Champion Forte Works Toward Start in Jim Dandy

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher had to call an audible July 14 but Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Belmont Stakes (G1) runner-up Forte  was still able to get his work done.

The Florida Derby (G1) winner and subsequent Kentucky Derby favorite before scratching the morning of the race, Forte worked a half mile in 48.90 seconds on the Oklahoma Training Track at 9:30 a.m. Originally, the work was scheduled for the main track at Saratoga Race Course, which was sealed after heavy rains July 13.

Pletcher decided to move the work for the champion 2-year-old male of 2022 to the harrowed training track. This was the first time the colt had ever worked on the Oklahoma. As a juvenile, all six of his Saratoga works came on the main track.

"He is a pretty straightforward horse," Pletcher said outside his barn on the Oklahoma after the work. "He does what you ask him to do."

With jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., his regular rider, in the irons, Forte worked in company with 4-year-old Gran Sonata, a graded stakes winner on the grass. He was ridden by Humberto Zamora.

"I let him see the company and he went after it," Ortiz said. "He sees a horse in front of him, he goes for him."

"(Forte) usually sits a little bit off to have a target to keep him focused," Pletcher said. "Obviously, he is a pretty fit horse after he just ran a mile and a half (in the Belmont). We don't think we need to do a lot with him leading up to this race."

This race is the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga July 29. Pletcher said it was a tough call when he met with Forte's ownership when deciding when and where Forte would run. The other option was the $1 million Haskell Stakes (G1) July 22 at Monmouth Park.

"We kicked it around quite a bit," Pletcher said. "We gave him an extra week after the Belmont because he ran a hard race off a 10-week layoff. We shipped here one time instead of shipping to Monmouth and then back here."

The big summer goal for Forte is the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) Aug. 26 at Saratoga.

Pletcher could have a Haskell runner in Tapit Trice , who was third in the Belmont. He is owned by Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable and is scheduled to work at Belmont Park July 15. The plan now is to keep Forte and Tapit Trice separated. 

"I had that conversation with the ownership of Tapit Trice," Pletcher said. "They would like to not run against Forte."

At least for now.