Forte, 2023 Kentucky Derby Morning Line Favorite Is Scratched

The Florida Derby winner and Kentucky Derby morning line favorite Forte was scratched from the race just 10 hours before post time. The four-time Grade 1 winner, was set with a 3-1 morning line following Monday’s draw and was the one to beat in today’s Derby.

Forte’s owner Mike Repole said the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarian Nick Smith had concerns about a bruised right foot. Repole says he respects the decision and understands Smith’s caution to having Forte run but he would also like to see a more consistent approach to the rules and regulations across different tracks and states.

Irad Ortiz Jr., was scheduled to ride Forte but instead picked up the mount Cyclone Mischief who was originally expected to be ridden by Corey Lanerie.

With Forte out, the race has the potential for a number of different pace scenarios that might even benefit two of our long-shot runners that are bred to get this 10F trip. Chaos reigns often enough that we’ve seen the Kentucky Derby pendulum swing from upsets to ‘formful’ and back so we’re looking for value where betting a little can win you a lot. You can get our full race analysis and insider notes for each of the horses running on today’s Kentucky Derby card in our Complete Digest. Each complete Digest also includes our exclusive, Fractional Charting Pace Report, Fast Figs, Quick Picks with betting strategies, along with our insider works and video notebook for the Kentucky Derby.