The 2026 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) is locked in for Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, as part of the track’s 2025–26 Championship Meet stakes schedule. Run at 1-1/16 miles on the dirt and restricted to 3-year-olds, the race sits in its traditional late-February slot as Gulfstream’s marquee prep for the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) and a pivotal stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Coolmore continues as title sponsor, underscoring the race’s importance as both a classic stepping-stone and a showcase for future stallion prospects.
For the 2025–26 Championship Meet, Gulfstream Park’s published stakes schedule lists the Coolmore Fountain of Youth with an advertised purse of 400,000 dollars, keeping it firmly positioned among the most lucrative Grade 2 Derby preps in North America. That purse level aligns with the recent trend, following a 415,000‑dollar renewal in 2025, and reflects the track’s broader 15.2‑million‑dollar stakes program that spans 68 stakes, 27 of them graded. The combination of a rich purse and prime calendar position ensures that elite stables from across the country routinely ship top 3-year-olds into South Florida specifically for this target.
Gulfstream Park’s Fountain of Youth Day program amplifies the race’s profile by surrounding it with a deep graded undercard. The Feb. 28 card is projected to feature nine stakes, eight of them graded, including the 200,000‑dollar Davona Dale (G2) for 3‑year‑old fillies, the 200,000‑dollar Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) for older runners, and the 200,000‑dollar Mac Diarmida (G2) on turf. In total, the day is expected to offer around 1.8 million dollars in purses, creating one of the most attractive wagering and attendance days of the Championship Meet outside Pegasus World Cup Day and Florida Derby Day.
Within the Road to the Kentucky Derby framework, the 2026 Coolmore Fountain of Youth carries a high‑value points allocation of 50–25–15–10–5 to the first five finishers. Official Derby prep schedules list the Fountain of Youth alongside races like the Gotham on the same Feb. 28 date in the “Championship Series” tier, where a victory alone is typically enough to secure a Derby berth and a placing can put a horse squarely into contention for a spot in the starting gate at Churchill Downs. This elevated points structure explains why the race consistently draws deep, competitive fields of sophomores with classic aspirations.
Recent editions illustrate how influential the Fountain of Youth has become in shaping the spring 3‑year‑old picture. The 2025 running, worth $415,000, offered the same 50–25–15–10–5 points split and produced Sovereignty as a major classic prospect after a strong performance that set him up for the Curlin Florida Derby. In earlier years, winners and key players from this race have gone on to claim major honors later in the season, including classic victories such as Dornoch’s 2024 Belmont Stakes success, reinforcing its status as a premier launching pad.
2026 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at the Gulfstream Park – Saturday, February 28th, 2026. Race and time to be determined as it gets closer to raceday!
