Forte Records First Work Back Since BC Juvenile Victory

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s multiple grade 1 winner Forte , a finalist expected to be named Champion 2-year-old male of 2022, has begun stepping up preparations for his expected sophomore debut in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) March 4 at Gulfstream Park.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher reported Jan. 22 that Forte exited a three-furlong breeze in :38 2/5 Saturday at Palm Beach Downs in good order. It marked the Violence   colt’s return to the work tab since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 5 at Keeneland.

“It was very good,” Pletcher said. “It was his first work back, just a nice introductory three-eighths. We’ll probably go a half-mile next week.”

Forte graduated at first asking last spring at Belmont Park and ran fourth in his stakes debut in the Sanford Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course. He hasn’t lost since, reeling off consecutive wins in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) and Breeders’ Futurity (G1) prior to the Breeders’ Cup.

An earner of over $1.5 million, Forte currently leads the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 40 points. Instant Coffee , a late-running winner of Saturday's Lecomte Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, holds the second slot with 32 points.

“We’ve got the Fountain of Youth penciled in as our target and, so far, it’s gone according to plan,” Pletcher said. “We’ve still got a ways to go.”