Forte survives inquiry in Dandy, set for Travers run
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — It had been nearly four months since Forte last tasted victory in a horse race. The wait, for part-owner Mike Repole, was interminable.
Even after Forte, in the final strides, got his nose down on the wire over Saudi Crown in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at sloppy Saratoga, Repole, co-owner Vinnie Viola and trainer Todd Pletcher had to wait some more.
The stewards lit the inquiry sign, owing to some brushing between Forte, under Irad Ortiz Jr., and ultimate third-place finisher Angel of Empire, under Flavien Prat, in the stretch. After about a four-minute review, it was announced there would be no change to the order of finish.
Repole, sweat streaming down his face, embraced Pletcher and Ortiz.
“That whole race felt like the rollercoaster ride of the last four months,” Repole would say shortly after the winner’s circle celebration. “To get this horse back in the winner’s circle in the Jim Dandy here at Saratoga is very special man, very special.”
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The rollercoaster of the last four months has been well documented. After victories in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 1 Florida Derby - the latter on April 1 - Forte, last year’s 2-year-old champion, was going to be the favorite for the May 6 Kentucky Derby.
A bruised foot forced him to scratch and by scratching the morning of the race, Forte was put on a 14-day veterinarian’s list that made him ineligible to compete in the Preakness May 20.
Four days after the Derby, it was announced by the New York State Gaming Commission that Forte had tested positive for a banned substance when he won the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga last September. He was ordered disqualified, though the connections are contesting that ruling.
Forte ran in the Belmont Stakes off a 10-week layoff, finishing second behind Arcangelo.
Noting that Forte had shown a tendency to drop back on the far turn in his last two races, Pletcher equipped Forte with blinkers for the Jim Dandy.
In the Jim Dandy, run over a sloppy track, Forte stayed engaged throughout. He was third, racing inside of Angel of Empire, about 1 1/2 lengths behind the pace-setting Saudi Crown, who, under Florent Geroux, set fractions of 23.93 seconds for the quarter, 48.10 for the half-mile and 1:12.30 for six furlongs.
Approaching the top of the stretch, Ortiz was contemplating staying on the inside, thinking Saudi Crown might drift turning for home. But Saudi Crown made the turn well and stayed on the rail.
So, Ortiz came off the rail and tried to find room inside of Angel of Empire. The two bumped in upper stretch, then Saudi Crown began to drift out, forcing Forte to have come out and brush with Angel of Empire again.
Inside the eighth pole, Geroux was able to correct Saudi Crown and Ortiz got to straightening Forte, who responded to urging and just nipped Saudi Crown at the wire.
Saudi Crown finished second by a half-length over Angel of Empire. Disarm finished fourth, followed by Hit Show.
“If I stop riding, I clip his heels because he just keeps going out,” Ortiz said, referring to Saudi Crown. “It was not an easy situation. You don’t want to be in that spot to be honest. I have a horse outside, I know he’s there, at the same time I have a horse in front of me just getting out bad. You could see where we started and where we ended. [Geroux] corrected in the end but it was too late.”
Prat, who did not claim foul, said Angel of Empire “got bumped multiple times so then at one point my horse just gave up a little bit, that’s all.”
Responding to a request for comment, the stewards’ released the following statement through the NYRA press department. “Following a review of the entirety of the stretch run, the Board of Stewards determined that there was no action taken that would have altered the outcome of the race. As a result, no change was made to the order of finish.”
Pletcher, naturally, felt the actions of Saudi Crown, made for the incident in the stretch.
“Once [Forte] was able to get in the clear, the horse on the lead kept drifting out and out and out,” Pletcher said. “Irad thought that compromised him from moving forward sooner.”
Brad Cox, the trainer of both Saudi Crown and Angel of Empire, said he didn’t see a reason for there to be a disqualification and was proud of both of his horses - especially Saudi Crown - for their performances. Hit Show, he said, was compromised by a bad start.
“All three of them are good, but Saudi Crown’s got a tremendous amount of upside,” said Cox, who added Saudi Crown would likely make his next start in the Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 23 at Parx.
Forte, a son of Violence, won for the seventh time in nine starts. He covered the 1 1/8-miles in 1:49.61, returned $3.50 as the favorite, and earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure, along with Saudi Crown.
Forte, for certain, and Angel of Empire, quite likely, will show up in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 26.
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