(Edited Gulfstream Park report)

Edward Evans’ 3-year-old colt Quality Road schooled in the paddock Wednesday afternoon at Gulfstream Park in preparation for Saturday’s $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (Grade 2).

The big, strapping bay son of Elusive Quality will be looking to make amends for a second-place effort in his most recent start behind returning rival Theregoesjojo, and trainer Jimmy Jerkens thinks the pieces are there to construct a turn-around.

“He rushed up after breaking slow and that might have taken something out of him,” said Jerkens. “Plus a lot of my horses didn’t do too well when they first got down here.”

Judging by his size and Wednesday’s good appearance, Quality Road is doing much better now. The colt turned in a ‘bullet’ workout Sunday at Palm Meadows, going five furlongs in 58 2/5. It was one of two ‘bullet’ workouts since his last start in a seven-furlong allowance race Jan. 10.

“He’s been good and he worked awfully good on Sunday,” said Jerkens.

After two starts, Quality Road has run on or near the lead in both races. Jerkens and jockey John Velazquez don’t envision making too many changes to that running style despite the presence of several other quick front-runners.

“Speed is speed and it’s going to be there. Nothing we can do about it,” said Jerkens.

Quality Road’s size is part of the reason he’s logged only two starts to this point.

“He’s at least 17 hands and didn’t get to me until late July,” said Jerkens. “I didn’t even take him to Saratoga with me, but since then there’s been no problems.”

BONNIE MISS NEXT FOR STRIKING DANCER

Stevestan Stable’s 3-year-old filly Striking Dancer was very impressive overcoming a troubled trip to win Wednesday’s eighth race allowance feature on turf at Gulfstream Park in her season debut, and will be pointed next to the $150,000 Bonnie Miss Stakes (G2) on Fri., Mar. 27.   
“I really wanted to bring her back in a race on the main track,” said trainer Ken McPeek Thursday morning. “But we couldn’t get a race to go. That’s all right. She’s pretty special and could be an (Kentucky) Oaks filly. She’s never run on dirt, but I’m not really worried that she won’t handle it and the Bonnie Miss fits her schedule.”

Striking Dancer is a chestnut daughter of all-surface sire Smart Strike purchased for $110,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase. She finished third in her debut sprinting on turf at Saratoga and third in her second start sprinting on Polytrack at Keeneland before breaking her maiden by 5 ¾ lengths on turf going 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs.

Striking Dancer closed out her campaign finishing a game second in the Caressing Stakes over the Churchill course on Nov. 29, beaten only three-quarters of a length by the winner in a good effort.

Striking Dancer became the 18th winner for McPeek at the meet as he leads the standings by seven over Todd Pletcher, his closest rival second with 11. There’s a three-way tie at 10 among Bill Mott, Nick Zito and Peter Walder.

The talent-packed McPeek stable this season has plenty of action in the weeks ahead, including this weekend with Samotowka Stables and partners’ Theregoesjojo running in the $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (Grade 2) here and Alliance Racing’s Fitzaslew shipped to Turfway Park to run in $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial.

In addition to Striking Dancer, McPeek has several other accomplished 3-year-old fillies in the stable with Livin the Dream Racing’s Dream Empress, Michael Paulson’s Our Dahlia and Magdalena Racing’s Best Lass.

Dream Empress and Our Dahlia are being pointed for the $150,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes (Grade 3) here on Sunday, March 15 at 1 1/8 miles on turf and Best Lass will go to Turfway Park for the $150,000 Bourbonette Oaks (Grade 3) going one mile on Saturday, March 21, according to McPeek.

Dream Empress is a daughter of Bernstein that was a major player in her division last year, most notably finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade 1) at Santa Anita behind Eclipse champion Stardom Bound. Dream Empress will be making her first start since finishing fourth as the favorite in the Golden Rod Stakes (Grade 2) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29.

Our Dahlia is a Kentucky homebred daughter of Belong to Me. She won an allowance race over the turf here on Feb. 4 in her first start on grass after breaking her maiden going a mile on the main track in early January. In two starts in Kentucky last year she finished fourth on Polytrack at Keeneland and third going a mile on the main track at Churchill.

Best Lass is a chestnut daughter of Werblin who won a turf allowance sprint in early February here and finished a game second last out in the OBS Championship for fillies in Ocala going 1 1/16 miles on Polytrack on Feb. 16 with a troubled trip.

Another road trip on the schedule for the McPeek barn will be to Fair Grounds in New Orleans when Silver Wing Stable’s 3-year-old Free Country bids to remain on the Kentucky Derby trail in the $600,000 Louisiana Derby (Grade 2) on Saturday, March 14.

A son of Big Country, Free Country was impressive winning a nine-furlong allowance here on Jan. 8, but disappointed last out when fourth as the favorite in the Sam Davis Stakes (Grade 3) at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 14 when he did not appear to handle the surface there very well.

McPeek also reports that two veteran stakes winners in the stable will be returning to action at this meet. Raymond Cottrell Sr.’s 5-year-old Birdbirdistheword, a winner of $772,000, will be making his first start since the son of Pure Prize finished third in the 12-furlong Louisville Handicap (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs on May 24.

Alien Farm’s 4-year-old Nistle’s Crunch is coming back after capturing the Commonwealth Turf (Grade 3) on Nov. 9 at Churchill. The son of Van Nistelrooy won a main track allowance here last year prior to finishing seventh behind Big Brown in the Florida Derby (Grade 1) before finding his best stride on turf.