Forza Di Oro takes big step forward with Discovery win

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - As he tried to prepare Forza Di Oro for a 2020 campaign, trainer Bill Mott said he kept finding himself taking “two steps forward, one step back.”

Since getting back to the races in October, Forza Di Oro has taken two massive steps forward. After overcoming a slow start to win an allowance race at Belmont Park on Oct. 9, Forza Di Oro showed improvement off that effort with an authoritative 3 3/4-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Discovery Stakes at Aqueduct.

Pacesetting Monday Morning Qb, the 9-5 favorite, finished second by 1 1/2 lengths over Shared Sense. Attachment Rate and Ralston completed the order of finish.

Forza Di Oro was ridden to victory by Junior Alvarado, who won his third stakes race in two days at Aqueduct.

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Forza Di Oro, a son of Speightster owned and bred by the Don Alberto Stable, was highly regarded as a 2-year-old. He finished eighth in the Grade 2 Remsen here last December, but came out of the race with a hind ankle injury that required time off to heal.

Mott seemingly had Forza Di Oro ready to run this summer at Saratoga before another minor setback.

Mott got the horse ready for a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Belmont which he got up to win by a neck over Adare after breaking last.

On Saturday, Forza Di Oro broke better, and was within 2 1/2 lengths off the pace while racing inside of Attachment Rate. Monday Morning Qb set fractions of 23.43 seconds and 47.53 with longshot Ralston sitting just off his flank.

Forza Di Oro was fourth around the turn as Attachment Rate attempted to go three-wide. Morning Morning Qb spurted clear turning for home and Alvarado was able to find room to get Forza Di Oro running at the three-sixteenths pole.

Forza Di Oro collared Monday Morning Qb and, after switching leads, he drew clear.

Forza Di Oro covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.03 and returned $8.30 as the fourth choice in the field of five.

“I was just being a passenger the whole way around, he was just waiting for me to give him the green light to go,” Alvarado said. “First time for him being on the inside and he hesitated a little bit, then after a few jumps he knew what to do and he went after the other horse and went by.”

Alvarado said that Forza Di Oro was a little bit late switching to his correct lead.

“The only thing that we want to try and work with him on is to get him to switch leads [earlier] because I know when he switches leads like he did today he gives you the next gear,” Alvarado said. "Hopefully, we can still try to keep working with him, but a very talented horse.”

Since he’s only had two starts this year, Forza Di Oro is a relatively fresh horse. Mott said Forza Di Oro would likely ship to South Florida in a week or so and would be considered for the $3 million Pegasus Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 23.

Butch Reid, the trainer of Monday Morning Qb, said his horse “makes it hard on himself” by breaking poorly and switching leads late.

“But the winner was very impressive,” Reid said. “Good race.”