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NEW YORK — Forte, the early Kentucky Derby favorite who was scratched on the day of the race, worked out Saturday in preparation for a possible start in the Belmont Stakes on June 10.
Under regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr., Forte worked five-eighths of a mile for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. It was the colt's second workout since being scratched from the Derby on May 6.
"It seems like he's maintained his fitness level," Pletcher said. "It seems like everything is in good order."
Forte was placed on a mandatory 14-day veterinary list after being scratched from the Derby because of a bruised right front foot. In order to be removed from the list, the colt had to work in front of a state veterinarian and give a blood sample afterward, the results of which take five days.
"There's protocols in place and we had to adhere to those and we're happy that everything went smoothly," Pletcher said. "We felt confident the horse was in good order or we wouldn't have been out there twice in the last six days, but you still want to make sure everything went smoothly and we're happy everything did go well."
Pletcher said Kingsbarns, who finished 14th in the Kentucky Derby, will miss the Belmont. The colt is showing signs of colic, although he is fine, the trainer said.
Another Pletcher-trained horse, Prove Worthy, is under consideration for the Belmont. He also has Tapit Trice, who finished seventh in the Derby, being pointed toward the Belmont.
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