Trainer Stanley Gold has firmed up next-out plans for Jacks or Better Farm's homebred duo of Fellowship (Awesome of Course) and Awesome Banner (Awesome of Course), who finished third and fifth, respectively, in last Saturday's GII Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park.
Fellowship is scheduled to return in the GI Xpressbet.com Florida Derby Apr. 2, while Awesome Banner is slated to run in the GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 12. Fellowship, who captured the Florida Sire S. In Reality last fall, closed from last to finish third behind the undefeated Mohaymen (Tapit) in both the GII Lambholm South Holy Bull S. and the Fountain of Youth.
“This horse will go as far as we need to,” Gold said. “He's still under the radar; he's still getting no respect. He'll be a long shot again.”
Awesome Banner, who entered the Fountain of Youth undefeated off impressive tallies in the GII Hutcheson S. and GII Swale S., set the pace before fading in the stretch to finish 26 lengths behind Mohaymen while making his first attempt around two turns that day.
“We're going to give him another shot at two turns,” Gold said. “He came out of the race excellent. He's been doing good, acting good. The race didn't faze him. Jose [Caraballo] smartly didn't abuse him when it was done, so I'm going to look at it like a good work around two turns and we'll go to Tampa and see what happens.”
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