'Complacent' Forte to try blinkers in Dandy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Trainer Todd Pletcher believes Forte, his 2-year-old champion from a year ago, has become complacent.

In an effort to combat that, Pletcher will equip the multiple Grade 1 winner with blinkers when he runs in next Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga.

Forte wore blinkers on Saturday morning when he put in his last workout for the Jim Dandy, going a half-mile in 50.09 seconds over Saratoga’s main track. Working outside of the graded turf stakes winner Emmanuel, Forte, under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., went in splits of 12.56 seconds and 24.66 for the opening quarter-mile. Kept a path or two away from Emmanuel, Forte got his last quarter in 25.43 seconds but did gallop-out clear of Emmanuel through five furlongs in 1:02.78 and six furlongs in 1:15.31.

Forte started out about a length in front and, after breezing on even terms most of the way, finished about a length in front at the wire.

“You could see going to the pole he was locked in, he was a little more aggressive going to the pole, then he settled into a really good rhythm,” Pletcher said. “Irad said during the gallop out when he asked him he responded right away and didn’t seem to care what his workmate was doing as much.”

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Last week, after Forte was outworked on the gallop out by Grand Sonata, Pletcher and Ortiz had a conversation about trying blinkers on Forte. Pletcher said Forte galloped in blinkers one day this week before Saturday’s breeze.

Pletcher believes Forte “lost concentration” on the far turn of the April 1 Florida Derby but proved good enough to overcome it in defeating Mage by one length.

After missing the Kentucky Derby due to a bruised foot, Forte went into the Belmont Stakes off a 10-week layoff and again appeared to lose focus at a crucial stage of the race before re-rallying to get second narrowly over stablemate Tapit Trice.

“He’s always been a very intelligent colt,” Pletcher said. “I think he’s gotten a little more complacent, everything comes so easily to him; he’s maybe getting a little wise to it. Need him to get a little more focused.”

Only four horses are expected to be in the Jim Dandy when entries are drawn Wednesday. Two of those horses are Angel of Empire and Hit Show, who dead-heated for fourth in the Belmont Stakes after running third, and fifth, respectively, in the Kentucky Derby.

Shortly after 5:30 a.m. Saturday, Angel of Empire and Hit Show worked five furlongs together in 1:01.22 over the Oklahoma training track. From the half-mile pole to the wire, they went in splits of 23.97 seconds and 48.09 then proceeded to go another furlong past in 13.13 seconds.

Flavien Prat, Angel of Empire’s regular rider was aboard that horse while Luis Saez was on Hit Show. Trainer Brad Cox said Saez would ride Hit Show for the first time in the Jim Dandy.

Cox said this week’s breeze was similar to last week’s move when they went in company in 1:00.90.

“They breezed really good and galloped out well,” Cox said. Their two moves up here have been really, really good. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Disarm, winner of the Matt Winn Stakes at Ellis Park in his most recent start, is the other horse expected for the Jim Dandy. He will have one more breeze either Sunday or Monday.

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