After watching his two horses pull through a disadvantageous inside post in the Kentucky Derby (G1) the past two years, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher expressed relief that Forte secure 15th place for the $3 million race on May 6 at Churchill Downs after the posting positions were drawn on May 1.
Although post 15 leaves Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Forte in the starting position — a position where he may need to try to avoid losing points for about two turns in the 1 1/4 mile contest — the middle or outer post in the Kentucky Derby is considered desirable.
Forte was the morning favorite with a 3-1 scoreline in the 149th Kentucky Derby, against 19 other 3-year-olds in the first leg of the Triple Crown. He is the most successful horse to run in the Kentucky Derby since the championship Nyquist brought an undefeated record into the 2016 race and prevailed.
Three substitute horses in the prestigious race, known as “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports”, needed scratches to get into the field.
With such a large field—most bet races have a 14-starter limit—there is often a competition for places due to the pitch being compressed into the inside of the track, which can lead to the Horses not in the lead group are shuffled back.
Forte, a 2-year-old male, won the Eclipse Award last year and 2-vs-2 this year with victories in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and the Florida Derby (G1), usually mid- or late-race races.
Irad Ortiz Jr., a six-time rider in the previous Derby and a participant in the last two Pletcher train starts—Known Agenda (ninth in 2021) and Mo Donegal (Thursday in 2022) —rides.
Pletcher’s two other starters in Saturday’s race, winners Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable’s Blue Grass Stakes (G1) Tapit Trice and winner of the Louisiana Derby (G2) of Spendthrift Farm Kingsbarns also avoid extreme inside hands, guaranteeing hands 5 and 6 respectively. The horses from card 5 have won 10 Kentucky Derby runs, almost every hand. Always Dreaming is the most recent winner from that position in 2017.
“We’re just trying to avoid a really bad post by one or 20 or something like that, it’s pretty straightforward and hoping to win some tactical slots on the first turn and maybe save a bit of land and go on from there,” Pletcher said.
Pletcher looks for a third Derby win, which he won in 2010 with Super savings and seven years later with Always Dreaming. He started 62 horses in the legendary race, the most by any trainer. If his trio all compete, it will be his 12th time running three or more horses in a given Derby year. He had hoped to run the Spendthrift farm. Major in Saturday’s race, but opted to put him in the $500,000 American Turf Stakes (G2T) on the Kentucky Derby add-on card when it appeared the horse would also qualify for the Derby.
Pletcher calls this year’s lineup the strongest he’s ever run from a odds perspective. Tapit Trice was the second pick 5-1 in the morning line and Kingsbarns was the fifth bronze pick at 12-1.
Repole Stable’s Mike Repole, who co-owns last year’s Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Mo Donegal, added of Forte’s draw, “Honestly, we want anything from 4 to 4 16, just put us in the middle of the group where we have no excuses.”
Others don’t seem so lucky. Two of coach Brad Cox’s runners drew the innermost columns, with Gary and Mary West’s impressions railway landing and Coolmore-branch Verification in progress lesson 2. His other two athletes, Jace’s Road And angel of the empire , drew posts 12 and 14, respectively. Operation Stabilize the Albaugh Angel of Empire Family and co-own Jace’s Road with Purebred West Point.
Since 1986’s Ferdinand, not a single horse has won the full-back position. The only horse to have won 1-3 stakes since then has been Real Quiet, the 1998 Derby winner who broke the 3-pin. Since 1987, the odds of winning on pile 1, 2 or 3 have been just 0. ,95% (1 to 1). 105).
Winner Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) Two Phil Trained by Larry Rivelli for Patricia’s Hope, Phillip Sagan, and Madaket Stables and ridden by Jareth Loveberry, starting at Lesson 3.
Loveberry was part of the jockey team for the first time at the Derby. Hall of Famer John Velazquez, three-time Derby winner is on board regeneration (post 7), is the most experienced rider in the Derby with 24 previous rides.
Rivelli said he initially wanted to be outside with Two Phil’s.
“But the way the race goes, I think column 3 will be perfect for him. I think column 6 (Kingsbarns) and column 2 (Verifying) have pace and we’ll sit right behind,” he said of his son. his horse, who often stalks speed.
Two horses trained by Japan in the body of the field, sotogake skin And continue were among the outsiders in cards 17 and 20. Individuals seated at Continuar’s reserved table at the following draw grimaced when his name was announced in the outermost card.
149th Kentucky Derby Draw
Another Japanese horse, Mandarin hero is the second also qualified. naughty whirlwind be the first to also qualify for the race with a scratch. King Russell is the third to also qualify and least likely to qualify for the Derby.
The position of the pole can change due to scratches, often resulting in the outside horse moving closer to the inside.
Throughout 2019, Churchill Downs used two starting gates — a standard gate for 14 horses and a side gate for the rest of the runners — with a small gap in front of the two gates. Then in 2020, Churchill Downs introduces a 20-horse continuous starting gate. Not as wide as the two front gates positioned together, the gate is continuously positioned on the track so as not to leave cracks on the inside when near the interior rails.
“Well, I’m glad we have a new starting gate,” Cox said. “I don’t think it affects (inside) much. But the inside is not where you want, you’d rather be somewhere in the middle. But overall these horses are doing well. They’ll have to do the work. rides. It’s up to the jockeys to make the big trips and see what happens.”
Cox calls the posting position “the bottom line is overrated. People will argue with me about that but it’s about hitting the ride. What’s more important is breaking well and gaining position. Good.”
Tyler Gaffalione on Verification can choose to use a lot of his mount’s initial speed to secure a spot from 2nd. Verification pressed speed in Blue Grass before being overtaken by Tapit Trice.
The latter has a history of breaking slowly and doesn’t like getting rocks in the face when riding—perhaps putting him in a challenging position with 3/4 of the field outside of him.
The three are also eligible to need to withdraw from the race before the start time at 9 a.m. ET on Kentucky Oaks Day, May 5.
Last year, a scratch allowed rich attack to race in the morning before the Derby. The pony is ignored, breaks the ball from the outside post in the 20th court, disappoints the 80-1 Derby, runs down in favor epicenter in the closed yard.
