(Forte before the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland last Fall / Coady Photography)

We are now embarking on a new “feature” that we hope to continue each Monday for the remainder of 2023. We are calling it “McLean’s Monday Musings & Muck Pit.”

It’s some of our thoughts and reflections about what has happened in the horse world over the past weekend, and, perhaps over the past week. Some are good thoughts. Some may be afterthoughts. Some may call them our “Monday Morning Quarterbacking” thoughts. And, yes, some will be our figurative “pitch fork tosses” into the proverbial “Muck Pit.”

So, without further adieu, here’s another pitch (and some fork):

(Forte winning the G1 Florida Derby last Saturday / Photo Courtesy of Gulfstream Park)

What Am I Missing…Why Does Forte Suddenly Have So Many Skeptics:

I love Twitter. I truly do. It is my social media platform of choice. Probably spend way too much time on it; following some of my Twitter pals; and chatting about lots of stuff, but mostly Thoroughbred racing.

I have met so many people, whom I have truly never met. Not in person. But in spirit.

And, I have developed so many deep and emotional friendships, as well. Too many to name, but when I lost my treasured friend “Crosley” a couple of weeks ago, it was truly amazing the overwhelming out-reach of love that was given so freely. Amazing grace. Truthfully, it was my Twitter friends who helped sustain me in a terrible time of grief, and it was so refreshing to read so many heart-felt promises that days ahead would get better with the fond memories of yesterday replacing the hole left in my heart.

You will never know what you mean to me Sean Patrick Nolan and Stephen McIntyre; Ryan Mueller and Gary McIntyre; Nancy Forsyth and Chris Malkove; and so, so, so many more.

I even met a couple of people who turned out to be horse partners — after they tagged me and we eventually met at Churchill Downs. We won a race that day at Churchill Downs and the game was on. Love me some Mark & Jamie Deno and Tim & Carla Moman. Family now.

Just love me some Twitter, and my Twitter “peeps.”

But I must admit that I am a little shell-shocked and, quite honestly, bewildered with some of the comments and responses that I have read on Twitter, and, elsewhere, for that matter, about Forte’s truly gutsy and grinding victory in Saturday’s G1 Florida Derby — that I found to be remarkable; outstanding; and, yet, another convincing tribute to the quality of the colt.

Yet…

As soon as the race was over, and Forte had yet to even turn around and head back to the winner’s circle celebration, the bashing had already begun. The Twitter “haters” were already out in mass. According to these rocking chair experts, Forte — the 2YO Champ; the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Champ; the overwhelming winner of the G2 Fountain of Youth; and now the winner of the G1 Florida Derby — was now vulnerable heading into the 149th Kentucky Derby.

In short, many have said the following:

Forte didn’t dominate a rather lackluster group, like he had done in the G2 Fountain of Youth in his previous race. Thus, he must have taken a step back.

Forte was not nearly as impressive as the lightly-raced Mage, who swept to the lead at the top of the stretch and fought mightily to the wire, only to get passed in the final yards. Thus, Mage was on the improve and the more likely of the two to come to Louisville with momentum.

Forte didn’t sustain his stretch run after the finish line and Mage actually “galloped out” stronger, better, and more powerful — passing the winner before the two reached the turn. Thus, Forte must have hit the wall and Mage is ready to jump it.

In short, I dump all those complaints and comments into the “Muck Pit.”

In truth, I am more impressed and convinced than ever before. Forte is — without dent and without scratch — in mint condition headed to the first Saturday in May.

And, the reasons for my bullish prediction is pretty simple, too:

On Saturday, in the G1 Florida Derby, what I saw was a Champion get introduced to some mighty tough conditions that would have crumpled and crumbled lesser horses.

Forte was stuck in the #11 post position on a track that is truly unkind to the outside runners. Going into the Florida Derby, horses that drew that far out were like 14 for 280. That amounts to a win percentage of less than 1%.

Forte appeared to exit the pre-game warmup a tad sweaty and washy, and may have spent some of his energy just getting to the gate. He may not have been at this optimum self.

Forte broke just a bit tardy and found himself much farther back in the field of 12 than he is normally positioned. And, as a result, he had to run much of the race 3-wide and was swept 5-wide at the top off the stretch.

At the 1/8th pole and within shouting distance of the finish line, Forte was 5th and still nearly 3 lengths off the emerging Mage, according to all the charts and the reconfigured time analysis.

Still, at the end, Forte found the emergency energy tank and does what he normally does:

He excelled.

He exploded.

He won.

I don’t care what the final time was, or if it was miss reported; or had to be fixed; or that the Beyer Speed Figure was reconfigured. None of that matters to me.

What matters, to me, is that Forte overcame some obstacles that many would have found too daunting. And, to me, that, my friends, is a sign of a Champion — which Forte is.

Now, in about a month, Forte will roll into the 149th Kentucky Derby with 7 wins in 8 lifetime tries and, in my book, the dominant choice to capture this year’s “Run for the Roses.”

All the doomsayers can preach what they want, but if the odds on all 20 horses were exactly the same, who would you pick to win this year’s event? Who would you rather have toting your money, and fame?

After the race, Forte’s trainer Todd Pletcher said:

“He (Forte) just continues to amaze us. He gets better and better,” Pletcher said. “He handled the stretch-out to a mile an eighth great and actually probably ran a mile and three-sixteenths today. It gives you a lot of confidence moving forward.

“He got a lot of experience today. The one good thing about here is you get a big crowd, a noisy crowd, long post parade, so they get exposed to a lot,” he added. “That experience hopefully pays off down the road.”

I would take my chances. I will take my chances. I am on Forte.

Angel of Empire Is Soaring:

While some people may be on the Mage bandwagon, I think the horse making the biggest improvements and, er, strides, these days is the Pennsylvania-bred winner of the G1 Arkansas Derby — Angel of Empire.

On Saturday, this son of Classic Empire was in classic form. He overpowered his opposition and left little to no doubt that he should cherish the 11/4-miles that awaits at Churchill Downs.

The colt has now won two major Stakes in a row this Spring, having captured the G2 Risen Star at the Fair Grounds before his victory in Hot Springs. The colt has now picked up one of the hottest riders in the land in Flavien Prat, who does have a KY Derby win in his travel bag. And, the colt is trained by one of Louisville’s own and best in Brad Cox.

Adds up to spicy, for me.

Adds up to excitement, for us.

And, what makes this 3YO even more fun to root for is that Angel of Empire won his first two career races at Horseshoe Indianapolis — just up the road from Louisville.

If you have not been to Horseshoe Indianapolis, do yourself a favor and go. It’s one of the most fun venues in the entire sport, and run by one of the best racetrack operators in the free world in Eric Halstrom.

Be fun to see a Horseshoe Indianapolis grad do well in Louisville. Be so fun.