see if he’ll go two turns and run with the best.”
Though winless in his first three starts, Rockies Balboa offered a hint of his ability when finishing second in a maiden special weight at Keeneland. That contest featured Commandment, trained by Brad Cox, who re-opposes in Saturday’s Coolmore Fountain of Youth after finishing fourth that afternoon.
Romans sees the added distance as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.
“I don’t think it’s a problem. I think he’ll want to do it. He’s fast, but he doesn’t seem to get tired,” he said. “He worked great Saturday morning, and he looked great doing it. He’s always looked good working. He hasn’t missed a beat.”
History offers encouragement. Romans famously captured the 2018 edition of the Coolmore Fountain of Youth with Promises Fulfilled, who prevailed at lengthy odds before going on to compete at the highest level. That precedent underlines how quickly reputations can shift in a race of this stature.
Context and What’s at Stake
The Coolmore Fountain of Youth has long been a proving ground for elite three-year-olds, its roll of honour featuring names who progressed to classic glory. A strong showing on Saturday would propel Rockies Balboa firmly into the national conversation and position him as a legitimate contender on the Derby trail.
For connections, the ambition is clear: test his class, gauge his stamina, and see whether his recent dominance can translate to graded company. The Coolmore Fountain of Youth will provide those answers in no uncertain terms.
Should Rockies Balboa reproduce the authority of his last two starts, he may well transform from overlooked outsider to emerging force in a single afternoon at Gulfstream Park.
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