By Dick Downey

Trainer Salvatore Santoro said after Musical Flair won the five-furlong Needles Stakes on the turf at Gulfstream Park today that he might point the horse to the Grade II Fountain of Youth. Before everyone gets excited, we note that Musical Flair isn't early-nominated to the Triple Crown. His jockey didn't seem to be all that excited about him.

Here's what John Velazquez had to say about his Needles win. "I went to get my position down the backside, and he wanted to lug in.  I had a horse inside of me, so I had to drag him out to straighten him out. Then around the far turn when I went to move outside, he tried to drift that way.  Either way you drag him, he wants to drift.  He’s clearly very talented.  To move up to the next level, he’s going to have to learn what to do a little better.”

Musical Flair was timed in :57.49. He came from fifth of six to beat Hello Prince by three parts of a length. Hello Prince was disqualified after coming out in the stretch and bothering the last-place finisher.