Forte is one of the most highly-acclaimed horses in the 2023 Kentucky Derby field. This three-year-old colt is a product of the iconic trainer Todd Pletcher, who has two Kentucky Derby victories under his belt. Forte closed with 5-2 odds in Derby futures, the favorite in that pool offered by Churchill Downs. He also closed less than even money at some of his prep races, namely the Florida Derby at an astounding 1-5 odds.
Below, we’ll look at everything you need to know to bet Forte in the upcoming Kentucky Derby.
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Belmont Bet
Forte Kentucky Derby Profile
Record: 6-0-0 (7)
Owner: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher
Color: Dark Bay
Kentucky Derby points (standing): 190 (1st)
Running Style: Stalker
Last race: Won Florida Derby (G1)
Sire/Dam: Violence/Queen Carolina
Post position: 15
Morning line odds: 3-1
Forte Past Performances
| Date | Race | Length | Brisnet Speed Figure | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/1/23 | Florida Derby (G1) | 1 1/8 miles | 100 | 1st |
| 3/4/23 | Fountain of Youth (G2) | 1 1/16 miles | 103 | 1st |
| 11/4/22 | Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) | 1 1/16 miles | 100 | 1st |
| 10/8/22 | Breeders' Cup Futurity (G1) | 1 1/16 miles | 96 | 1st |
| 9/5/22 | Hopeful (G1) | 7 furlongs | 101 | 1st |
| 7/16/22 | Sanford (G3) | 6 furlongs | 85 | 4th |
| 5/27/22 | MSW | 5 furlongs | 89 | 1st |
The Word On Forte
April 14: Forte closed as the points leader after prep races with 190 points. He posted historically-short odds in some of the prep races like the Florida Derby and expects to be a strong favorite from the morning line odds to close. Check back for media notes from Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week.
April 21: “…breezes [five furlongs] in 1:02…” during a Friday workout at Churchill Downs.
April 30: Was one of 12 horses to post a final workout Saturday. “… worked a half-mile in 49.80 over a fast track…”
May 1: Forte opens at 3-1 as the morning line odds favorite. He will run out of gate 15.
*Quotes courtesy of Churchill Downs Communications
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Kentucky Derby Odds 2023
Morning line odds are now available. Unlike fixed odds betting, odds for the Kentucky Derby will continue to move until post time, even if you place your bet today. Most odds movement occurs day-of and minutes prior to post.
| Post Position Number | Horse Name | Kentucky Derby Odds | Morning Line Odds | Closing Line Odds | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hit Show | 25-1 | 30-1 | 24-1 | Brad Cox | Manny Franco |
| 2. | Verifying | 15-1 | 15-1 | 14-1 | Brad Cox | Tyler Gaffalione |
| 3. | Two Phil's | 8-1 | 12-1 | 9-1 | Larry Rivelli | Jareth Loveberry |
| 4. | Confidence Game | 17-1 | 20-1 | 21-1 | Keith Desormeaux | James Graham |
| 5. | Tapit Trice | 9-2 | 5-1 | 9-2 | Todd Pletcher | Luis Saez |
| 6. | Kingsbarns | 10-1 | 12-1 | 11-1 | Todd Pletcher | Jose Ortiz |
| 7. | Reincarnate | 13-1 | 50-1 | 14-1 | Tim Yakteen | John Velazquez |
| 8. | Mage | 17-1 | 15-1 | 15-1 | Gustavo Delgado | Javier Castellano |
| 9. | Skinner | SCR | SCR | SCR | John Shirreffs | Juan Hernandez |
| 10. | Practical Move | SCR | SCR | SCR | Tim Yakteen | Ramon Vazquez |
| 11. | Disarm | 24-1 | 30-1 | 27-1 | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario |
| 12. | Jace's Road | 31-1 | 50-1 | 33-1 | Brad Cox | Florent Geroux |
| 13. | Sun Thunder | 30-1 | 50-1 | 33-1 | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez Jr. |
| 14. | Angel of Empire | 4-1 | 8-1 | 4-1 | Brad Cox | Flavien Prat |
| 15. | Forte | SCR | 3-1 | SCR | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| 16. | Raise Cain | 31-1 | 50-1 | 33-1 | Ben Colebrook | Gerardo Corrales |
| 17. | Derma Sotogake | 8-1 | 10-1 | 7-1 | Hidetaka Otonashi | Christophe Lemaire |
| 18. | Rocket Can | 27-1 | 30-1 | 28-1 | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado |
| 19. | Lord Miles | SCR | SCR | SCR | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Paco Lopez |
| 20. | Continuar | SCR | SCR | SCR | Yoshito Yahagi | Ryusei Sakai |
| 21. | Cyclone Mischief | 29-1 | 30-1 | 29-1 | Dale Romans | TBA |
| 22. | Mandarin Hero | 20-1 | 20-1 | 17-1 | Terunobu Fujita | Kazushi Kimura |
| 23. | King Russell | 31-1 | 50-1 | 32-1 | Ron Moquett | Rafael Bejarano |
