Gulfstream: Forte ‘On His Toes’ Schooling for G2 Fountain of Youth

By David Joseph —-

Gulfstream Today

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Forte, the 7-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2), schooled in the paddock and walking ring during Wednesday’s Race 7 at Gulfstream Park.

The Eclipse Award 2-year-old male champion, who shipped from Palm Beach Downs for the schooling session, is scheduled to make his 2023 debut in the Fountain of Youth after concluding his 2022 campaign with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland.

Forte was accompanied by Whisper Hill Farm LLC’s Charge It, who is scheduled to make a highly anticipated start in Saturday’s $200,000 WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) and Repole Stable and Town and Country Stable LLC’s Cairo Consort, the Sweetest Chant (G3) winner who will return in Saturday’s $200,000 Herecomesthebride (G3).

“We just wanted to make sure to get them over here and get them familiarized with the paddock. We’ll probably bring them back tomorrow just to cover all the bases,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “[Forte] is well-behaved and on his toes, just the way you’d like to see him.”

Pletcher is scheduled to be represented by 18 horses in 12 of Saturday’s 14-race program with runners in eight of the nine stakes.

“We’re feeling good. We’ve got some horses that are training really well,” Pletcher said. “It looks like there’s some very competitive races, so we hope everybody shows up and runs to their capabilities.”

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $1.4 Million

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $1.4 million Thursday at Gulfstream Park

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Sunday for the 21st racing day following a mandatory payout.

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, headlined by an $87,000 optional claiming allowance for older fillies and mares going five furlongs on turf in Race 7. Cherie DeVaux-trained Love and Money, who lost by a nose to next-out winner Train to Artemus last time out, is rated as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in a field of nine.

In Race 8, Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Mr. Ripple, Shug McGaughey-trained Game Change and Todd Pletcher-trained Classic Catch will clash in an $86,000 optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

A mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be held on Sunday.

Who’s Hot: The Ortiz Brothers dominated the action at Gulfstream Park Wednesday, riding the winners of seven races on an eight-race program.

Irad Ortiz Jr. rode four winners, while Jose Ortiz scored three times.

Irad, the Championship Meet’s leading rider, captured the first Daily Double on Lookinassah ($6.20) in Race 1 and Lead Performer ($5.40) in Race 2 before scoring aboard Great Analogy ($14.60) in Race 5 and Pillbox ($3.40) in Race 8.

Jose Ortiz rode back-to-back winners in Race 3 on Tone Feelin ($9.40) and in Race 4 aboard Raise a Profit ($14.40) before visiting the winner’s circle with Singing the Oldies ($6.20) after Race 7.

Joel Rosario captured Race 6 aboard Sassy Nature ($6.80).

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