A chance to race in the Run for the Roses will be on the line on Saturday at the 2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The winner of this Kentucky Derby prep race has a strong chance of competing on the first Saturday in May since qualifying points are awarded to the top five finishers on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale. Todd Pletcher holds the record for most wins by a trainer at the Fountain of Youth Stakes (2007, 2010, 2015, 2023) and will try to add to that tally with two 2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes horses. Post time is 5:44 p.m. ET.
River Thames is the 2-1 favorite in the 2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes odds, followed by Burnham Square (5-2) and Sovereignty (3-1) in the eight-horse 2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes field. With several talented three-year-olds set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you’ll want to see what SportsLine writer Gene Menez has to say before making any 2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes picks or horse racing predictions.
A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI’s handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet.
In May of last year, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. Last November, he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders’ Cup Saturday for a $5,303 score.
For Saturday, Menez has handicapped the 2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes field, made his picks and constructed his best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes predictions
One surprise: Menez is high on Gate to Wire, even though he is a longshot at 6-1. This son of Munnings started his career off right with a first-place finish, but failed to make it in the top three over his next three starts. However, he impressed at the Swale Stakes on Feb. 1 where he pulled ahead down the stretch to win by five lengths.
“Sons and daughters of Munnings don’t typically excel beyond one mile, but Gate to Wire’s female family is laden with distance turf horses,” Menez told SportsLine. “If he doesn’t bounce off that last effort, he could outrun his odds.” You can see all of Menez’s 2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes bets here.
How to make 2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes picks
Menez is also backing a favorite who isn’t known for distance racing but “checks all the boxes.” Menez is including this horse in his 2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes bets, and so should you. He’s sharing what horses to back at SportsLine.
So what horse wins the Fountain of Youth Stakes 2025? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Menez’s picks for the Fountain of Youth Stakes, all from the expert who gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby and crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders’ Cup Saturday for $5,303, and find out.
2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes odds, contenders, post positions