Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – I’ve always been a fan of the underdog and in the Fountain of Youth Saturday at Gulfstream Park in South Florida there are two “underdogs.”  Although the betting public won’t see them as “underdogs,” Buddy’s Saint and Jackson Bend are.

Jackson Bend is a horse with a dubious pedigree that did his early running at Calder Race Course in the fall of 2009 where he swept the Florida Stallion Stakes (Dr. Fager, Affirmed and In Reality). The pedigree is questionable  because he is a son of Hear No Evil (Carson City) and that is not exactly known as one to get a route of ground. Many believe the little guy will not be able to run the Classic distance of a mile-and-a-quarter.

He has five wins from seven lifetime starts and was second to Winslow Homer in the Holy Bull on Jan. 23 at Gulfstream. He came into that race off a three-month layoff and had a much tougher trip than the winner. I think he got a lot out of that race and should be primed for the Fountain of Youth.

Buddy’s Saint gets the “underdog” tag because he comes from the only crop of the late Saint Liam. He is trained by Bruce Levine, a good New York trainer, but he usually is put behind the Dutrows, Contessas, Zitos, Pletchers and Motts.

Levine said about his star that this is the only one I got. There is no second-string, there’s no one on the bench. I bet most of those other New York guys would give a lot to have a star of this magnitude.

Buddy’s Saint is unbeaten in three races having won the Nashau and Remsen on the Aqueduct inner track. But he won both in impressive fashion and steps up to tougher competition in the Fountain of Youth. Both of the New York races were Grade 2s, so he’s already picked up enough cash to get into the Kentucky Derby on graded earnings.

Buddy’s Saint only drawback in the Fountain of Youth is he’s coming into the race off a three-month layoff and coming back in a mile-and-an-eighth race can be tough. Even a second in this race will be a great showing.

I’ll put my two underdogs on top and throw in Eskendereya and Pulsion in the superfecta.