The road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve kicks into high gear as the calendar turns to March, and Gulfstream Park will be a focal point on a nationwide day of prep races this Saturday as it hosts the 79^th Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes.

The $415,000, Grade 2 stakes held at 1 1/16 miles on dirt is the third of four preps at Gulfstream that offer qualifying points to the 151^st Derby May 3 at Churchill Downs, followed by the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa on March 29. The Fountain of Youth distributes Derby points on a 50-25-15-10-5 basis to the top five finishers, and 14 horses have come out of this race to win the first jewel of the Triple Crown, most recently Mage in 2023, who finished fourth in the Fountain of Youth and then pulled a 15.21-1 upset under the Twin Spires.

This year’s renewal drew a solid field headlined by recent Holy Bull Stakes winner Burnham Square and Sovereignty, who won the Street Sense Stakes last fall and is making his first start at age 3. The race will be televised live on CNBC and FanDuel TV and streamed on Peacock, with a scheduled post time of 5:42 p.m. ET.

Read on for information about each contender and some betting insights:

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1. Gate to Wire (6-1 morning-line odds)

Jockey: Dylan Davis

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owner: Donegal Racing

Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $192,790

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 95

Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 0

Pedigree: Munnings – Sansibar Jewel, by Street Cry

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Closer

Analysis: After Gate to Wire had modest success on turf and all-weather tracks through four starts, Todd Pletcher decided to try him on dirt in the seven-furlong Swale Stakes Feb. 1 at Gulfstream. The Munnings colt responded with a powerful five-length win at 13.60-1 odds, which is the sort of “wake-up” effort that can motivate connections to try even tougher races, such as this Kentucky Derby qualifying race. The Fountain of Youth will be Gate to Wire’s first start in a two-turn race, and if he can handle the extra distance – and there’s no reason based on his pedigree that he can’t – he’s got a chance to overshadow several more prominent contenders and post the upset. Dylan Davis rode Gate to Wire for the first time in the Swale and retains the mount Saturday.

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2. Sovereignty (3-1)

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

Trainer: Bill Mott

Owner: Godolphin

Career record: 3 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $143,280

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 99

Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 10

Pedigree: Into Mischief – Crowned, by Bernardini

Color: Bay

Running style: Closer

Analysis: Sovereignty makes his eagerly-anticipated return to the track in the Fountain of Youth and projects to be among the post-time favorites based on his final race at age 2 way back on Oct. 27. He competed in the 1 1/16-mile Street Sense Stakes that day at Churchill Downs as a maiden, having finished fourth and second in his two prior starts, and was a revelation under the Twin Spires, rallying from off the pace and romping to a five-length victory. Since then, the Godolphin homebred son of top sire Into Mischief has been patiently managed by trainer Bill Mott in preparation for his 3-year-old debut, and he’s back on schedule after missing several training days due to a fever. There is always an element of uncertainty when a young, lightly raced horse returns after several months away as to whether they can re-start the maturation process, but if Sovereignty is ready to “fire off the bench,” as racetrackers say, he’ll be tough to handle in the Fountain of Youth.

New to racing? Let us explain…

A maiden is a horse that has not won a race in his/her career. Horses compete against other winless runners in what are designated either maiden special weight races or maiden claiming races until they do win, after which they start competing in subsequent races against other horses that also have won. In a maiden claiming race, the entrants are up for sale and any one of them can be claimed by another owner, even though they haven’t won a race so far in their career.

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3. Burnham Square (5-2)

Jockey: Edgard Zayas

Trainer: Ian Wilkes

Owner: Whitham Thoroughbreds

Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third

Career earnings: $202,330

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 94

Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 20

Pedigree: Liam’s Map – Linda, by Scat Daddy

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker/closer

Analysis: This gelding is among the top Kentucky Derby prospects heading into the Fountain of Youth after posting an impressive 1 ¾-length win in the Holy Bull Stakes Feb. 1 at Gulfstream. Burnham Square had a slow start in that 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Derby prep and had to settle farther back off of the pace than trainer Ian Wilkes and jockey Edgard Zayas had planned, trailing the seven-horse field early on before starting to pick off horses on the backstretch. He swept into contention through the far turn in the Holy Bull, and showed plenty of stamina in the final yards to win going away. Burnham Square has trained very well since that breakout stakes win, according to Wilkes, and a repeat or improvement of his Holy Bull effort Saturday will place him right into contention for another Kentucky Derby prep victory at Gulfstream. Look for him to race closer to the pace provided he gets off to a better start than he did last month.

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4. McKellen (30-1)

Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione

Trainer: Jose D’Angelo

Owner: Leon King Stable Corp.

Career record: 3 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $41,700

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 86

Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 0

Pedigree: McKinzie – Don’t Blame Me, by Blame

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker

Analysis: This colt from the first crop of young stallion McKinzie enters off of a sixth-place finish in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes Jan. 4 at Gulfstream. He stalked the early leaders in that one-turn, one-mile race, but soon weakened and finished ahead of only one other entrant. Prior to the Mucho Macho Man, McKellen won a one-mile race in his Gulfstream debut last October and finished second at the same distance in November at Churchill Downs to recent Lecomte Stakes winner Disco Time. He’ll look to get back on track after a dud of an effort in the Mucho Macho Man, and that race has not turned out to be very productive among 3-year-old stakes, as winner Guns Loaded finished last in the Holy Bull Stakes in his next start and runner-up Treaty of Rome finished ninth of 10 in the Sam F. Davis in his subsequent outing. Earlier this week, McKellen was also entered in a 1 1/8-mile allowance-optional claiming race Feb. 27 at Gulfstream Park, but he was withdrawn from that race and looks set to run in the Fountain of Youth.

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5. Solid Left (PROBABLE SCRATCH)

Jockey: Luis Saez

Trainer: Brian Lynch

Owners: Susan Hill and Jim Hill

Career record: 2 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $42,400

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 81

Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 0

Pedigree: West Coast – Solid Appeal, by Successful Appeal

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Stalker

Analysis: Solid Left is also entered in the same 1 1/8-mile allowance race mentioned above as McKellen, and he might try his luck there against lesser competition rather than compete in the Fountain of Youth two days later. If he does run Saturday, he’s got more appeal as a longshot contender than the colt drawn to his inside, as he comes in off of a 2 ½-length win in a 1 1/16-mile allowance-optional claiming race Jan. 26 at Gulfstream. He looked very professional in only his second career start and first try around two turns, patiently stalking the leaders through the backstretch under Luis Saez, taking command at the top of the stretch, and fending off a challenger in the final furlong to prevail. This colt obviously has to improve significantly to be a factor in his stakes debut against the likes of Burnham Square and Sovereignty, but if he does he’s a worthy contender to use in exacta and trifecta tickets. His pedigree is good for route races as a son of Travers Stakes winner West Coast out of the dam Solid Appeal, a champion in Canada.  Editor’s note: Solid Left ran in the aforementioned allowance optional claiming race and finished fifth. He is a probable scratch for the Fountain of Youth.

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6. River Thames (2-1)

Jockey: John Velazquez

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owners: WinStar Farm and CHC

Career record: 2 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $85,200

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 96

Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 0

Pedigree: Maclean’s Music – Proportionality, by Discreet Cat

Color: Bay

Running style: Press the pace/stalker

Analysis: Even though Burnham Square, Sovereignty, Gate to Wire, and Keep It Easy all come into the Fountain of Youth Stakes off of stakes wins, there’s a good chance that this undefeated colt could go off as the post-time favorite. He’s not been tested in two starts so far, both coming on Gulfstream’s main track, first taking a six-furlong sprint Jan. 11 by 4 ¾ lengths and then winning a one-turn, one-mile race on the Feb. 1 Holy Bull Stakes undercard by a widening 6 ½ lengths. River Thames was forwardly placed in both races by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and took over at will when asked, and it’s a good bet that Velazquez will attempt the same strategy as his colt extends to two turns Saturday in a race where most of the main win threats are come-from-behind runners. River Thames has a pedigree more suited to running in sprints and one-mile races that could hinder him in the coming months if he stays on the Triple Crown trail, but 1 1/16 miles should be well within his scope. He’s a main win threat for four-time Fountain of Youth Stakes-winning trainer Todd Pletcher.

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7. Neoequos (10-1)

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.

Owners: Ian Parsard, Shining Stables, and Stefania Farms

Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $137,800

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 100

Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 0

Pedigree: Neolithic – Bold Birdie, by Birdstone

Color: Bay

Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace

Analysis: In a Fountain of Youth Stakes field lacking much speed, this sprinter could be the early leader as he tries a two-turn race for the first time in career start number six. Neoequos was bumped and lost his jockey in his career debut, but since then has won twice and finished second twice, all of his starts coming on Gulfstream’s dirt main track. His two runner-up finishes came to fellow Florida-bred Rated By Merit in stakes races last fall, and that unbeaten colt had generated healthy Kentucky Derby buzz before he was sidelined due to bone bruising. In his only start this year, Neoequos took the early lead in a six-furlong sprint Jan. 23 and extended it to the finish line, scoring by 3 ½ lengths on a sloppy track. Gulfstream’s leading jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will take the reins aboard Neoequos for the first time in the Fountain of Youth. Look for Ortiz to be aggressive early and try to pull off a gate-to-wire upset if no other horse tries to challenge him.

New to racing? Let us explain…

Winning “gate-to-wire” means a horse took command of the race as soon as the starting gate opened, controlled the pace throughout the race’s distance, and reached the finish line (or “wire”) ahead of the field.

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8. Keep It Easy (8-1)

Jockey: Corey Lanerie

Trainer: Dale Romans

Owners: St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Thoroughbreds

Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $207,671

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 96

Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 0

Pedigree: Hard Spun – Boxwood, by English Channel

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Press the pace/stalker

Analysis: This colt could be overlooked somewhat in the pari-mutuel betting pools for the Fountain of Youth as he makes his 3-year-old debut. He was very impressive when last seen Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs in the 6 ½-furlong Ed Brown Stakes, stalking a pair of longshot leaders patiently through the far turn and then powering clear of the field to win by 5 ¼ lengths. Prior to that race, Keep It Easy won one of three starts during summer 2024 and had an excuse in his prior stakes race where he stumbled badly at the start. He’ll be stretching out around two turns and trying 1 1/16 miles for the first time Saturday after a layoff of three months, but like Gate to Wire on the opposite end of the Fountain of Youth starting gate this colt has the bloodlines to handle running longer. His workouts since shipping to south Florida from Kentucky have been strong. An intriguing upset candidate.