HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A pair of potential candidates for next Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, Real Macho and Victory Avenue, got in their final major preps at Gulfstream Park on Friday morning. The Rohan Crichton-trained Real Macho, who upset the odds-on Born Noble in a one-mile allowance race to kick off his 3-year-old season, open-galloped to the half mile pole before picking up the pace and ultimately completing his next seven furlongs in 1:28.68 seconds, the final three-eighths from the wire around the clubhouse turn, when sharply roused, in 38.20. Victory Avenue, a well-graded second behind Speak Easy in his only previous start, breezed an easy five furlongs minutes later in 1:01.15 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.28 and easing up after a mile in 1:41.78 for trainer Gustavo Delgado. John Velazquez has been confirmed to ride Victory Avenue in the Fountain of Youth, according to Ramiro Restrepo, representative for part-owner JR Ranch. Also, Restrepo said that Mike and Jules Iavarone as well as Sheila Rosenblum's Lady Sheila Stable have purchased interests in the colt. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports At Palm Beach Downs, trainer Todd Pletcher sent out two of his plethora of Kentucky Derby candidates – reigning Juvenile champion Fierceness and Sam F. Davis runner-up Agate Road, to breeze a half-mile in company in 48.54, the fastest of 27 works at the distance on Friday’s tab. Fierceness is currently penciled in to make his next start in the $1 million Florida Derby here on March 30 with Agate Road likely to head back north for the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 9. Just F Y I clinched the champion 2-year-old filly title with this neck victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. -- additional reporting by David Grening :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.