As the prep for the Kentucky Derby (G1) gets more weekly, Run for the Roses is a favorite Forte is training lightly with Todd Pletcher at the Palm Beach Downs in Florida and is expected to record her first workout at age 3 in “a week or so.”
“He’s galloping,” Pletcher said. “He’s been here for almost three weeks and we’ll probably give him his first breath in the next week or so. We’re still gearing up for the Fountain of Youth (G2, March 4 at Gulfstream Park) on his first start but we’ll keep an eye on him and his practice and let him decide if that’s the goal. The good thing about this time of year is that there’s actually a prep race every weekend, so you don’t have to pressure for a race if you need an extra week or work.
Owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, Forte will no doubt be named the 2-year-old men’s champion at the January 26 Eclipse Awards dinner after winning the Junior Breeders’ Cup (G1) to end a battle. The translation also includes tier 1 victories in Breeders’ Futurity and Hopeful Stakes. He picked up four wins in five starts last year, winning twice at Keeneland and suffered a lone defeat in the Sanford Stakes (G3) at Racecourse Saratoga.
If the $1,595,150 earner puts his best effort in the Fountain of Youth, he may be running again before the May 6 Run for Roses. With Forte owning a 1st place pair. , a two-round win at Keeneland, co-owner Mike Repole has said the April 8 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Lexington racetrack will be an attractive venue for the foal’s final Derby.
Pletcher, a finalist for the Eclipse Awards as a coach of excellence, said: “The experience he gained at the age of 2 and the professionalism he displayed gives you confidence. that two prep classes would suit him.
Pletcher was pleased with the growth he had seen in the foal in the dark bay after being washed for the winter at Stonestreet Ranch in Ocala.
“He did a great job. Ian Brennan and his staff at Stonestreet did a great job putting the weight on him,” Pletcher said. “He came in excellent condition. He was a tall, long-legged pony and very similar to His Majesty’s image. Not only did he have the same color and markings, but also the same figure. “.
The son of Violence was the favorite pick on the morning of 10-1 out of 38 individual entries in this weekend’s Kentucky Derby Future Wager betting cycle and a 10-1 personal pick in the November 24-27 pool.
Purchased for $110,000 from Eaton Sales at Keeneland’s September Annual Sale, Forte had 40 qualifying points, which was usually enough to secure a spot in the starting gate for the game. Kentucky Derby.
