Fort Marcy next for Force the Pass

Force the Pass came out of his third-place finish in the Grade 3 Appleton at Gulfstream Park in good shape and will now be pointed to the Grade 3 Fort Marcy on Kentucky Derby Day at Belmont Park, according to Alan Goldberg, who trains the 4-year-old son of Speightstown for the Colts Neck Stable of Richard Santulli. Force the Pass was making his first start in almost seven months in the Appleton.

“He’s doing fine,” Goldberg said.

Force the Pass tracked the pace in the one-mile turf race, took the lead entering the far turn, but was caught late by Reporting Star and Divisidero. He was beaten a half-length and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 100.

Last year at 3, Force the Pass scored back-to-back wins in the Grade 3, $500,000 Penn Mile and the Grade 1, $1.25 million Belmont Derby.

The Fort Marcy is a 1 1/8-mile turf race with a purse of $150,000.