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Forte ‘Looks Very Well’ Following Gutsy Florida Derby Win

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte (Violence), winner of Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby, will remain in South Florida for now to await his next assignment in the GI Kentucky Derby.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher reported Sunday that the champion 2-year-old colt emerged from his one-length victory over Mage (Good Magic) in good order and left Gulfstream Park early Sunday morning to return to Pletcher's winter base at Palm Beach Downs

“He's good. He shipped back early this morning and he looks very well,” Pletcher said. “We'll kind of leave it open. I think we'll stay here at least a couple of weeks. We'll monitor the weather here, that it doesn't start to get too hot, and kind of monitor what the Louisville forecast looks like and if it kind of becomes springtime and [there's] not a lot of rain in the forecast then we might shift up there for his last couple of works. I think we'll just play it by ear for a little while and see how things are developing.”

Forte had plenty to overcome in the Florida Derby in an effort and under circumstances that Pletcher felt would be an ideal bridge to the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby.

“I think the one thing we learned in the Florida Derby is that he handled the race really well. The best part of the race for him was the last sixteenth of a mile, which gives you confidence that the added distance won't be an issue,” Pletcher said. “He seems to have taken it well. He was on his toes after the race which he normally is, just like he is kind of in the walking ring beforehand.”

“It showed that he still had some good energy left after the race, but we'll learn a lot more about that as we kind of train this week,” he added. “What was impressive yesterday was when he did make the lead, he kind of pricked his ears again which we've seen him do a number of times. It kind of makes you believe there's a little more in the tank there.”

Forte will look to give his trainer his third Kentucky Derby win following Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017.

“The schedule's changed a bit. When I first started coming to Gulfstream, the Florida Derby was sort of a prep for a final prep, and now, with the positioning of it five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, to me, it's kind of become the ideal Derby prep,” he added. “I love the spacing of it, the five weeks until the Kentucky Derby. So it's kind of changed a little bit as we've gone along, but really I like where it's positioned. We liked the schedule that we laid out for him. We liked the Fountain of Youth as his comeback race, which went very smoothly. Then we got a good solid race in the Florida Derby,” Pletcher said. “Part of the reason we chose the Florida Derby over the Blue Grass was the additional week to the Kentucky Derby. I think that spacing is good, hopefully, to have him move forward again.”

OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing and CMNWLTH's Mage, in just his third career start, earned 40 points for his runner-up finish and now ranks 12th on the Derby points leaderboard.

Trainer Dale Romans indicated Albaugh Family Stables and Castleton Lyons' Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief), third in the Florida Derby, will be Kentucky Derby-bound.

“He looks good,” Romans said Sunday. “We look forward to the Derby. His last couple races have been good and he keeps improving, so we'll have him back in there.”

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Angel of Empire On To Kentucky After Big Saturday For Brad Cox

Brad Cox saddled a trio of winners Saturday at Oaklawn with Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) taking the day's biggest prize in the GI Arkansas Derby. He also won the GIII Fantasy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies with heavily-favored Wet Paint (Blame) and the Hot Springs S. with Eyeing Clover (Lookin At Lucky).

“It was a great day,” Cox said during training hours Sunday morning at Oaklawn. “It was good. Big performance from that colt yesterday, Angel of Empire. We'll load him on Tuesday and ship to Kentucky and see what we can come up with.”

Ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, Angel of Empire powered to a 4 1/4-length victory over longshot King Russell (Creative Cause) before an estimated crowd of 65,000.

“I've said it several times,” Cox said. “He's a horse we thought would get better with time and, obviously, age as well. And you know, he's obviously gotten better throughout the winter and he looks amazing. I think distance is probably an equalizer. He's not blessed with a tremendous amount of speed. He just kind of breaks. And he's not void of speed, but he kind of finds his way and they get away from him a little bit. But he settles. He's a very smart horse. Probably the biggest thing with him. Pretty big crowd here. There was a lot of noise in the paddock. Stands there and really presented himself well yesterday in the paddock and in the infield when we legged the riders up. He was on his toes, but he wasn't hot at all. He was feeling good. You could tell he was ready to run. Loved how he was acting mentally.”

Angel of Empire's eventual winning margin, 2 1/2 lengths in mid-stretch, ballooned in the run to the wire.

“Even in the gallop out, they weren't close to him,” Cox said. “Flavien had never sat on him and he came back said, 'Wow! This horse, the further, the better.'”

Angel of Empire collected 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his Arkansas Derby victory, which pushed his overall total to 154, good enough for second on the leaderboard.

Cox said he doesn't have a jockey commitment yet for the Kentucky Derby.

“They'll sort themselves out over the next several weeks, between the Blue Grass, Wood and Santa Anita Derby,” Cox said. “We'll see what happens.”

Cox also notched his second career victory in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Fantasy S. with Wet Paint, a homebred who races for her breeder, Godolphin. Last of 10 early, Wet Paint rolled to a 2 1/2-length victory over Taxed (Collected) to become only the second filly behind Eight Belles to sweep what are now Oaklawn's three Kentucky Oaks points races. Wet Paint also won the Martha Washington S. Jan. 28 and the GIII Honeybee Stakes Feb. 25. Saturday's race marked the filly's first try around two turns over a fast track after catching off tracks in both the Martha Washington and the Honeybee.

“Listen, we don't know until we try,” Cox said. “We didn't know until we ran yesterday. But her works here have been awfully good on dry tracks, so I felt pretty confident we'd get a big run from her as long as we got pace to run at. We got it. She's definitely one of the top fillies in the country.”

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Keeneland Workers Prep For Opening Weekend Stakes

Several runners being pointed to opening weekend stakes turned in works Sunday morning over the fast main track.

Dixiana Farms' homebred Hayes Strike (Connect) along with Mendelssohns March (Mendelssohn), owned by Harold Lerner, Nehoc Stables, AWC Stables and Team Stallion Racing Stable, tuned up for expected starts in Saturday's GI Toyota Blue Grass S. by working 5 furlongs in 1:00.60 in company together.

Hayes Strike comes into the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass off a victory in the Private Terms S. at Laurel March 18.

“I don't run many horses in Maryland,” trainer Kenny McPeek said of Hayes Strike. “His race at Turfway (in the Leonatus Stakes on Jan. 21 in which he finished ninth) … nothing went right. He didn't ship well, and he didn't handle the synthetic surface at all. I just needed to get him back on the dirt and get him back to winning.”

Mendelssohns March has two wins in two starts with victories on the turf at Fair Grounds and on a sloppy dirt track at Oaklawn Park.

McPeek is the most recent of six trainers to have swept the GI Central Bank Ashland and Toyota Blue Grass in the same year. McPeek, who first accomplished the double in 2002 with Take Charge Lady and Harlan's Holiday, is expected to send out Magdalena Racing, Colette Marie Vanmatre and James Ball's Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic) in the Ashland. Defining Purpose worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.20.

Half-mile workers included Mr. and Mrs. Tsunebumi Yoshihara's Yuugiri (Shackleford) who went in :48.80 in preparation for the GI Madison S. for trainer Rodolphe Brisset; Tom Durant's Run Classic (Runhappy) who worked a half in :47.80 for the GIII Commonwealth S. for trainer Bret Calhoun; and Michael J. Ryan's Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) in :49.80 for the GII Appalachian S. for trainer Horacio De Paz.

Also working Sunday morning was West Coast Stables' Pride of the Nile (Pioneerof the Nile), currently 28th on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with 17 points, who drilled 6 furlongs in 1:16 on the main track under Ferrin Peterson for trainer Doug O'Neill in preparation for Friday's GI Central Bank Ashland S. Pride of the Nile shipped to Keeneland the middle of last month after a troubled trip in the GIII Santa Ysabel at Santa Anita March 5.

“I was glad to get her,” said Stephanie Murray, who oversees the O'Neill string at Keeneland. “Today was her third work here. The first time, she worked on the (all-weather) training track because of the rain.”

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Angel of Empire Sprouts Wings in Arkansas Derby

Fourth choice at 9-2, but the only runner in the GI Arkansas Derby field with a win at nine furlongs, Angel of Empire (c, 3, Classic Empire–Armony's Angel, by To Honor and Serve) used that overlooked experience to his advantage and emerged looking like a world-beater. Racing midpack early, he ranged up and burst clear to win in hand and by daylight. King Russell (Creative Cause) was second, while Reincarnate (Good Magic) finished third. The Arkansas Derby was a GI Kentucky Derby points race and awarded points on a 100-40-30-20-10 scale.

After a picture-perfect break from the gate, the field strung out as Two Eagles River (Cloud Computing) set the pace while Angel of Empire bided his time completely clear mid-field. Little changed through the :23.27 first quarter and :47.26 half, but Angel of Empire was on the move a half mile from home. He simply picked off horses on the turn, swept to the front at the top of the stretch, and drove clear. Flavien Prat waved the whip at him late, but the race was over. Two Eagles River threw in the towel in the stretch, while 58-1 King Russell had closed to hook up with 3-1 stalker Reincarnate. The two got the minor awards, but finished 4 1/4 lengths behind Angel of Empire. Favored Rocket Can (Into Mischief) was fourth, a head behind Reincarnate.

“It's huge,” said winning trainer Brad Cox, who also won last year's edition with Cyberknife (Gun Runner). “Big day. Very impressed with this horse, how he ran today. He came home quick, and he's a horse that the longer the better. Looking forward to getting him to the Kentucky Derby in five weeks.”

Angel of Empire was last seen Feb. 18 winning the GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds at the same distance. Third in that race was last week's impressive GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks winner Two Phil's (Hard Spun). Like Brad Cox's earlier-on-Saturday's-card GIII Fantasy S. winner Wet Paint (Blame), Angel of Empire broke his maiden last summer at Horseshoe Indianapolis and then gave the turf a try at Kentucky Downs. He didn't like the grass, but has been stellar since, taking an Indiana allowance by open daylight to close his juvenile campaign before opening 2023 with a second in the Smarty Jones S. at Oaklawn.

Albaugh Family Stables picked up Angel of Empire for $70,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale. Racing manager Jason Loutsch said Saturday, “After seeing that race, I've got a lot of confidence. This is a horse I've been saying [since] day one wants to get the distance. He showed that twice at a mile and an eighth. He just keeps running. I thought he ran a great race today, and I'm excited for the first Saturday in May.”

The Albaugh Family Stables has two other contenders for the Kentucky Derby: their Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief) was third Saturday in the GI Florida Derby and their Jace's Road (Quality Road) was third in last week's GII Louisiana Derby.

Pedigree Notes:

Angel of Empire is the first winner at the highest level for sire Classic Empire, who has two North American crops at the races. The Coolmore America stallion, champion 2-year-old colt of 2016, won the Arkansas Derby himself in 2017. Classic Empire has eight black-type winners and four graded winners. Angel of Empire is the only stakes winner for To Honor and Serve, who now stands in Korea, as a broodmare sire; however, To Honor and Serve's sire, Bernardini, is the damsire of Classy Edition, one of Classic Empire's graded winners.

Black Diamond Corp., co-breeder of Angel of Empire, bought his dam, Armony's Angel, for $67,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale with the Arkansas Derby winner in utero. A half to GSW Conquest Big E (Tapit), the now-7-year-old Armony's Angel has a 2-year-old colt named Third City (Collected) and a yearling full-brother to Angel of Empire named Raconteur. Third City was sold to Kenneth R. Kachel for $23,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky summer yearling sale. The mare was not bred for 2023.

Saturday, Oaklawn Park
ARKANSAS DERBY-GI, $1,250,000, Oaklawn, 4-1, 3yo, 1 1/8m,
1:49.68, ft.
1–ANGEL OF EMPIRE, 122, c, 3, by Classic Empire
          1st Dam: Armony's Angel, by To Honor and Serve
          2nd Dam: Seeinsbelieven, by Carson City
          3rd Dam: Coragil, by Metfield
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($32,000 RNA Wlg '20 KEENOV; $70,000 Ylg
'21 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-Forgotten Land
Investment Inc & Black Diamond Equine Corp (PA); T-Brad H.
Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $739,375. Lifetime Record: GSW & SP,
6-4-1-0, $1,069,375. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–King Russell, 119, c, 3, Creative Cause–Believe You Will, by
Proud Citizen. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST
G1 BLACK TYPE. ($60,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT). O-Brereton C. Jones
and Naber Racing, LLC; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Ron
Moquett. $227,500.
3–Reincarnate, 122, c, 3, Good Magic–Allanah, by Scat Daddy.
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($775,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-SF Racing
LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E.
Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber,
Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Woods
Edge Farm, LLC (KY); T-Tim Yakteen. $113,750.
Margins: 4 1/4, HF, HD. Odds: 4.70, 58.80, 3.30.
Also Ran: Rocket Can, Airtime, Red Route One, Two Eagles River,
Interlock Empire, Harlocap, Bourbon Bash. Scratched: Kolomio.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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