Ralph M. Evans' Upstart, winner of the Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes, has been installed the 8-5 favorite in the eight-horse field entered for the Feb. 21, $400,000 Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The Fountain of Youth, a major prep for the $1 million Besilu Stables Florida Derby March 28, is the 11th race on the Saturday card at Gulfstream that features eight stakes, seven graded.

The 5-1/2-length Holy Bull triumph by Upstart, a son of Flatter, in the Jan. 24 Holy Bull stamped the Rick Violette-trained ridgling as a legitimate contender on the Triple Crown trail and he looks to take the next step Saturday. Starting from the 7 post in the 1-1/16-mile Fountain of Youth, Upstart will be ridden by Jose L. Ortiz under top weight of 122 pounds.

Bred in New York, Upstart began his career with consecutive victories in state-bred company, including a triumph in the Funny Cide Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Elevated in company, Upstart finished second to Daredevil in the Champagne Stakes and completed his 2-year-old campaign with a troubled third in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH STAKES DRAW

Violette said a "bounce" from that powerful Holy Bull victory is possible for his charge, but he is confident that he will perform well, noting that New York-breds have improved in quality.

"Even if he regresses, we hope he can still win," said Violette. "This isn't your 'father's New York-bred,' so to speak. The bar has been raised. There was a terrific cast of New York-breds last year all across the country. There is certainly no longer an asterisk or a stigma as to where they were bred."

The Fountain of Youth will be a rematch for Upstart and Godolphin Racing's Frosted, runner-up in the Holy Bull who will carry 116 pounds and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. and will equipped with blinkers for the first time.

"I think the winner was most impressive that day and hopefully he doesn't run as impressive this time and he drops back to us a length or two and we gain a length or two with the blinkers and a better post position," Frosted's trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said of Upstart's Holy Bull. "We think we have a good chance. We have a lot of respect for Upstart, but we just hope he doesn't run such a monster race again."

Frosted, a son of Tapit who broke his maiden in his third lifetime start, finished a close second to Leave the Light On in the Remsen Stakes. In that Nov. 29 test at Aqueduct Racetrack, Frosted broke from the No. 13 post and raced wide around a track that distinctly favored inside speed.

"He's improving all the time. We were second best in the Holy Bull and hopefully we're not second best in the Fountain of Youth," McLaughlin said. "Our horse is a big strong horse and every race he seems to be getting better and better. He can handle the racing well, so we're excited to bring him back over there."

Also returning from the Holy Bull is Crossed Sabres Farm's Bluegrass Singer, a gelded son of Bluegrass Cat who set the pace before weakening to finish third in his first trip around two turns.

"He finished third, beaten seven lengths. He kind of sprung a shoe and I think that definitely had something to do with it," trainer Marcus Vitali said. "I'm not big on making up excuses. It is what it is. It's horse racing. It unfolded the way it did, but I was still ecstatic the way he ran first time going a mile and a sixteenth. We're just gearing up."

Prior to the Holy Bull, Bluegrass Singer dominated allowance rivals Dec. 17 and won the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes in front-running fashion.

Starlight Racing's Itsaknockout will be making both his stakes and two-turn debuts in the Fountain of Youth. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt is undefeated in two career starts, both at Gulfstream Park. The son of Lemon Drop Kid won his debut by a nose at seven furlongs Dec. 7 before capturing a first-level optional claiming allowance Jan. 4 by more than five lengths.

"I feel very good about him," Pletcher said. "His first two races have been very impressive. He's been a real pleasure to train, and a very straightforward, professional horse that comes out and enjoys his work every day. So far he's been impressive in his two starts so this will be a big test of class. He's running against more seasoned horses. Upstart I thought was very impressive, but this is the next logical step and he seemed to have handled everything that we've thrown at him so far."