Forte jockey, trainer, owners: Everything you need to know about Kentucky Derby 2023 horse
Forte is one of 20 horses expected to enter the 2023 Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs.
Spots for the Kentucky Derby are earned by gaining points through a series of prep races that began last September.
The post-position draw for the Kentucky Derby is set for Monday, May 1. Post time for the Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, May 6.
Forte will enter the Kentucky Derby off a victory in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on April 1. He currently ranks first on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard with 190.
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Forte
Color: Dark bay/brown
Bred in: Kentucky
Sire: Violence
Dam: Queen Caroline, by Blame
Price tag: $110,000 at 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale
Owners: Repole Stable (Mike Repole), St. Elias Stable (Vincent Viola). Repole is 0 for 7 in the Derby, his best finish coming last year with Mo Donegal (fifth). Viola is 1 for 4 in the Derby and was a co-owner of 2017 winner Always Dreaming.
Trainer: Todd Pletcher, 2 for 62 in Derby. Won with Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017.
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr., 0 for 6 in Derby. Best finish was fourth with Improbable in 2019.
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Record: 6-0-0 in seven starts
Career earnings: $2,409,830
Road to the Kentucky Derby points: 190 (No. 1)
Last race: Won Grade 1 Florida Derby by one length over Mage on April 1 at Gulfstream
Running style: Mid-pack/closer
Notes: With a five-race winning streak, Forte is the likely Kentucky Derby favorite. He will look to become just the third Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner to go on to win the Kentucky Derby. Street Sense (2006-07) and Nyquist (2015-16) accomplished the feat. … Pletcher’s 62 starters are the most of any trainer in Derby history. He made his first trip in 2000. … The only blemish on Forte’s resume is a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Sanford last July at Saratoga.
What they’re saying: “I think the one thing we learned in the Florida Derby is that he handled the race really well,” Pletcher said. “The best part of the race for him was the last sixteenth of a mile, which gives you confidence that the added distance (of the Kentucky Derby) won’t be an issue. He seems to have taken it well. He was on his toes after the race, which he normally is.”
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @KentuckyDerbyCJ.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby 2023 horse Forte: Trainer, owners, jockey, record, more
