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What Todd Pletcher said after morning favorite Forte scratched before Kentucky Derby 2023

Nick Gray, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read
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Kentucky Derby contender Forte and exercise rider Hector Ramos work at Churchill Downs Wednesday morning May 3, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. The horse is trained by Todd Pletcher.

Morning-line favorite Forte was scratched from the 2023 Kentucky Derby hours before the start of the race on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Forte owner Mike Repole said the decision to scratch the horse was made by Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarian Nick Smith on Saturday morning because of concerns about a bruised right front foot.

Trainer Todd Pletcher told NBC's Derby broadcast that his team first noticed Forte's foot ailment on Wednesday, and the veterinarian scratched Forte despite improvements in the last couple days.

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"They acknowledged that he had made improvement this week, but they just didn't feel like he was 100%," Pletcher said to NBC on Saturday. "It's a tough call. Obviously we are in an environment (where) scrutiny is super high. I'm not sure in some years it would have been an issue. But this year, it was."

Forte is the fifth horse to be scratched from the Kentucky Derby this week, with the field down to 18 horses. Six horses have died at Churchill Downs since April 27. The sixth horse, Chloe's Dream, died Saturday after Race 2, according to CBS Sports.

Forte last ran in the Florida Derby on April 1 and won the race, one of the main races leading up to the Derby.

"I probably jinxed myself the other day when I said everything had gone perfectly up to this point. Everything we laid out for him all winter and spring fell into place until Wednesday," Pletcher said.

Pletcher said Forte is a possibility for the Preakness Stakes in two weeks, provided Forte's bruised foot is 100%.

Pletcher has two other horses in the Derby, with Tapit Trice, as the new co-favorite at 9-2, and Kingsbarn. If either wins, it could impact Pletcher's decision to run Forte in the Preakness if healthy.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What Todd Pletcher said after Forte scratched before Kentucky Derby 2023