Trainer Ken McPeek had Harlan's Holiday on the track for a half-mile workout Feb. 12 and was more than pleased with the stakes-winning juvenile colt's move. Harlan's Holiday was ridden by jockey Tony D'Amico and was clocked in :47 2/5 handily. He runs Saturday in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. I)."He handled the track well," McPeek said. "I had him going out five furlongs in 1:00 2/5. It was a very good workout. Everything is on track."The $200,000 Fountain of Youth (gr. I) is for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles and is the final major prep for the $1 million Florida Derby (gr. I) at 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream on March 16. Harlan's Holiday has four wins and three seconds in seven career outings with all his wins coming in stakes races. He won the Cleveland Kindergarten Stakes at Thistledown, the Hoover Stakes and the Miller Genuine Draft Cradle Stakes at River Downs, and the Iroquois Stakes (gr. III) in his 2001 season finale at Churchill Downs. McPeek also worked his other top 3-year-olds Repent and the filly Take Charge Lady and the tandem were clocked in :48 1/5 breezing. McPeek has shipped both horses to Fair Grounds in New Orleans where Repent will run in the Risen Star Stakes (gr. III) and Take Charge Lady will run in the Silverbulletday Stakes (gr. III) this weekend.Maybry's Boy also worked for the Fountain of Youth. Trainer Shug McGaughey had the winner of the Spectacular Bid Stakes (gr. III) work a half-mile in :48 3/5 breezing."It was a very good work," McGaughey said. "He's ready and I'm interested to see if he can get two turns. We'll find out on Saturday."Maybry's Boy, a come from behind winner of the six-furlong Spectacular Bid Stakes Jan. 3, finished fourth in the seven-furlong Hutcheson Stakes in his last start at Gulfstream on Feb. 2.
McGaughey said his other stakes-winning 3-year-old, Saarland, will bypass the Fountain of Youth and likely will run in a future allowance race at Gulfstream. Also, McGaughey is bringing D'Coach (second before he was disqualified in the Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct) to Gulfstream with the Florida Derby being one option.