Kentucky Derby result caps day of frustration for Pletcher
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Todd Pletcher sat quietly in his office back in his barn just minutes after the conclusion of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, watching the replay of the race several times and assessing the performances of his two starters, Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns, who finished, seventh and 14th. Tapit Trice raced at the rear of the field for nearly the opening six furlongs, while Kingsbarns shortened stride down the stretch after prompting the lively pace for more than a mile.
But it was the horse that wasn’t on that screen, the horse Pletcher would never see no matter how many times he watched the Derby replay, reigning 2-year-old champion and likely favorite Forte, who still weighed on his mind some 10 hours after he was scratched by the vet. Nick Smith, the chief examining veterinarian for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, ordered him scratched from the race earlier that morning because of a bruise to his right front foot.
For Pletcher the results of the 2023 Kentucky Derby was almost anticlimactic at that point, although the final outcome, with Mage rallying to victory, only added to the day’s frustration. Forte had defeated Mage in both previous meetings earlier this winter at Gulfstream Park, by 6 3/4 lengths in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and a length despite an eventful trip four weeks later in the Grade 1 Florida Derby.
“Obviously it’s been a stressful day,” Pletcher said. “Any time you lose the likely favorite and a horse who just beat the winner, it’s frustrating. Look, it was bad no matter who won it at that point.”
Ironically, Pletcher had used the word “perfect” seemingly dozens of times when it came to describing the manner in which Forte had progressed and his training regimen had unfolded since he began plotting the colt’s route to the Derby back in January. Every step along that path was going exactly as planned, including his victories in the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby, which stretched Forte’s winning streak to five coming into the Derby.
That good fortune ended suddenly at the worst possible time, when Pletcher discovered Forte had suffered a foot bruise earlier in the week that ultimately led to the stunning announcement on Saturday morning that the Derby favorite would not run.
“It’s frustrating to have had everything go so well and then have this happen when it did,” Pletcher said. “But it’s the nature of the business. I feel bad for everybody. Thankfully he’s okay. We’re going to regroup, see how he does the next few days and then come up with a game plan. The Preakness is still in play, but obviously everything has to go perfect.”
Pletcher declined to comment when asked his opinion of the veterinarian’s decision to scratch Forte. But he did acknowledge that the rash of fatalities at Churchill Downs since the meet opened one week earlier may have been a factor.
“It’s a difficult environment,” Pletcher said. “Unfortunately there have been a rash of horses getting injured here. They had two more today. I think there was heightened sensitivity to all of that, and it could have contributed to the decision this morning.”
Even without his big horse, Pletcher still had two leading contenders in the Derby, led by Tapit Trice, the Blue Grass winner, who went postward the 9-2 second choice in the wagering behind 4-1 favorite Angel of Empire. But Tapit Trice never factored after dropping back to last shortly after the start.
“I can’t say I was shocked he was back there because it’s been his style pretty much every time,” Pletcher said after watching the replay one last time. “We made a little progress with him getting a forward position at Keeneland, but drawing somewhat inside kind of made it a little hard for him to advance. I thought he might give a little better kick when [jockey Luis Saez] fanned him out, but he was kind of steady down the lane. As for Kingsbarns, the pace was just too fast.”
If there was any consolation to the day for Pletcher, it was winning the $1 million Turf Classic with Up to the Mark, who is owned by Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola’s St. Elias Stable, the same partnership that campaigns Forte.
“To win that race with that horse was great,” said Pletcher. “But I can’t really say it took the sting out of losing the Derby favorite.”
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