LOUISVILLE, Ky. Todd Pletcher-trained colt Forte and Brad Cox s filly Wet Paint are the morning line favorites respectively for the 149th Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
Forte, a main contender for this year s Kentucky Derby, solidified his position as the likely favorite when he ran down Mage from an outside post to win Saturday s Grade I Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park by one length. The son of Violence a multiple graded stakes winner who was retired early due to a fracture to his right front foot claimed his fifth consecutive victory, four of them Grade 1 stakes races, and added another 100 points to his Kentucky Derby total, giving him 190 points. That s by far the most among all three-year-old hopefuls looking to grab a gate at Churchill Downs for this year s Run for the Roses.