Takeaways from 2023 Fountain of Youth

Mar 07, 2023 James Scully/TwinSpires.com

Champion juvenile male Forte
opened his three-year-old campaign with a convincing win in the March 4 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park, a Road to
the Kentucky Derby series qualifier offering points on 50-20-15-10-5 scale.

1. Impressive
comeback

Everything went according to plan for Forte, who returned
from a five-month layoff with a 4 1/2-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth, and the victory came back
fast.

Forte earned a career-best 103 Brisnet Speed rating, the top
figure from 16 qualifiers in 2023. San Felipe (G2) winner Practical Move (102)
is the only other active runner to post a triple-digit number.

Last seen winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland in
early November, Forte stretched his win streak to four. The stalker raced
within striking range before making his move off the far turn, quickly striking
the front and drawing clear.

Repole Stable (Mike Repole) and St. Elias Stable (Vincent
Viola) campaign the once-beaten son of Violence, and Irad Ortiz Jr. has been up
for all six starts.

“We kind of carefully laid it out and put him in a program
that would put him in the condition to be ready to run and still having room
for improvement and room to continue to develop. I think we were able to
accomplish that,” Pletcher said.

2. Florida
Derby final prep

Pletcher indicated the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream on April 1 will
be next. Forte won a pair of Grade 1 races at Keeneland last fall, and the $1
million Blue Grass (G1) on April 8 will serve as a backup plan, but connections prefer
the timing of the Florida Derby (five weeks out from Kentucky Derby).

Forte left the Fountain of Youth starting gate as the 1-2
favorite, and he’ll be odds-on again in the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby, a major
qualifier awarding 100 points to the winner. Forte presently leads the Kentucky
Derby leaderboard with 90 points.

The individual favorite in the last three Kentucky Derby
Future Wager pools, Forte will be a short price at Churchill Downs with another
strong showing in his final prep race. Pletcher leads all trainers with 62
Kentucky Derby starts, but the two-time winner has only saddled one favorite, Always
Dreaming, who yielded the third-highest winning mutuel for a favorite ($11.40) when
wearing the roses in 2017.

3. Solid
runner-up effort

Rocket Can proved
no match for Forte, but he continued to build upon his victory in the Feb. 4
Holy Bull (G3). Bettors overlooked the gray colt as the 6.70-1 fourth choice
following a low-rated performance (93 Speed rating), but Rocket Can displayed
good tactical speed (105 Brisnet E2 Pace rating) prompting a legitimate pace in
second and offered a nice run to overtake the pacesetter.

He netted a respectable 98 Speed rating finishing a clear
second, continuing to make fine progress for Bill Mott, and Rocket Can is by Into Mischief, who has sired a pair of
Kentucky Derby winners.