$400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes, March 4, 2023 (50 qualifying points for first, 20 for second, 15 for third, 10 for fourth, and 5 for fifth)  Winner: Forte, by Violence Trainer: Todd Pletcher Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr Owner: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable Distance / time: 1 1/16 miles / 1:43.12 Win margin: 4 1/2 lengths Beyer: 98  You never know how a talented 2-year-old is going to winter and come back at age 3. Take BLAZING SEVENS, a Grade 1 winner last year who ran a slyly strong fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to cap his 2022 campaign. He showed nothing at any point in the Fountain of Youth.   On the other side of the coin, this race marked a beautiful sophomore debut for 2-year-old champion FORTE. The colt looked every bit as good in his first start at 3 as in any of his 2-year-old races. He got a win and obviously had to run a bit, but this, in the end, was a relatively easy race, an ideal comeback to start building a foundation toward the Triple Crown.  Forte broke slightly inward from post 4 to lightly bump SHADOW DRAGON and was subtly encouraged by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to maintain his position inside and just behind the leaders going into the first turn. Then Ortiz got quiet, and Forte switched off right with his rider. As much as anything, the way Forte traveled after the first furlong and to the quarter pole validated this colt as special. Racing for the first time in four months, and still a young horse, Forte had every right, being a Thoroughbred, to be eager to really run. Instead, he melted into Ortiz’s hands, going along in the bridle but totally relaxed behind four horses while kept about four paths from the fence.   :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2023: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Ortiz chose to follow ROCKET CAN going about three wide around the turn, seeing if a hole opened between rivals, but he wisely gave up on that chance past the quarter pole, steering right to go outside pacesetting CYCLONE MISCHIEF, Rocket Can, and MAGE. Ortiz threw the reins at Forte a few times, flagged him with the crop, and despite cornering widest among the lead quartet, Forte had got nearly onto even terms with leading Cyclone Mischief straightening for home at the three-sixteenths marker. Quickly opening daylight while Ortiz showed him a right-handed stick, Forte drifted in a couple paths, then ran straight through the last furlong as the jockey shut him down 60 yards before the wire. Even so, Forte galloped out solidly, well in front, and came back to get his picture taken still looking fresh enough.  Forte’s final 2 1/2-furlong split of 30.92 was 1.11 seconds faster than Rocket Can’s second-best finishing fraction, and the acceleration the winner showed in upper stretch was impressive. Forte looks like he’ll stay 1 1/8 miles, if not beyond, but that would make him an outlier among the best horses by his sire, Violence. The three to earn a Beyer of 100 or higher besides Forte – Volatile, Dr. Schivel, and No Parole – were sprinters, and the average distance of Violence’s winners is a sprint-leaning 6.65 furlongs. Nonetheless, we must treat horses as individuals rather than assemblages of genetic information, and Forte already is on the verge of outrunning his pedigree.  Rocket Can, coming off a win in the Holy Bull, broke alertly from post 8, drifted in front of Mage before the bend, was forced four paths off the fence around the first turn by a somewhat rank LEGACY ISLE, and got into a backstretch rhythm going along strongly between Mage and DANGEROUS RIDE. Inheriting second as Dangerous Ride dropped out of it around the far turn, Rocket Can raced in hand while sticking right behind Cyclone Mischief before being put to pressure at the quarter pole. He didn’t come close to matching Forte’s turn of foot but stayed on decently to best Cyclone Mischief for second while boosting his 82 Beyer from the Holy Bull up to a 91. He’s improving, but remains a grinder.  Cyclone Mischief broke sharply from post 9 and was ridden to clear the inside horses and make the front, which he did, fending off the outside speed of Dangerous Ride to lead clear into the backstretch. Kept a couple paths off the fence down the back straight, Cyclone Mischief went along kindly enough, fought back when challenged by Rocket Can, and hung around gamely after setting a solid pace. He was nowhere close to Forte’s class, but this was a step back toward his sharp January allowance-race win at Gulfstream and massive improvement upon a disappointing seventh in the Holy Bull.  Mage, starting here after a debut sprint win, has a long way to go to threaten the likes of Forte, but besides the winner, he ran the most encouraging race among Fountain of Youth starters. Mage’s left flank bonked the starting gate as he broke, which put him in a tough spot behind Rocket Can, who crossed over while not clear of Mage, forcing Mage’s rider to steady as Mage bumped Blazing Sevens. Mage rapidly caught the lead pack into the first turn but wound up five wide around the entire bend, continuing on the outside while tracking the leader down the backstretch. The second turn resulted in another three- to four-wide passage and, after sticking within a half-length of the lead at the quarter pole, Mage had little left for the stretch drive while finishing more than seven lengths clear of fourth and 2 1/4 lengths out of second. He ran farther than anyone else and was easily the least-experienced horse in the Fountain of Youth; that makes Mage promising enough, but also makes one wonder if this demanding race could set him back.  That’s it for competitive performances.   Shadow Dragon broke fine but was squeezed back to last by IL MIRACOLO and Forte. He came under heavy pressure at the head of the far turn but could only pass some very tired horses to finish fifth, about 10 lengths behind his Bill Mott-trained stablemate Rocket Can, who had beaten him less than a length in the Holy Bull.  Il Miracolo lacked early speed and couldn’t get into any kind of position even when asked for more run by his rider turning onto the backstretch. He went evenly to the wire and never played a part at 103-1.  Dangerous Ride’s early and middle efforts caused him to tire badly past the three-furlong marker.   Don’t know what to make of Blazing Sevens, one of the top 2-year-olds of 2022. He took moderate bumps from both sides at the start but came up flat the entire trip, never coming close to making a run.   Legacy Isle’s minor early trouble can’t come close to accounting for his last-place finish.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.