What we learned: Dennis' Moment may have passed

Despite coming off a layoff and lacking a win since the Iroquois Stakes (G3) last September, Dennis' Moment was bet to 6/5 favoritism in Saturday's Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park. He also had not raced since finishing last in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Unfortunately for those many supporters, Dennis' Moment did not seem to progress off that last effort. After breaking well, he fell into mid-pack surrounded by other horses, and dropped farther on the far turn. At that point, Flavien Prat gave up on Dennis' Moment and he eased to the wire.

There was one notable warning sign heading into the race. 

On Feb. 15, Dennis' Moment worked in company with his seemingly slower older stablemate Admire, but Dennis' Moment never caught up with him until the gallop out. Granted, Admire worked a five-furlong bullet in 58.48 to “beat” Dennis' Moment that morning. But Admire followed up on that fast workout with an non-threatening fifth in a local allowance optional claimer. 

Trainer Dale Romans still talked up a storm expecting Dennis' Moment would deliver an exceptional performance. But only in rare cases does a trainer publicly share doubts about a horse.

Dennis' Moment may have failed to progress off the success of his 2-year-old season. To bet him on top next time in a Derby prep off two last-place finishes in a row would mean hanging on to the past, rather than seeing what is “now” in the past performances and adjusting accordingly. 

He could improve -- Brody's Cause followed a clunker to open his season for these same connections by winning the 2016 Blue Grass Stakes -- but the public is not likely to receive any value.

For what it's worth, Romans told the Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman on Sunday that he's "puzzled" by the effort, finding no physical issues with the Tiznow colt.

"We'll figure it out," Romans added. "I'm not giving up on him."

Nex time, it'll be bettors' job to determine whether this horse already had his moment.

Ete Indien gets the trip

On the top end of the Fountain of Youth, the story of the trip is a straightforward one. Ete Indien crafted a beautiful path to the early lead and maintained it. He then rolled home to victory to capture the 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, marking his role as a rising star in the 3-year-old division and confirming Holy Bull (G3) hero Tiz the Law's spot as the leader.

From the moment the gates opened, Florent Geroux laid into Ete Indien. He shook the reigns with the utmost urgency and guided his mount left.

Ete Indien responded to the aggressive riding. He crossed over four horses by a small margin and hit the front by the time the field straightened.

As he set the pace, Gear Jockey followed along one length behind and Liam's Lucky Charm chased outside. Ete Indien traveled comfortably to the far turn. While he continued to lead the field, Liam's Lucky Charm folded early and Gear Jockey soon followed him to the back.

As Seen On Tv kept plodding along in second in an even tempo. Shotski came ranging up on the outside and Masterday made a mild move along the rail. Also, Candy Tycoon made his way into the picture.

But Ete Indien reserved enough energy to kick clear. Under a mild drive, Ete Indien separated himself and won by 8 ½ lengths while drifting out slightly.

To keep expectations in check, Tiz the Law beat Ete Indien at the same distance only a few weeks ago. Furthermore, Ete's Indien's ability to handle a long distance is questionable; the late drifting is not a great sign.

Still, Ete Indien proved himself in another zip code than the rest of the Fountain of Youth field. He also confirmed Tiz the Law's talent by winning this race.

Ete Indien is in the Kentucky Derby discussion. If he defies the distance concerns and performs well at nine furlongs, then he is a Derby threat.

Tonalist's Shape defeats Spice Is Nice 

Earlier in the card, Spice Is Nice made her second career start in the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) after an eye-opening 12-length maiden win.

Bettors made Spice Is Nice 3/5 off that maiden score. But facing tougher competition, Spice Is Nice could only manage a mild second.

Tonalist's Shape set a contested pace early by taking pressure from Spice Is Nice, Addilyn and Chart. She then drew clear in the stretch under heavy urging and won by 1 ¼ lengths, as Spice Is Nice spun her wheels late.

Spice Is Nice's loss shows again that flashy victories against weaker competition always deserve extra scrutiny. The public falls for big-margin wins and bets those horses, creating value in other contenders if the handicapper could uncover holes. Speed figures are not the end-all. 

While Spice Is Nice has some talent, she only looks like part of the crowd now.