Wine Me Up

Between them, Irad and Jose Ortiz have accounted for four of the last six runnings of the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S., the third of three preps on the road to the championship meeting's main event, the GI Curlin Florida Derby four weeks down the road. The brothers will have every chance to extend that dominance as they partner with two of the top fancies in Saturday's $400,000 contest, offering the winner 50 points and a virtual guaranteed berth in the field for the GI Kentucky Derby. Jose Ortiz...

Trainer Bob Baffert won seven consecutive editions of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity until that streak ended two years ago. The Hall of Famer will have half the field when Wynstock (Solomini), Coach Prime (Quality Road) and GSP Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso) line up for his barn on Saturday. Coach Prime was a $1.7 million Keeneland September yearling, and began to pay back owner Zedan last out with a 7 1/4-length win at Del Mar Nov. 10, earning him the status of 'TDN Rising Star'. As for his stablemates,...

Nysos (Nyquist), a jaw-dropping 10 1/2-length debut winner at Santa Anita Oct. 21 and a no-brainer 'TDN Rising Star,' takes on four rivals in Sunday's GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar. Purchased by Baoma Corp for $550,000 at the OBS April Sale, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert takes the blinkers off for this seven-furlong test. He is the 4-5 morning-line favorite. Baffert will also saddle Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso), who followed a second-place finish in the GI American Pharoah S. Oct. 7 with a well-beaten eighth in...

Up to the Mark (Not This Time) and Master of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who finished noses apart in Saturday's GI Coolmore Turf Mile, both exited the race in good order, according to their connections. "He [Charlie Appleby] usually likes to let the dust settle a couple days after the race and then decide," traveling lad Chris Connett said. Following the race Saturday, Appleby indicated Master of The Seas could return to Europe Tuesday or Wednesday or possibly stay here if a Breeders' Cup run is in the cards....

3rd-Del Mar, $84,500, Msw, 9-2, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.43, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. WINE ME UP (c, 2, Vino Rosso--Deanaallen'skitten {SW, $374,246}, by Kitten's Joy) found his feet after bobbling a touch at the jump and took no time getting to the front, speeding through :22.01, and :45.44 early splits as D'Oro Dash (Bolt d'Oro) hounded him from second as part of the lead trio. Vying with challengers through the turn, Wine Me Up had to dig, but found more in the stretch to kick away from his longtime shadow and...