Forte Favored at 4-5 Odds in 12-Horse Florida Derby

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Florida Derby (G1) a record six times, a mark likely to expand to seven if Forte  runs as anticipated in the $1 million race April 1 at Gulfstream Park.

Last year's champion 2-year-old male and a clear-cut early favorite for the Kentucky Derby (G1) after a stylish win in the March 4 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream, Forte is the 4-5 morning-line choice in the Florida Derby against 11 rivals going 1 1/8 miles.

The Florida Derby has been the most productive prep in Kentucky Derby history, producing 24 winners of the Run for the Roses, and offers qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby on a 100-40-30-20-10 scale to its top-five finishers.

Not that Forte needs any of those. He already has 90 qualifying points toward the Derby, making it easy enough to secure entry. Churchill Downs officials use qualifying points as a preference system when the Derby overfills beyond its 20-horse maximum field size.

Pletcher, who stables his best horses in South Florida during the winter and early spring, has Forte on a similar path as his 2017 Kentucky Derby winner, Always Dreaming  . That colt took the Florida Derby on his way to Kentucky Derby success, while Pletcher's initial Derby winner in 2010, Super Saver  , prepped with a third in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and a second in the Arkansas Derby (G1).

"We love the positioning of the Florida Derby five weeks out. We're happy about that. It gives us a little more time to stay in Florida before we ship north and hopefully have a couple more weeks of good weather before we need to move up," Pletcher said. "The Florida Derby on its own is a very important race. Historically, it's been a stallion-making race and an important grade 1 on any horse's resume."

Irad Ortiz Jr., who piloted Known Agenda   to victory in the 2021 race, when Pletcher last won the Florida Derby, returns in the irons aboard Forte. He has been aboard Forte in all six of his starts, five of which resulted in triumphs in a maiden race, the Hopeful Stakes (G1), the Breeders' Futurity (G1), Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), and Fountain of Youth.

In capturing the latter race, he enjoyed a smooth trip, rating a couple of lengths off the early pace in fifth before launching a wide bid on the second turn and overpowering the opposition. The Violence   colt hit the finish line 4 1/2 lengths in front of Holy Bull Stakes (G3) winner Rocket Can , doing so with plenty in reserve.

Pletcher said, "As impressively as he's won a couple of these races, he's kind of come to the wire with his ears up taking everything in. Obviously, as these races get a little more difficult, he'll need to stay focused."

Forte breaks from post 11 in the Florida Derby, leaving the potential for a wide trip.

Rocket Can does not return in the Florida Derby, with trainer Bill Mott pointing him for the April 1 Arkansas Derby (G1), but three other participants from the Fountain of Youth—Cyclone Mischief , Mage , and Il Miracolo —are back for another crack at Forte. 

Should the full lineup of 12 remain intact, the Florida Derby could be the largest since Big Brown   beat 11 rivals in 2008.

Cyclone Mischief, owned by Albaugh Family Stables and Castleton Lyons and trained by Dale Romans, set the pace in the Fountain of Youth, holding the lead until midstretch, before weakening in the final furlong. He finished third, a length in front of a wide-racing Mage in fourth. A winner of two of six starts, Cyclone Mischief, an Into Mischief   colt, rebounded from a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Holy Bull after a quick allowance optional claiming triumph at Gulfstream in his first start at age 3.

The inexperienced Mage, a son of Good Magic  , ran competitively with the leap into graded stakes company after a debut maiden victory, despite an awkward break and wide trip. He races for OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing, and CMNWLTH, and is trained by Gustavo Delgado.

Invading from the West Coast to race is Fort Bragg , whose connections decided to withdraw him from the March 26 Sunland Derby (G3) in favor of the Florida Derby. The son of Tapit   is coming off a fifth-place finish in the March 4 San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park in his 3-year-old debut. 

Also off the board in his first start of the year was Dubyuhnell , who ran eighth in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs this winter. Last fall, he wrapped up his 2-year-old season with a win in the Remsen Stakes (G2) in New York.

Fort Bragg and Dubyuhnell are the second and third choices on the morning line at odds of 5-1 and 6-1, respectively.

Entries: Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, April 01, 2023, Race 14

• Grade I
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo
• 6:40 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Jungfrau (KY)	Paco Lopez	122	William I. Mott	20/1
2	2West Coast Cowboy (KY)	Sonny Leon	122	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	20/1
3	3Shaq Diesel (FL)	Miguel Angel Vasquez	122	Renaldo Richards	30/1
4	4Mage (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Gustavo Delgado	10/1
5	5Mr. Peeks (KY)	Edwin Gonzalez	122	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	30/1
6	6Nautical Star (OK)	Leonel Reyes	122	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	30/1
7	7Il Miracolo (KY)	Jesus M. Rios	122	Antonio Sano	30/1
8	8Mr. Ripple (KY)	Edgard J. Zayas	122	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	30/1
9	9Cyclone Mischief (KY)	Javier Castellano	122	Dale L. Romans	8/1
10	10Fort Bragg (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	Tim Yakteen	5/1
11	11Forte (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Todd A. Pletcher	4/5
12	12Dubyuhnell (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Danny Gargan	6/1