Forte
Forte
One of the most accomplished 2YO Champions of all time
2020, Bay, 16.1 1/2h | Entered Stud: 2024 | Nominated to: Breeders' Cup, KTDF
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2022 Champion Two-Year-Old Male and rare winner of three straight G1 races at 2: Hopeful-G1, Breeders’ Futurity-G1, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-G1.
Won the biggest 2yo race in the world on dirt – $2,000,000 BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE (G1) – in 1:43.06 for 1 1/16 miles, earning a 100 Beyer & 8 ¼ Ragozin, soundly defeating G1 winners Cave Rock and National Treasure.
Won Saratoga’s biggest 2yo race – $300,000 HOPEFUL S. (G1) – going away by 3 lengths, running 7 furlongs in 1:22.58.
Won Keeneland’s biggest 2yo race – $600,000 BREEDERS’ FUTURITY S. (G1) – in 1:44.74 for 1 1/16 miles in his first two-turn start and over a field of 14.
Won Gulfstream’s biggest 3yo race – $1,000,000 FLORIDA DERBY (G1) – in 1:49.37 for 1 1/8 miles, defeating next-out KY Derby winner Mage and earning a 6 ¼ Ragozin.
Won Gulfstream’s second biggest 3yo race – $400,000 FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH S. (G2) – going away by 4 ½ lengths in his seasonal debut in 1:43.12 for 1 1/16 miles, earning a 106 Equibase number.
“I’ve been fortunate to train three colts that were champion 2-year-olds but Forte is the first to win three Grade 1s at two.” –Todd Pletcher
Won Saratoga’s second biggest 3yo race – $500,000 JIM DANDY S. (G2) – in 1:49.61 for 1 1/8 miles, earning a 105 Beyer – co-fastest by a 3yo routing on dirt in 2023 – and defeating G1 winners Saudi Crown and Angel of Empire.
Runner-up in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont S. (G1) to Arcangelo after a 4-5-wide trip, earning a 6 Ragozin – the fastest of the race.
TDN Rising Star: Debut MdSpWt winner by 7 ¾ lengths at Belmont going 5 furlongs in May of his 2yo season.
The best son of VIOLENCE: 43.82 Class Performance Index – towering over Volatile (14.20), Dr. Shivel (15.60), etc.
Earned $3,029,830 and hails from the stakes-winning Blame mare QUEEN CAROLINE, from a powerful branch of the LA TROIENNE family.
The highest vote-getter among all 2022 Eclipse Award winners including Flightline.
The first 2YO Champion to retire to Spendthrift in four decades since legends Seattle Slew, Affirmed and Lord Avie, and the first 3-time G1 winning juvenile since Affirmed.
“He is from a powerful branch of the La Troienne family” –Alan Porter
| Age | Starts | 1st (SW) | 2nd (SP) | 3rd (SP) | Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 5 | 4 (3) | 0 | 0 | $1,595,150 |
| 3 | 5 | 3 (3) | 1 (1) | 0 | $1,434,680 |
| Totals | 10 | 7 (6) | 1 (1) | 0 | $3,029,830 |
Racing Highlights
Won at 2 (Eclipse Champion Two-Year-Old Male)- Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland (G1, 8.5f in 1:43.06, by 1 1/2 lengths, defeating Cave Rock, National Treasure, Blazing Sevens, Curly Jack, Verifying, Hurricane J, Congruent, Wound Up, Lost Ark)
- Breeders' Futurity S. at Keeneland (G1, 8.5f in 1:44.74, by a neck, defeating Loggins, Red Route One, Instant Coffee, Newgate, Lost Ark, Two Phil's, Honed, Funtastic Again, Frosted Departure, Powerful, Bourbon Bash, Carmel Road, etc.)
- Hopeful S. at Saratoga (G1, 7f in 1:22.58, by 3 lengths, defeating Gulfport, Blazing Sevens, Mo Strike, Bourbon Bash, etc.)
- Maiden Special Weight at Belmont Park (*TDN Rising Star*, 5f in 58.21, by 7 3/4 lengths, defeating Wasabi Boy, Vamonos, Please Baby, etc.)
- Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park (G1, 9f in 1:49.37, by 1 length, defeating Mage, Cyclone Mischief, Mr. Ripple, Fort Bragg, Il Miracolo, West Coast Cowboy, Jungfrau, Nautical Star, Mr. Peeks, Dubyuhnell, etc.)
- Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park (G2, 8.5f in 1:43.12, by 4 1/2 lengths, defeating Rocket Can, Cyclone Mischief, Mage, Shadow Dragon, Il Miracolo, Dangerous Ride, Blazing Sevens, etc.)
- Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga (G2, 9f in 1:49.61, defeating Saudi Crown, Angel of Empire, Disarm, Hit Show)
- Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park (G1, 12f, to Arcangelo, defeating Tapit Trice, Angel of Empire, Hit Show, National Treasure, Il Miracolo, Red Route One, Tapit Shoes)
Pedigree
Alan Porter’s 2024 Breeding Analysis for Forte
Forte was Champion and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner at two, and a leader of his generation again at three. By Violence, the leading stallion son of Medaglia d’Oro, he is from a powerful branch of the La Troienne family.
Forte has an intriguing pedigree with the three-quarters related Sadler’s Wells and Bound – granddam of Forte’s broodmare sire, Blame – 4×4. It would be worth introducing another three-quarters relative, Nureyev, a three-quarters brother to Sadler’s Wells. There are more than 40 stakes winners by Medaglia d’Oro and sons out of mares carrying Nureyev, and out of mares from the line there has been success for Medaglia d’Oro and sons with daughters of Shakespeare (by Theatrical) and Ashkalani. We might also find Nureyev in the male of mares through Stravinsky, Peintre Celebre, Fasliyev, Pivotal, Unusual Heat, and Atticus.
Forte has a cross of Storm Cat through Forestry, the sire of his second dam, but the cross of Violence with Storm Cat line mares has been a very successful one so it could be well worth adding more of this strain. He has grade one winner No Parole out of a mare by Bluegrass Cat (who looks good here), and graded stakes winners out of mares by Stormy Atlantic (who is from the same family as Sadler’s Wells and Blame, as is Storm Boot) and Tale of the Cat (sire of Lion Heart and Tale of Ekati and grandsire of Kantharos and Uncaptured) and a stakes winner out of a mare by Giant Causeway (sire of Eskendereya, Shamardal, First Samurai, Creative Cause, Not This Time, Brody’s Cause and Carpe Diem). On the Storm Cat cross there are also Medaglia d’Oro line stakes winners out mares by Scat Daddy, a son of Johannesburg, and a grandson of Hennessy (also sire of Henny Hughes) and Forest Wildcat (sire of Wildcat Heir and D’Wildcat). It would also be possible to try Storm Cat through Tabasco Cat, Freud (a brother to Giant’s Causeway), Bernstein, Vision and Verse, Van Nistelrooy, Catienus, Storm Creek. Pure Prize, Yankee Gentleman and Sea of Secrets.
Nureyev and Storm Cat are from the Northern Dancer line, and from the Deputy Minister branch of that line, Violence also has a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Ghostzapper, and a stakes winner out of a mare by a son of his sire, Awesome Again (also sire of Paynter, Oxbow and Awesome of Course).
Forte has two crosses of Mr. Prospector, but they will be in the fifth and sixth generation of his offspring, so he is free to cross back over mares from that line, and Violence has proven to be very suited by Mr. Prospector line mares. He has a grade one winner out of a mare by Street Cry and stakes winners out of mares by that horse’s sons, Street Sense and Desert Party, which would also encourage considering mares by Street Boss, Street Hero and Street Magician.
The dam of Violence is by Gone West out of a daughter of Storm Cat, and he has stakes winners out of mares by Speightstown (by Gone West out of a Storm Cat mare) and Muqtarib (by Gone West out of a mare by The Minstrel, a close relative to Storm Cat’s sire Storm Bird). Speightstown is sire of Munnings and Gone West could be brought in through Elusive Quality who could also particularly interesting through Quality Road (a Gone West/Nijinsky II cross, again similar to Gone West/Storm Cat), with Grand Slam, Proud Citizen and Mr. Greeley (sire of El Corredor) being other Gone West sources.
There is a Violence stakes winner out of a mare by Smart Strike, who could be found through Curlin and sons, English Channel (who could fit particularly well here, bringing in Nureyev), Lookin at Lucky, Dominus and Square Eddie. From the Carson City branch of Mr. Prospector come stakes winners from daughters of City Zip (sire of Bustin Stones and Run Away and Hide) and Cuvee, with other sources being Five Star Day, Good and Tough and Pollard’s Vision.
Violence graded stakes winner, Raise Cain, is out of a mare by Lemon Drop Kid from the Kingmambo, branch of Mr. Prospector (bringing in Nureyev). Northern Afleet is bred on the same Mr. Prospector/Nuryev cross as Lemon Drop Kid.
Violence appears to have a particularly strong affinity for the Fappiano branch of Mr. Prospector. Here, Fappiano particularly appeals as his fourth dam, Jeano, is a grade one winner by Fappiano out of an In Reality mare, and Unbridled is by Fappiano and also has In Reality. Violence’s grade one winner Volatile is one of two stakes winners out of mares by Unbridled’s Song (by Unbridled), and Unbridled’s Song could be brought in through Rockport Harbor, First Defence, Songandaprayer, Midshipman, Cross Traffic, Even the Score, Half Ours and Old Fashioned. There are also two stakes winners, including graded winner Newgrange, out of mares by Empire Maker, sire of Pioneerof the Nile (himself sire of American Pharoah, Cairo Prince and Classic Empire) and Bodemeister. Unbridled could also be brought in through Broken Vow and other branches of Fappiano including Rubiano (sire of Too Much Bling and Burning Roma) and Quiet American and his grandson, Midnight Lute, could also be considered.
Violence has two stakes winners out of mares by sons of Forty Niner, which suggests trying mares by Distorted Humor and sons such as Maclean’s Music, Jimmy Creed, Flower Alley, Alternation, Brethren and Khozan. There is also a stakes winner out of a mare by Not For Love and a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Point Given (by Thunder Gulch).
Violence has six stakes winners out of A.P. Indy line mares, including one out of a mare by A.P. Indy himself, as well as from daughters of Bernardini (sire of To Honor and Serve and Stay Thirsty), Pulpit and his son Sky Mesa and Malibu Moon. Pulpit is also sire of Flashback, Mr. Speaker, Corinthian (from the immediate family of Sadler’s Wells and Bound), Stroll and Tapit (sire of Constitution, Frosted, Cupid, Tonalist, Trappe Shot, Tapiture, Race Day and Tapizar. It would also be possible to introduce A.P. Indy through Mineshaft (sire of Discreetly Mine and Dialed In), Flatter, Congrats, Stephen Got Even, Jump Start and Majestic Warrior. There is also a Violence stakes winner out of a mare by Vindication, a son of Seattle Slew, the sire of A.P. Indy.
There is a Violence grade one winner out of a mare by More Than Ready and a stakes winner by his sire Southern Halo. This is a branch of the Turn-to line, and from the Sir Tristram/Zabeel branch of that line Medaglia d’Oro and sons have done well with mares by shuttle sire Lonhro (who brings in Nureyev).
There are already three stakes winners by Medaglia d’Oro and sons out of mares by Uncle Mo, including one by Violence. Uncle Mo is sire of Nyquist, Laoban, Outwork and Mo Town.
Alan Porter’s 2024 Breeding Analysis for Forte
Forte was Champion and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner at two, and a leader of his generation again at three. By Violence, the leading stallion son of Medaglia d’Oro, he is from a powerful branch of the La Troienne family.
Forte has an intriguing pedigree with the three-quarters related Sadler’s Wells and Bound – granddam of Forte’s broodmare sire, Blame – 4×4. It would be worth introducing another three-quarters relative, Nureyev, a three-quarters brother to Sadler’s Wells. There are more than 40 stakes winners by Medaglia d’Oro and sons out of mares carrying Nureyev, and out of mares from the line there has been success for Medaglia d’Oro and sons with daughters of Shakespeare (by Theatrical) and Ashkalani. We might also find Nureyev in the male of mares through Stravinsky, Peintre Celebre, Fasliyev, Pivotal, Unusual Heat, and Atticus.
Forte has a cross of Storm Cat through Forestry, the sire of his second dam, but the cross of Violence with Storm Cat line mares has been a very successful one so it could be well worth adding more of this strain. He has grade one winner No Parole out of a mare by Bluegrass Cat (who looks good here), and graded stakes winners out of mares by Stormy Atlantic (who is from the same family as Sadler’s Wells and Blame, as is Storm Boot) and Tale of the Cat (sire of Lion Heart and Tale of Ekati and grandsire of Kantharos and Uncaptured) and a stakes winner out of a mare by Giant Causeway (sire of Eskendereya, Shamardal, First Samurai, Creative Cause, Not This Time, Brody’s Cause and Carpe Diem). On the Storm Cat cross there are also Medaglia d’Oro line stakes winners out mares by Scat Daddy, a son of Johannesburg, and a grandson of Hennessy (also sire of Henny Hughes) and Forest Wildcat (sire of Wildcat Heir and D’Wildcat). It would also be possible to try Storm Cat through Tabasco Cat, Freud (a brother to Giant’s Causeway), Bernstein, Vision and Verse, Van Nistelrooy, Catienus, Storm Creek. Pure Prize, Yankee Gentleman and Sea of Secrets.
Nureyev and Storm Cat are from the Northern Dancer line, and from the Deputy Minister branch of that line, Violence also has a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Ghostzapper, and a stakes winner out of a mare by a son of his sire, Awesome Again (also sire of Paynter, Oxbow and Awesome of Course).
Forte has two crosses of Mr. Prospector, but they will be in the fifth and sixth generation of his offspring, so he is free to cross back over mares from that line, and Violence has proven to be very suited by Mr. Prospector line mares. He has a grade one winner out of a mare by Street Cry and stakes winners out of mares by that horse’s sons, Street Sense and Desert Party, which would also encourage considering mares by Street Boss, Street Hero and Street Magician.
The dam of Violence is by Gone West out of a daughter of Storm Cat, and he has stakes winners out of mares by Speightstown (by Gone West out of a Storm Cat mare) and Muqtarib (by Gone West out of a mare by The Minstrel, a close relative to Storm Cat’s sire Storm Bird). Speightstown is sire of Munnings and Gone West could be brought in through Elusive Quality who could also particularly interesting through Quality Road (a Gone West/Nijinsky II cross, again similar to Gone West/Storm Cat), with Grand Slam, Proud Citizen and Mr. Greeley (sire of El Corredor) being other Gone West sources.
There is a Violence stakes winner out of a mare by Smart Strike, who could be found through Curlin and sons, English Channel (who could fit particularly well here, bringing in Nureyev), Lookin at Lucky, Dominus and Square Eddie. From the Carson City branch of Mr. Prospector come stakes winners from daughters of City Zip (sire of Bustin Stones and Run Away and Hide) and Cuvee, with other sources being Five Star Day, Good and Tough and Pollard’s Vision.
Violence graded stakes winner, Raise Cain, is out of a mare by Lemon Drop Kid from the Kingmambo, branch of Mr. Prospector (bringing in Nureyev). Northern Afleet is bred on the same Mr. Prospector/Nuryev cross as Lemon Drop Kid.
Violence appears to have a particularly strong affinity for the Fappiano branch of Mr. Prospector. Here, Fappiano particularly appeals as his fourth dam, Jeano, is a grade one winner by Fappiano out of an In Reality mare, and Unbridled is by Fappiano and also has In Reality. Violence’s grade one winner Volatile is one of two stakes winners out of mares by Unbridled’s Song (by Unbridled), and Unbridled’s Song could be brought in through Rockport Harbor, First Defence, Songandaprayer, Midshipman, Cross Traffic, Even the Score, Half Ours and Old Fashioned. There are also two stakes winners, including graded winner Newgrange, out of mares by Empire Maker, sire of Pioneerof the Nile (himself sire of American Pharoah, Cairo Prince and Classic Empire) and Bodemeister. Unbridled could also be brought in through Broken Vow and other branches of Fappiano including Rubiano (sire of Too Much Bling and Burning Roma) and Quiet American and his grandson, Midnight Lute, could also be considered.
Violence has two stakes winners out of mares by sons of Forty Niner, which suggests trying mares by Distorted Humor and sons such as Maclean’s Music, Jimmy Creed, Flower Alley, Alternation, Brethren and Khozan. There is also a stakes winner out of a mare by Not For Love and a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Point Given (by Thunder Gulch).
Violence has six stakes winners out of A.P. Indy line mares, including one out of a mare by A.P. Indy himself, as well as from daughters of Bernardini (sire of To Honor and Serve and Stay Thirsty), Pulpit and his son Sky Mesa and Malibu Moon. Pulpit is also sire of Flashback, Mr. Speaker, Corinthian (from the immediate family of Sadler’s Wells and Bound), Stroll and Tapit (sire of Constitution, Frosted, Cupid, Tonalist, Trappe Shot, Tapiture, Race Day and Tapizar. It would also be possible to introduce A.P. Indy through Mineshaft (sire of Discreetly Mine and Dialed In), Flatter, Congrats, Stephen Got Even, Jump Start and Majestic Warrior. There is also a Violence stakes winner out of a mare by Vindication, a son of Seattle Slew, the sire of A.P. Indy.
There is a Violence grade one winner out of a mare by More Than Ready and a stakes winner by his sire Southern Halo. This is a branch of the Turn-to line, and from the Sir Tristram/Zabeel branch of that line Medaglia d’Oro and sons have done well with mares by shuttle sire Lonhro (who brings in Nureyev).
There are already three stakes winners by Medaglia d’Oro and sons out of mares by Uncle Mo, including one by Violence. Uncle Mo is sire of Nyquist, Laoban, Outwork and Mo Town.
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