Forte finds his form in the Fountain of Youth

(photo courtesy Gulfstream Park)

The most frequently asked questions this time of year normally revolve around the Kentucky Derby. Many a promising two-year-old has failed to mature into a good three-year-old as the first Saturday in May beckons. So, as these horses make their run at immortality, the pony preponderances are quite numerous. Perhaps the top contender for the blanket of roses stepped up in a big way recently. As the Juvenile male champion from 2022, Forte proved he is perhaps even better in his first start as a three-year-old. A dominant performance in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park on March 4 told us this Todd Pletcher-trained son of Violence is continuing to grow and get better. Five wins in six career starts and four consecutive Stakes victories tells us all we need to know right now. Likely to run next in the Florida Derby, Forte is on the fast track to being the morning line favorite in the world’s most famous race.