The Fountain of Youth Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park Feb. 15 provided the type of coming out party for Florida-bred Trust N Luck that his confident trainer Ralph Ziadie had envisioned since he plunked down $200,000 of Einar Robsham's money for the chestnut son of Montbrook at last March's OBS Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale in Ocala.

	Trust N Luck won the $200,000 Fountain of Youth.

With a promising two-year-old season last year, including an 11-length romp in the What A Pleasure Stakes at Calder in December, Trust N Luck served plenty of notice that an even better sophomore campaign may exist on the horizon.

Following his authoritative display in the first Grade One event for three-year-olds this year, Trust N Luck did more than simply hint of promise to come. His 5 1/4-length victory over fellow Florida-bred Supah Blitz and seven others stamped him as a legitimate contender on this year's road to the Triple Crown.

"I want to thank Mr. Robsham for having faith in me for buying a horse like this," said an emotional Ziadie after the race. "He gave me the money and told me to buy what I wanted to buy. I liked his conformation and the way he carried himself."

At the break of the Fountain of Youth, Trust N Luck carried himself and jockey Cornelio Velasquez straight to the front of the pack. With some pressure from Midway Cat, Trust N Luck rambled through early fractions of :23.61, :46.68 and hit the far turn, ears flipping back and forth, with a 1 1/2-length advantage.

When Velasquez asked for more, Trust N Luck responded, kicking well clear of his rivals. He crossed the wire with a daylight lead, while Supah Blitz rallied gamely to secure the runner-up spot, triggering a $209.40 Florida-bred exacta.

Trust N Luck, the second Florida-bred in a row to capture the Fountain of Youth following Booklet's wire-to-wire score last year, covered the 1 1/16 miles in a solid 1:43.33, nearly a full second faster than Booklet's time in 2002. Trust N Luck is out of the Dahar mare Bold Burst, making him a full brother to the stakes winner Grand Veranda. Ed and Ashley Wiest bred the colt in Florida and Ocala Stud Farms consigned Trust N Luck to the March sale.

"I wasn't surprised he got the early lead," said Ziadie. "I thought he was the controlling speed. Our plans have been to run in the Florida Derby (G1) and then go on to the Kentucky Derby (G1) if he is good enough. The way he ran here he will start in the Florida Derby. I don't want to dance every dance with him. I want to have a fresh horse for whatever race he runs in.

"One of my goals when I started training in this country was that I wanted to go in the Kentucky Derby," added the Kingston, Jamaica native. "But I wouldn't go to the Derby just to go. I wanted to have a horse that could win it. I still think that way."