Horse racing-Kentucky Derby favourite Forte draws 15th gate

Churchill Downs

01/05/2023 21:57

May 1 (Reuters) - Kentucky Derby favorite Forte drew the
15th post on Monday for Saturday's Run for the Roses, where the
Todd Pletcher-trained colt will seek the first leg of U.S.
thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown.
    Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Forte brings a five-race winning
streak to the 1-1/4-mile Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and
was installed as the early 3-1 favorite in the 20-horse field.
    Tapit Trice, another Pletcher horse, is the second favourite
at 5-1 and will break from the fifth gate, while Brad Cox's
Angel of Empire is the third betting choice at 8-1.
    Hall of Fame trainer Pletcher, seeking his third Kentucky
Derby win having previously won with Super Saver in 2010 and
Always Dreaming in 2017, also has bay colt Kingsbarns (12-1)
breaking from the sixth gate.
    The inside-most post position, from which no horse has won
the Kentucky Derby since Ferdinand in 1986, went to the Brad
Cox-trained gray colt Hit Show.
    Also drawing attention are the two Japanese chestnut colts
in the field: Hidetaka Otonashi-trained Derma Sotogake (10-1)
and Yoshito Yahagi-trained Continuar (50-1).
    Derma Sotogake, who established himself as a contender after
cruising to a win in the UAE Derby (G2), will break from the
17th gate, while Continuar, with Ryusei Sakai aboard, will start
from the 20th gate.
    The Preakness Stakes, second leg of the Triple Crown, will
be run on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, followed
by the Belmont Stakes three weeks later on June 10   

 (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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