He said he needed a few more works but their objective is to win the derby .

"I've seen the same development and … that was the plan," Brown said. "We rested him a bit after his 2-year-old year and brought him back trying to build toward his third race of the year being his best one. As a 2-year-old, his third race in his form cycle was his best one, and he (is) really thriving here at Keeneland.

"Everyone wants to see the horse win every time. And if you're a champion horse in the first race back and you come up a little bit short, it disappoints everyone. I wanted him to win the race. But looking back now, (the Fountain of Youth) was an important building block to get here today. It's all been a progression."

I have also read that they purposely brought him back late. Brown said he knew that would not allow him much room for setbacks but it was by design. They wanted to give him ample time off after Breeders cup. The late start was due to design.