“Forte better hurry up” – track announcer Pete Aiello
It was easy to think heavily-favoured FORTE (Violence – Queen Caroline by Blame) was not going to get up in time to win the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa Farm at Gulfstream on April 1.
Was it an April Fool’s joke?
The colt, who started from post 11 under Irad Ortiz, was the best horse on paper, was 1-to-9 in the betting for the longest time but well back around the first turn of the 1 1/8 mile race.
The 2022 Eclipse Award Champion 2-Year-Old Colt trained by Todd Pletcher had won the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) in his season debut with ease and everyone expected the same in the Florida Derby.
He won, but it wasn’t easy.
Ortiz had to nudge his colt to get going approaching the quarter-pole while the lightly-raced Mage (Good Magic – Puca by Big Brown) charged past him wide and went on to the lead into the stretch. Ortiz had to angle Forte out late on the turn to get clear running but had several lengths to make up, which led track announcer Pete Aiello to exclaim his ‘hurry up’ comment.
And then Mike Reople and Vinny Viola’s colt turned on the jets and powered to win in 1:48.98. He earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure, matching the number from his Fountain of Youth win.
Mage was a super second, with Cyclone Mischief finishing third.
Jockey Ortiz won 6 of the 14 races on the day while Pletcher, Viola and Repole won the Appleton Stakes with Steady On (over a very game Churchtown, trained by Roger Attfield).
Todd Pletcher on the Florida Derby: “I thought in the end was spectacular. I was worried when the draw came out getting post 11. We know statistically a really big disadvantage going a mile and an eighth here at Gulfstream. Just concerned about that.
“The main thing we wanted to focus on, we talked to Irad before the race, is just stick to your game plan, keep riding him like you’ve been riding him. Let’s not overthink the post too much. And, you know, thankfully the horse just kept responding.
“Irad rode a terrific race. He rode the race that he had to ride. It was the only option he had. Had to fan out pretty wide down the lane, but to me what was the most impressive part was the last 100 yards.
“I mean, he came by me at the eighth pole, and he looked beaten. Then if you would have told me at that point that he was going to win by a length with his ears pricked, I would have said, no, couldn’t do that. So pretty impressive performance.
“There was a crowded paddock. There were loud fans in the paddock. Very extended post parade. You know, a lot of things that worry you as it’s playing out. But, you know, we’re obviously going to encounter all of that at Churchill.
“So I think the way that he handled all of that, he got on his toes, but in a good way, and maintained his own composure. So I think all of that was good.
“As far as having a harder race than he did in the Fountain of Youth, everyone has different theories about that. Some people think you need a hard race before the Kentucky Derby. For me I’ll always take the easiest way, but, you know, we have five weeks. I just hope that the next five weeks are as good as the last five months have been for him.”
Rank Horse Points Owner(s) Trainer Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1. Forte 190 Repole Stable (Mike Repole) & St. Elias Stable (Vincent Viola) Todd Pletcher $2,359,730
2. Angel of Empire 154 Albaugh Family Stables LLC (Dennis Albaugh) Brad Cox $1,026,375
3. Two Phil’s 123 Patricia’s Hope LLC (Vince Foglia) & Phillip Sagan Larry Rivelli $643,850
4. Derma Sotogake (JPN) 100 Hiroyuki Asanuma Hidetaka Otonashi $1,112,319
5. Kingsbarns 100 Spendthrift Farm LLC (Eric P. Gustavason) Todd Pletcher $600,000
6. Practical Move 60 Pierre Jean Amestoy Jr., Leslie A. Amestoy & Roger K. Beasley Tim Yakteen $372,000
7. Rocket Can 60 Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc. Bill Mott $284,025
8. Confidence Game 57 Don’t Tell My Wife Stables (Kirk Godby) Keith Desormeaux $610,480
9. Raise Cain 54 Andrew N. Warren & Rania Warren Ben Colebrook $204,750
10. $-Wild On Ice 50 Frank Sumpter Joel Marr $366,400
11. Tapit Trice 50 Whisper Hill Farm (Amanda Pope) & Gainesway Stable (Antony
Beck) Todd Pletcher $210,000
12. Mage 50 OGMA Investments LLC, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing LLC & CMNWLTH
Gustavo Delgado $205,200
13. Reincarnate 45 SF Racing LLC (Gavin Murphy), Starlight Racing (Jack Wolf), Madaket Stables LLC (Sol Kumin & Jason Monteleone), Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC (Barbara Banke), Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC (W. Gregg Slager) & Catherine Donovan Tim Yakteen $263,250
14. Jace’s Road 45 West Point Thoroughbreds (Terry Finley) & Albaugh Family Stables LLC (Dennis Albaugh)
Brad Cox $200,350
15. Cyclone Mischief 45 Albaugh Family Stables LLC (Dennis Albaugh & Jason Loustch) & Castleton Lyons Dale Romans $137,525
— Dura Erede (JPN) 40 Three H Racing Co. Ltd. Manabu Ikezoe $774,897
16. Major Dude 40 Spendthrift Farm LLC (Eric P. Gustavason) Todd Pletcher $401,595
17. $-King Russell 40 Brereton C. Jones & Naber Racing LLC (Roger Naber) Ron Moquett $227,500
18. Disarm 40 Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (Ron Winchell) Steve Asmussen $200,000
19. Sun Thunder 34 R.T Racing Stable (Ramon Tallaj) & Cypress Creek Equine (Kevin
Moody) Kenny McPeek $135,250
20. Continuar (JPN) Japan RTKD Invite Lion Race Horse Co. Ltd. Yoshito Yahagi $289,954
Note: UAE Derby third Continuar (JPN) has been extended an invitation to compete in the Kentucky Derby for accruing 40 points in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby series. … Awaiting word on European Road to the Kentucky Derby invitation.
21. Red Route One 33 Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (Ron Winchell) Steve Asmussen $417,125
22. Instant Coffee 32 Gold Square LLC (Al Gold) Brad Cox $395,065
— Continuar (JPN) 30 Lion Race Horse Co. Ltd. Yoshito Yahagi $289,954
23. Funtastic Again 30 Three Chimneys Farm (Goncalo B. Torrealba) Wesley Ward $150,116
24. Classic Car Wash 26 Gary Barber Mark Casse $100,000
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