Wathnan Racing's Commandment was looking good at Payson Park March 1 on the morning after passing the two-turn test in the $425,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park.
"He looks great this morning," trainer Brad Cox said. "We're real pleased with him."
Commandment, who was coming off a 6 3/4-length romp in the one-turn mile Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Jan. 3, dug deep in the final 16th to capture Saturday's 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth by a neck over Chief Wallabee. The son of Into Mischief stamped himself as a prime prospect for the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) March 28.
READ: Commandment Surges to Win Fountain of Youth
However, Commandment's work was far from done when he hit the first finish line used for 1 1/16-mile races on Gulfstream's 1 1/8-mile main track. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. asked him for more, and the 2-1 favorite responded by continuing to gallop out with good energy to the second finish line.
"I think it was important that Irad asked him to run to the second wire there for the experience moving forward. If we pursue the Florida Derby, it makes sense to continue on to the second wire," Cox said. "You're only doing it if everything's going well. If you're fading or not doing well down the lane, you don't ask him, but if you have horse and you're finishing well, you may as well go ahead and educate him, stay on and finish up."
Commandment, who earned 50 Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points, has impressed Cox with his development leading into his successful graded-stakes debut.
Michael and Katherine Ball's Chief Wallabee earned 25 Derby points for his strong second-place finish in just his second career start. Trainer Bill Mott said following the Fountain of Youth that there are "four or five races to choose from" for the son of Constitution 's next start.
Chris Fountoukis' Solitude Dude, who finished 2 lengths behind Chief Wallabee in third, earned 15 Derby points but isn't likely to need them. The son of Yaupon , who had won his first three career starts by a combined 21.25 lengths around one turn, came up short in his two-turn debut Saturday.
"I thought Solitude ran great. Distance might have gotten the best of him. Incredible effort. I feel like he'll be tough when he gets back to one turn," trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Sunday. "Two good horses beat him. We didn't lose anything in defeat."
Albert Ciuffetelli, Stephanie Brennan, and Shining Stable's Bravaro, who finished second behind Nearly in the Jan. 31 Holy Bull Stakes (G3), disappointed Joseph with Saturday's fourth-place finish, 8 3/4 lengths behind Solitude Dude.
"I thought he would run better than that. He had a hard time early in the race, he got checked twice. He was in a compromised spot. He was close enough at the 3/8ths pole to the first two and he didn't continue that momentum. That for me, I do question distance as well," Joseph said. "In the Holy Bull we thought he needed the race. He didn't need this race, obviously. His forward progression stalled. I don't know if it was because of the trip—Tyler (Gaffalione) was confident it was the trip that caused that stall—but distance is a question mark, and he'll have to prove himself. We're going to wait a little bit before we decide what we do next time. We'll talk it over with the owners."
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
