The 149th Kentucky Derby was upended Saturday morning with the sudden scratch of the morning line favorite Forte — the fifth withdrawal from the race in just three days.
The Florida Derby winner, trained by Todd Pletcher and regularly ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., had been bet down to 4-1 in advanced wagering ahead of the Kentucky Derby, which goes off at 6:57 p.m. on May 6. However, Forte was ordered out of the race following an examination by the track veterinarian, according to Horse Racing Nation, after being observed in a Saturday morning gallop while wearing a new three-quarter shoe on his right front hoof.
Pletcher had told the Daily Racing Form the new shoe was used as a precaution after Forte took an awkward step during a Thursday workout. Nonetheless, Churchill Downs seems to be erring on the side of caution after the track experienced a cluster of horse fatalities during training and races earlier in the week.
Churchill Downs confirmed the scratch, but did not immediately cite a specific reason for withdrawing Forte from the race, according to the Associated Press.
Forte is the fifth horse to be scratched from the Kentucky Derby in the last three days. On Friday, Skinner — the third-place finisher in the Santa Anita Derby — was withdrawn after spiking a fever.
Thursday saw three scratches: Practical Move, the Santa Anita Derby winner, who also suffered a fever; Continuar, third in the UAE Derby, whose trainer wasn’t satisfied with his conditioning, the Daily Racing Form reported; and Lord Miles, the Wood Memorial winner trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., whom Churchill Downs suspended indefinitely after two of his horses suffered fatalities at the track this week.
Forte’s scratch reduced the Kentucky Derby starting field to 18. That includes the three also-eligible horses — Cyclone Mischief, Mandarin Hero and King Russell — who drew into the race as a result of Thursday’s scratches.
It was also a case of terrible déjà vu for Mike Repole, the Queens native who is part-owner of Forte. In 2011, Repole owned Uncle Mo, who was similarly scratched on the morning of the Kentucky Derby after contracting an infection, according to the Associated Press.
As far as wagering goes, Forte’s scratch now leaves the race incredibly wide open. Tapit Trice, another Pletcher trainee who won the Blue Grass Stakes, is now the 6-1 favorite, according to the Kentucky Derby’s official website.
Below is a look at the Kentucky Derby field and their odds as of 9:45 a.m. Saturday morning.
— With AP reports
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