Violence

Wide Draw and All, Forte an Overwhelming Presence in Florida Derby

Big Brown (Boundary) took no prisoners from post 12 with a powerful, wire-to-wire performance in the GI Curlin Florida Derby before capturing the first two legs of the Triple Crown in 2008. It's champion Forte (Violence)'s turn now. Last term's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, an eye-catching winner while kicking off his sophomore campaign in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 4, towers over his 11 rivals on paper in Saturday's Florida Derby. But with a well-documented short run to the first turn going 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream...

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Champion Forte Favored at 4-5 for Curlin Florida Derby

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) has been installed as the 4-5 morning-line favorite from post 11 in a field of a dozen 3-year-olds entered in next Saturday's $1-million GI Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa at Gulfstream Park. The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner established himself as a clear early favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby following an impressive win while making his sophomore debut in the GII Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. Trainer Todd Pletcher...

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Forte Breezes for Curlin Florida Derby

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte (Violence) returned to the worktab at Palm Beach Downs Friday in preparation for a scheduled start in the $1-million GI Curlin Florida Derby Apr. 1 at Gulfstream Park. The Todd Pletcher-trained 2022 Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male breezed for the first time since his tour-de-force 2023 debut in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 4 at Gulfstream Park. He breezed a half-mile in :50.72 under regular jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. "I thought it was super. The horse is doing extremely well. He came...

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Sunday Insights: Maidens Heating Up In South Florida

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 9th-TAM, $27K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 4:40 p.m. A homebred for Florida's Bridlewood Farm, JUSTDOITALREADY (Justify) debuts Sunday for trainer Eoin Harty. The dark bay filly, a daughter of $2,000,000 2014 Fasig-Tipton November Sale purchase Concinnous, is a half-sister to MGISW Iotapa (Afleet Alex), herself a $2.8m pick up by China Horse Club out of the 2014 Keeneland November Sale. Concinnous has also produced SW & GSP Saintly Joan (Northern Afleet). Justdoitalready fired a bullet two works back (five furlongs in 1:02) and jockey Jesus...

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The Rock on Which Cain was Raised

They had raised him-and now they were raising the roof. "I think he's number 12," Codee Guffey was saying. "I think that's him?!" If he wasn't sure, if in fact he was nearly incredulous, it was not because he had got the number or the silks wrong. Of course he knew the horse perfectly well, muddied as he was, with that white patch on his forehead. It was just that Raise Cain (Violence) was suddenly putting it all together in pretty unrecognizable fashion, relative to five previous starts that had...

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Forte Takes the Blame to Stay Strong

With commercial sires nowadays represented by such enormous cavalries, it's unsurprising that they should encounter random statistical clusters. These tend to even themselves out, so that a stallion that "hits form" with a sudden spate of stakes performers will also endure barren spells that naturally receive rather less attention. What every farm covets, then, is for a horse to get on a roll while there are still mares out there with mating decisions pending for this spring--and there's no better way to do that than making some noise on the...

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Champion Forte Super Strong in Fountain of Youth

The champ is back and possibly better than ever. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and champion 2-year-old colt 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) returned to the races in style with a powerful performance in Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth S., good for 50 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. "We kind of carefully laid it out and put him in a program that would put him in the condition to be ready to run and still having room for improvement and room to continue to...

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Violence's Raise Cain Upsets Eventful Gotham

Andrew and Rania Warren's Raise Cain (Violence) came rolling down the muddy, sealed stretch at 23-1 to upset an eventful renewal of Saturday's GIII Gotham S. at the Big A. California invader Carmel Road (Quality Road) set a pressured pace heading into the far turn as the riderless and previously unbeaten Howgreatisnate (Speightster) made for some tense moments leading the big field of 14 after stumbling and tossing jockey J. D. Acosta at the start. Raise Cain, meanwhile, raced toward the rear through fast fractions of :22.52 and :45.53, and...

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Champion Forte Returns on Action-Packed Saturday

Last year's champion 2-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) kicks off his sophomore season in the GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park, one of 14 graded stakes races on tap Saturday. The Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable colorbearer concluded his campaign with his third straight win at the top level in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Nov. 4. "It seems like he's gotten even better and better since [the Breeders' Cup]," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "It's great to have won with the foundation...

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Forte Named 7-5 Morning-Line Favorite For Fountain Of Youth

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte (Violence) completed his preparation for his 2023 debut in next Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park after breezing five furlongs in 1:01.99 Saturday morning at Palm Beach Downs. "Last week was the work we wanted to make sure that we were on target," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "We got a good strong work into him. We got a good work today, but after last week, we weren't looking for him to do too much. We're right on schedule and think...

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Champion Forte Works 'Strongly' for Fountain of Youth

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte (Violence) breezed five furlongs in 1:01.58 Saturday morning at Palm Beach Downs in preparation for a planned start in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 4 at Gulfstream Park. "He finished up very strongly and galloped out great. We're very, very happy with him," Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. Saturday's breeze was the fifth in a series of workouts following Forte's Eclipse Award-clinching victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland. Irad Ortiz Jr., the only race rider Forte...

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Violence's Drew's Gold Stays Undefeated In Jimmy Winkfield

A debut winner at Churchill Downs in May 2022, Drew's Gold went to the sidelines for the next eight months before making a winning return to the races at Laurel Park Jan. 28. Favored at 8-5 for his first try against stakes company in New York, the colt pressed the pace, keeping things tight up front for early leader Kool Kathmandu (Frosted). Outside with plenty of run left, he drew alongside a new leader in Clubhouse and went right on by past the quarter pole, stretching his lead down the...

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