Highly regarded Victory Avenue, unraced since his debut run last winter, makes his long-awaited return Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

It will be the first start in 387 days for Victory Avenue, a $375,000 son of Arrogate, since finishing second as the favorite in a seven-furlong maiden special weight on the undercard of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup in 2024. He will be the second Gustavo Delgado-trained colt this month to end a lengthy layoff, following Ferocious’s fourth-place finish in the Feb. 1 Holy Bull (G3).

“It’s like a common theme with our barn, just trying to get these horses up and running again,” co-owner Ramiro Restrepo said. “He’s a really talented colt.”

Expectations were high going into Victory Avenue’s unveiling, when he broke inward and led for a half-mile, was overtaken and ran second behind similarly well-regarded Speak Easy, beaten 1 3/4 lengths. Among the horses that finished behind Victory Avenue were subsequent Ohio Derby (G3) winner Batten Down and Sir Barton winner Corporate Power, as well as Big City and Rapid Grey, who combined to win or place in 11 of their next 14 starts.

Victory Avenue breezed four times after his debut and was entered along with Speak Easy in the Fountain of Youth (G2). Both horses were scratched, Victory Avenue for being uncharacteristically quiet in days leading up to the race and Speak Easy after getting loose during the post parade and crashing into the rail.

“He was just such a naturally fast, talented colt that he kind of took us to the (maiden) race. We started him at the end of January in a race when he really should have just started training at the end of January. Obviously, he put up a ridiculous race,” Restrepo said. “He ran out of his skin, but he kind of told us after the race that he needed some time. We turned him out for a good while and have taken our sweet time.”

Victory Avenue returned to the work tab Dec. 7 and has breezed eight times at Gulfstream for his comeback. He drew post 2 in a field of seven for Sunday’s race 4, a maiden special weight for 4-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs on the main track. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will ride.

“He’s had eight workouts so far, and he’s ready to take that first step. We’ve been easy on him just to get him back. He hasn’t had any crazy bullets or anything like that, but with those works he’s fit enough to run and just restart his career,” Restrepo said. “Obviously last year the imagination was running wild, but I think we’re a patient bunch and we’re just happy to get him back in the gate.”

Restrepo said two-time Grade 1-placed Ferocious bounced out of the Holy Bull in good order. Unraced since a fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) three months prior and wearing blinkers for the first time, he found himself within a head of the lead after six furlongs before tiring.

“He was tired seven furlongs in. From the quarter (pole) home he kind of flattened out, and that’s fine,” Restrepo said. “It happens. He came out of it well. It was nice to have gotten a start in to get the year going.”

“The positive is that he did so many things that nobody even notices,” Restrepo continued. “He would get really nervous in the paddock. He would get really nervous in the post parade. He would get nervous in the gate and he would run in pieces in his races. He wouldn’t run a complete race. Those were huge questions for us. With the blinkers and the time (off), all those boxes were checked. He behaved like a total gentleman in the paddock, he behaved like a total gentleman in the post parade and starting gate. That was huge for us.”

The next start remains undecided for Ferocious, with the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) on March 1 and $1 million Florida Derby (G1) on March 29 both in play. Similar connections in 2023 saw Mage go from Gulfstream maiden winner to Kentucky Derby (G1) winner in four starts. Ferocious has 12 qualifying points for the Derby, ranking 16th on the list.

“He’s got more points than Mage did at the same point, so in that capacity we’re comfortable in the position that we’re in,” Restrepo said. “I don’t know what Gustavo’s next move is going to be. The plan was to go Holy Bull-Florida Derby. I believe that seems to be the same plan. I haven’t heard him say we have to go Fountain of Youth or reroute to another place or anything like that. I’m assuming Florida Derby will be the next start, and we have ample time to keep building on his training for the Florida Derby.”