Tami Bobo’s 3-year-old colt SIMPLIFICATION (Not This Time – Simply Confection by Candy Ride (Arg)) might be a plain-looking bay colt, but the son of top sire Not This Time is an exciting prospect heading to the Kentucky Derby (G1). Improving quickly since he was stretched out to route distances by trainer Antonio Sano (of Gunnevera fame), Simplification went wide around horses on the last turn of the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream, March 5, avoided a messy spill, and skipped away to a 3 1/2 length win.
His time of 1:44.04 was good for a career best 96 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.
Bobo, a pinhooker, rarely owns all of any horse she does not sell but Simpliication, a private weanling purchase from Tristan and Valerie De Meric, showed signs of sesamoiditis as a youngster and she elected to keep the colt who was bred by France and Irwin Weiner in Florida. The Weiners bred Closing Argument, who was second in the 2005 Kentucky Derby.
Simplification, who finished a courageous second behind highly regarded White Abarrio in the Feb. 5 Holy Bull (G3) following a troubled start, earned 50 qualifying points for this year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) with his first graded-stakes win in his first race around two turns.
Simplification ($7) rated well of a modest pace set by long shot Markhamian, who was chased by Dean Delivers and In Due Time along the backstretch during fractions of 23.77 and 48.27 seconds for a first half mile. As Dean Delivers took a tentative lead on the turn into the homestretch, Emmanuel, the 5-2 second betting choice who got away from the starting gate slowly and was forced to race extremely wide throughout the race, entered contention. However, neither were a match for Simplification, who made an impressive five-wide move on the final turn and swept to a decisive 3 ½-length victory under Jose Ortiz. In Due Time, also by Not This Time was a strong second for trainer Kelly Breen.
Ortiz was riding the colt after regular rider Javier Castellano was reportedly not available for a recent workout on the colt. He wound up on longshot Our Captain who flew home to be third.
The Fountain of Youth was not a pretty race from start to finish, with several colts hung out very wide. Unbeaten Emmanuel had a dreadful journey as he was five and six wide most of the race. On the final turn, jockey Paco Lopez aboard In Due Time was hustling his colt between runners with very loose reins. To his outside, High Oak and A P’s Secret were in tight behind runners and beginning to get in trouble. When Lopez shot through, his colt shifted outwards while the troubled colts on his outside caused an accident that saw High Oak slip heels with A P ‘s Secret and Galt fall over High Oak. Both fallen colts are trained by Bill Mott. Riders and horses were deemed okay after the race.
An inquiry examination was announced but there was no further information or change. Due to the position of the field on the turn, it was hard to determine who caused the accident.
SIMPLIFICATION is the first foal of stakes-placed SIMPLY CONFECTION. The mare had a Union Rags filly the day before the Fountain of Youth according to Thoroughbred Daily News.
Simply Confection’s pedigree is recognizable to Canadian pedigree buffs. Simply Confection is a half-sister to HALO’S VERSE, a prized broodmare for David Anderson’s Anderson Farms.
HALO’S VERSE (Unbridled’s Song) has produced multiple stakes winners HALO AGAIN and INFLEXIBILITY, both Ontario-breds, and last year had a $625,000 Justify yearling go through the Keeneland September sale for Anderson.
Halo’s Verse is out of GOULASH, the dam of Kentucky Oaks winner and champion ASHADO.
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