Pletcher Trainees Sharp in Kentucky Derby Breezes

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Pletcher Trainees Sharp in Kentucky Derby Breezes
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Expected Kentucky Derby favorite Forte rates just off workmate Bright Future in a half-mile breeze at Churchill Downs

A successful lead-up to the Kentucky Derby (G1) for trainer Todd Pletcher—in which the Hall of Famer won five qualifying prep races in March and April with his 3-year-old racehorses—appears to be going just as auspiciously with their training preparation.

On April 29 at Churchill Downs, Pletcher watched as his four potential Derby starters posted their final workouts, all in company with other horses, for the 1 1/4-mile classic May 6.

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte  went an easy half-mile in :49 4/5; Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's Tapit Trice  covered the same distance in :48 1/5; and Kingsbarns  and Major Dude , both owned by Spendthrift Farm, also traveled a half-mile in :48 2/5.

Kingsbarns and Major Dude worked in tandem, while Forte and Tapit Trice breezed with stablemates not pointed to the Kentucky Derby, Bright Future  and Equivoque , respectively.

"Good, solid works last week. So we wanted to do a little bit less today but still do enough to get a little something out of it," Pletcher told a cluster of reporters after the breezes. "I think we were able to accomplish that with all four of them."

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Forte and Tapit Trice are expected to be two of the favorites for the Run for the Roses, perhaps the first- and second-choices in the wagering, with the unbeaten Kingsbarns also likely to draw mutuel support. Oddsmakers anticipate odds of around 12-1 on him in the capacity 20-horse field.

Forte is the 2-year-old champion male of last year and is 2-for-2 at age 3, having won the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and Florida Derby (G1); Tapit Trice won the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and Blue Grass Stakes (G1) this year; and Kingsbarns improved to 3-for-3 in taking the Louisiana Derby (G2) last month. The Florida Derby, Blue Grass, and Louisiana Derby were all $1 million races.

Major Dude, currently 22nd on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard based on qualifying points and earnings, will be a longshot if he even gains entry before post positions are drawn May 1.

"I thought Major Dude worked super this morning. I'd love to see him get in, but I'll talk to the Spendthrift guys," Pletcher said. "I think if it comes down to entry day and we will not be in the body of the field, then we'll enter in the American Turf (G2T)."

The American Turf is a $500,000 race on the Kentucky Derby undercard at 1 1/16 miles on grass, the surface on which Major Dude has scored his two graded stakes wins. Major Dude, a son of Bolt d'Oro  , was second behind Two Phil's  in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on a synthetic track at Turfway Park in his most recent start.

Jockey Jose Ortiz worked Kingsbarns Saturday.

Asked if he has the Derby mount, Pletcher replied, "I'll confirm it with the Spendthrift guys, but I thought they got along really well this morning."

Kingsbarns - Major Dude  - Work - CD - 042923
Photo: Mathea Kelley
Kingsbarns and Major Dude work at Churchill Downs

Flavien Prat rode Kingsbarns, a colt by Uncle Mo  , to victory in the Louisiana Derby but elected to ride Albaugh Family Stables' Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Angel of Empire  in the Kentucky Derby for trainer Brad Cox.

Irad Ortiz Jr., who breezed Forte, rides the Violence   colt in the Kentucky Derby.

Luis Saez is the Kentucky Derby rider for Tapit Trice, though the jockey did not work the gray or roan Tapit   colt Saturday. Exercise rider Amelia Green, who regularly breezes many of Pletcher's top runners, was up for Tapit Trice's half-mile workout.

Following the workouts, Pletcher commented about how smoothly racing and training have gone for his prospects this year, mentioning Forte specifically, dating back to his win in the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland. He quipped that he was reluctant to say that a week before the race, seemingly wanting to cross his fingers.

"We've literally never had to adjust anything that we mapped out for, back to the Breeders' Cup," he said.

Pletcher's 62 Derby starters are the most of any trainer in the race's storied history. Should all go well, this will mark the 12th time he has run three or more horses in the first leg of the Triple Crown. This may be his deepest hand.

"I don't think we've brought three colts with the credentials these three have," he said of Forte, Tapit Trice, and Kingsbarns.

Pletcher is a two-time Derby winner, having won it with Super Saver   in 2010 and Always Dreaming   in 2017.