At Gulfstream Park last Saturday in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, Simplification continued to make things complicated.
In his prior race, the Holy Bull Stakes, Simplification threw his head at the start and spotted his rivals a huge lead. He rallied for third place, but in doing so failed to switch leads in the stretch. His effort was both very impressive and worrisome.
His handlers and his backers were banking on a more professional effort from Simplification in the FOY. It’s debatable whether they got. Although his break from the gate was cleaner, it still wasn’t sharp. As a result he found himself stuck in traffic and looking a bit rank as he waited. Once he was clear, though, he easily ran past his opponents to victory.
The troubled trip left Simplification with only the 12th-fastest time in the past 16 runnings of this race at 8.5 furlongs. On the plus side, he now has handled trouble twice in major stakes races and he’s shown he can save his tremendous speed for the right moment in a race.
The Florida Derby is next on the agenda for Simplification. Maybe this time he can live up to his name.
You can get more insight into the Kentucky Derby by purchasing our book The Lazy Bettor’s Guide to the Kentucky Derby. It’s included as part of a Racetrack Super Scout subscription, or you can purchase it separately from the Lazy Bettor Guides store.
