Florida Derby (Grade 1)

IT WAS all boxes ticked on the road to Kentucky for the champion juvenile Forte as he added the Grade 1 Florida Derby to his already impressive haul of Grade 1 victories.

Yet, despite his fairly comfortable length win, the imposing colt still left a few doubts in the minds of some seasoned onlookers.

The dark bay colt was winning his fifth straight race and sixth of seven overall and had to overcome an 11 of 12 stall.

He broke well but was quickly overtaken and dropped back to the second half of the field. Jockey cam footage showed Irad Ortiz’s goggles quickly being covered in kick-back. The colt settled ninth as Tim Yakteen’s Fort Bragg set fractions of 23.57secs, 46.71secs, and 1m 10.63secs for six furlongs.

It did look like Ortiz never panicked on Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s son of Violence and they came with a five-wide move leaving the far turn.

He still needed to catch Mage and Cyclone Mischief and his strong run in the final yards saw him catching and passing Mage in the last furlong, not appearing to be asked for everything, though the second had made a big move earlier.

Forte, the 1/5 favourite, won in 1m 48.51secs for the nine furlongs on a fast main track and gave jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. his sixth triumph on the afternoon. However, time analysts noted he has not yet run a fast speed figure in his two 2023 wins. How a faster pace in Kentucky would suit remains a question, if he has to thread through horses.

“I thought, in the end, it was spectacular,” trainer Todd Pletcher told reporters. “Worried when the draw came out and post 11. We know statistically, a really big disadvantage going a mile and an eighth here at Gulfstream.

“To me, what was the most impressive was the last 100 yards. He came by me at the eighth pole and he looked beaten.”

“He handled the stretch out to a mile and an eighth and actually probably ran a mile and three-sixteenths today. It gives you a lot of confidence going forward,” Pletcher added.

Good feeling

“Going to the quarter pole. He grabbed the bit and the outside horse moved and he gave me a good feeling and he’s ready to roll,” Ortiz said.

Orb, Nyquist, Always Dreaming and Maximum Security have added the Derby to a Gulfsteam success over the last decade. The Florida Derby has been the most productive trial for the Kentucky Derby producing 24 winners.

It was a big run on just his third outing for Mage with Luis Saez in second, two lengths ahead of Cyclone Mischief.

“Might have gotten tired but remember, it’s still his third race,” trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. was quoted by BloodHorse. “How many races did it take Forte to get to the level he is?” Both second and third are headed to Churchill.

Arkansas Derby (Grade 1)

IF Forte is to be sideswiped by a late comer to the Derby scene, perhaps it might be Angel Of Empire, impressive winner on Saturday of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.

The Classic Empire colt strengthens Brad Cox’s hand in what seems a two-trainer contest for the Run For The Roses 2023, with the final big trials tonight.

The winner’s sire won this in 2017 but American Pharoah is the last winner in 2015 to go on the Kentucky success.

The Albaugh Family Stables’ Angel Of Empire took charge at the top of the stretch and drew away to post a four and a quarter-length victory, looking like he will relish the Derby distance.

It may not have been the strongest field, King Russell at 58/1 took second ahead of the more fancied Reincarnate, but in moving from seventh and going clear in the stretch of the nine-furlong test, the colt looks well worth support in a wide open Derby, if Forte met with trouble.

Angel Of Empire, a cheap $70,000 purchase at Keeneland September 2021 and now with earnings of over $1 million, had already secured a spot in the Derby field by winning the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes in his last start and finishing second in the Smarty Jones Stakes to give him 54 points before Saturday.

Angel Of Empire was only the fourth favourite here.

“It was a big run,” Brad Cox told reporters. “We always saw him as a mile-and-a-quarter, mile-and-an-eighth horse, and now he’s won twice at a mile-and-an-eighth. His sire won this race and I think he’ll do better with more distance.”

Two Eagles River set the early fractions of 23.27secs,47.26secs and 1m12.24secs, while being pressed by second favourite Reincarnate.

Approaching the quarter pole, the Tim Yakteen-trained Reincarnate launched his bid, Angel Of Empire under Flavien Prat was seventh but swept past the field four-wide and powered to the lead, and stretched away while still looking a bit green. He covered the nine furlongs in 1m49.68secs in fast conditions.

“Brad did a great job of getting him ready and Flavien rode an unbelievable race. We thought there would be a little pace and he sat right off it perfectly and at the 3/8ths pole I thought we had the winner,” racing manager for Albaugh Family Stable, Jason Loutsch was quoted by BloodHorse.

“I can’t wait until the first Saturday in May. It’s going to be a long, five-week wait. I thought he dominated this race and we’re going to Kentucky with a lot of confidence,” he added.

King Russell rallied from ninth to take second by a half-length over Reincarnate. Reincarnate is 13th on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard.

Rocket Can, the favourite here, was a head back in fourth, but has enough points to run in the Derby.

ON the fillies’ side, Godolphin’s Wet Paint put the final gloss on her Kentucky Oaks bid when she completed a clean sweep of the Oaklawn trials, adding the Grade 3 $600,000 Fantasy Stakes to her wins in the January Martha Washington Stakes and a romp in the February Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes in typically determined style.

With the Brad Cox-trained Blame filly’s last two starts and wins coming over a wet track, the Fantasy saw her tested on faster conditions.

Flavien Prat bided his time with the filly to sit well off the pace in last to a half in 47.08secs.

Going five horses wide, she took the lead with ease at the three quarter pole and passed the finish two and a half lengths ahead in 1m44.08secs from 33/1 longshots Taxed while 50/1 Olivia Twist came in third.

“Flavien came back and said, ‘Wow, her turn of foot is really devastating.’ She’s kind of like a grass horse. When you ask her to go, she really, really accelerates,” Cox said.

At Gulfstream, the Oaks went to Graham Motion’s Arrogate filly Affirmative Lady by two lengths. Also on the Florida card, there was a tough win for the Moyglare Stud owned Amazing Grace who came through with a nice turn of foot to win the Grade 3 Orchid Stakes over a mile and a half for Christophe Clement.